How to Keep Your Front Loader Washing Machine Odor Free
Front loaders are all the rage, and rightly so. They are easier on your clothes, they can handle very large loads of laundry and some even have steam cycles for delicates and removing wrinkles. But none of this is any good if the washer is making your clothes smell worse instead of better. What's worse than drying off after a shower with a fresh, fluffy, warm towel that smells like mildew? Don't worry -- not all is lost. You can keep your front loader -- and clothes -- odor free. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Leave the door open whenever there is not a cycle being washed. This allows moisture to escape. After a wash, the tub is warm and wet, which is a hotbed for mold and mildew to grow. When the door is closed, the water has nowhere to go, except down farther under the tub. Opening the door allows it to evaporate.
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Use HE or "high efficiency" detergent all the time. Super concentrated, this detergent produces fewer suds and has less fragrance than regular detergents. The volume of suds produced by regular detergents acts like sludge to water draining out of the tub.
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Rub a cloth over the inside of the washer after each load, or at least once a week. Keep a roll of paper towels nearby, and wipe down the glass on the inside of the door. Then, peel back the rubber door seal and clean in there. You'll notice little grooves where water can sit. Combine 3/4 cup liquid chlorine bleach with a gallon of warm water. Dip a rag in the solution and clean in the grooves of the door seal.
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4
Clean the drain pump filter. This should be done about every two weeks. The drain pump filter can fill up with stinky water over time. Old water that never drained sits here, as does lint and other odd items. The drain pump filter is usually located at the front bottom of the washer. If you're lucky enough to have a drain plug next to it, pull that out, put the hose in a bucket and let it empty before opening the filter. If you don't have a plug, have your bucket ready under the filter before you open it. Then pull the filter out and clean it.
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Clean the tub. Some washers have a "tub clean" feature. If yours does, pour 2 cups of bleach into the detergent area. Then run the tub clean with an empty washer. If your front loader doesn't have this feature, pour the bleach and run it empty on its hottest cycle. When it's done, wipe it dry and leave the door open. Do this about once a month, or as often as you deem necessary.
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Tips & Warnings
If you've had your washer a while, and have never done any of these things, your washer may smell terrible. First, empty the drain pump filter. Then, run a tub clean or bleach cycle. Repeat this cycle until you no longer smell anything. Then, use the steps above for maintenance.
If you don't like chemicals, baking soda works wonders for absorbing odor. Use it in place of bleach. But be aware that your washer may require more frequent tub cleanings if you use baking soda, as it isn't as lethal to odor-causing bacteria as is bleach.
Leaving the washer open is dangerous for kids and small pets. Make sure they don't have access to the appliance.
References
- Photo Credit Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images
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Comments
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This was a great tip, except that after I cleaned the pump filter I started a load of bleach water. I ran upstairs, came down a few minutes later to the worst sound ever - water running into my basement from the first floor… I had been soaking the pump filter and FORGOT TO PUT IT BACK IN THE WASHING MACHINE BEFORE STARTING THE LOAD OF BLEACH WATER. How stupid is that? Not only did I ruin about 10 towels trying to sop up all the water as it ran out of the laundry room, but all of the clothes sorted on the floor that I was going to wash in the first place! ARGH.
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I have a GE front load and tried all of the above to no avail; the drain filter at the front bottom needs to be cleaned every 2 loads. I tried the every 2 weeks and it did not help with the smell. So, every 2 loads, I pull the strainer out, let all the rancid water run out into an old towel, I then spray Clorox Clean-up into the "tube" and scrub it with a small toilet brush. No more smell and actively seeking a machine that has a better drainage system.
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lol I didn't realize that this posted to my page.... well now that I finally figured out what the heck was wrong with my washer I like it again, its been giving me a hard time, I kept cleaning it and was doing everything that they said to do and then when I found this one little step online {clean the drain pump filter} it helped me discover the source of the problem, now I know and shouldn't have the issue any more {God willing ;)
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love my samsung front loader, after Im done with the washing I wipe the inside and leave the door open for a few hours to dry it out no smell
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in regards to step #4, if you own a Whirlpool Duet it is quite tricky to get to that drain pump filter, but after doing a little more searching I found out where it was and how to clean it.... If you haven't done this yet and tried everything else on the list, that hard to get to drain pump is most likely the source of the problem and (warning) its pretty gross once you find it. http://www.ehow.com/how_5318906_clean-drain-whirlpool-duet-washer.html read the comments area and that was exactly how to fix the issue for good! Yay!
