How to Remove the Musty Smell from Your Front Load Washer

How to Remove Mold and Mildew from Front Load Washing Machines Today...

How to Remove Mold and Mildew from Front-Load Washing Machines

Front-load washing machines are notorious for collecting mold.
I've had my front-loading washing machine for about four years, and it has some great advantages - it's quiet, fast, uses less water and detergent, and gently tumbles (rather than yanking) my clothes. In general, I've been so pleased with it that I was shocked one day when I opened the door and was nearly knocked unconscious by a fetid blast of moldy-smelling air!
How could a machine that's so wonderful, suddenly turn so horribly smelly?

Gaskets hold moisture.
The answer is in the way the machine is designed. Front-loading washing machines have watertight, airtight doors that seal with a rubber gasket. That rubber seal traps moisture in the machine and also provides the perfect nooks and crannies for mold and mildew to grow.
Top-loading washing machines, on the other hand, have a rather loose fitting metal door that easily allows the tank to dry out between loads.
The problem isn't helped by our laundry preferences. High sudsing detergents and liquid fabric softeners leave behind residues and films that invite mold growth. Cold-water cycles and mild, eco-friendly detergents don't quite blast away residues like their environmentally-unfriendly counterparts.
So, to keep mold at bay, front-load washers need just a bit more maintenance than top-loading machines.

How to Get Rid of Mold and Smells in Top-Load Washers

If you've got a stinky front-load washing machine, here's how to get it smelling fresh again:

Cleaning gasket on washer.

• Clean Gasket: Use a rag or towel to clean the rubber door gasket on a front-loading washer with either hot soapy water or a spritz of mildew cleaner. Make sure to wipe underneath and around it as well. Be prepared for some slime and gunk, and possibly a stray sock or two!
• Clean Dispensers: Remove the detergent dispensers and give them a good scrubbing. If they don't come out, clean them as best you can, using a bottle or pipe cleaner to reach back into the crevices.
• Run Cleaning Cycle: Next, run an empty wash cycle on the longest, hottest water setting (or a tub-cleaning cycle, if you have it). Add one of the following directly to the wash tub:
  • 1 cup of bleach.
  • 1 cup of baking soda.
  • 1/2 cup of powdered enzymatic dishwasher detergent (such asCascade Complete).
  • A commercial residue-busting washer cleaner (such as Affresh orSmelly Washer).
  Commercial cleaning pellets.
  
• Repeat Cleaning Cycle: If the problem persists, repeat the cleaning cycle and consider trying a different additive. It might take several cycles to get the smell out.
• Professional Help: If you've tried every way to clean your front-load washer and it still smells, you may have mold growing back behind the drum, or possibly a clogged drain or filter. A qualified repair person can dismantle the machine and clean it for you, or you can unplug the machine and carefully explore and clean it yourself.

Preventative Maintenance

Once your machine is clean, follow these tips to keep it that way:

Allow washer tub to dry.

• Air It Out: If possible, leave the door of the front-load washer cracked open to allow it to dry thoroughly between cycles. However, you shouldn't do this if you have children or pets who could be tempted to climb (and possibly become trapped) inside the machine.
• Remove Loads Promptly: Be sure to remove wet clothes as soon as the cycle is finished. Set your washer to beep when it's done, so you don't forget.
• Choose Detergent Wisely: Choose low-sudsing detergents specifically made for high-efficiency (HE) machines. When possible, choose powder over liquid; liquid detergents are usually higher in suds.
Clean washer dispensers.

• Use Less Detergent: Read the labels and use no more than the amount recommended for each load. Experiment with using less detergent, until you find the minimum amount necessary (sometimes just a spoonful) to get your clothes clean.
• Avoid Fabric Softener: Liquid fabric softeners leave residue that contributes to mold in front-load washers. Instead, use dryer sheets or dryer balls to soften your clothes.
• Dry Gaskets: Use an old towel to wipe around and underneath the door gaskets and the inside of the door on front-loading washers. Ideally, you should so this after every cycle, but at the very least it needs a periodic wipe down to remove any water or mildew trapped in the folds.
• Use Bleach: About once a month, run a hot water bleach cycle. I usually take the opportunity to throw in work towels, fabric shower curtains, and muddy gardening clothes, along with that nasty gasket-cleaning towel.

Good Luck

The first thing to do is to CHECK IN AND AROUND THE RUBBER DOOR BOOT (called a bellow) for small articles of clothing (like socks and underwear) that may have gotten lodged in behind the rubber. Pull the rubber back where it meets the wash tub and look behind it. It is common for small items to get stuck here, become forgotten and start to mildew. You should check this area after each wash and clean it periodically to get rid of the formation of soap scum, mold, and mildew. HINT: When you get ready to wash a load of towels, take a dirty towel and clean the door boot thoroughly (including the areas behind the rubber). Immediately place the towel in the wash and run it on a sanitary cycle. This way you eliminate the need for cleaning rags.

PERIODICALLY RUN THE WASHER ON A CLEANING CYCLE. Place the washer on the hottest setting you have (usually a Sanitary cycle) with nothing but bleach in the wash tub. Some newer models actually have a "Clean Cycle" available now just for this purpose. This helps keep the wash tub, drain lines and pump sanitized.

CHECK AND CLEAN THE DRAIN PUMP FILTER. Accumulations of debris in the drain pump filter can also cause odors. HINT: If you own a shop vac, pull the drain hose from the standpipe at the wall and pull a vacuum on the line. This will drain any residual water left in the tub, pump and drain lines BEFORE you remove the drain pump cover. This will prevent a messy clean up later.

LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN IF POSSIBLE. When not in use, leave the door open to allow the tub to air out and to keep mold and mildew from forming on the door bellow. I know this may not be desirable in some households with small children. If too much mildew forms on the rubber and it cannot be removed, replacement of the bellow may be required.

NOTE: This problem is common with front loader style washing machines. The doors on these machines have an air tight/water tight seal that is great for sealing the washer during the wash cycle, but can be terrible for collecting small garments and for not allowing the tub to properly air out when not in use. Following these simple preventive measures can go a long way towards preventing harmful mold and mildew, and towards extending the life of the door bellow and pump.



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check door gasket

The first thing to do is to CHECK IN AND AROUND THE RUBBER DOOR BOOT (called a bellow) for small articles of clothing (like socks and underwear) that may have gotten lodged in behind the rubber. Pull the rubber back where it meets the wash tub and look behind it. It is common for small items to get stuck here, become forgotten and start to mildew. You should check this area after each wash and clean it periodically to get rid of the formation of soap scum, mold, and mildew. HINT: When you get ready to wash a load of towels, take a dirty towel and clean the door boot thoroughly (including the areas behind the rubber). Immediately place the towel in the wash and run it on a sanitary cycle. This way you eliminate the need for cleaning rags.

PERIODICALLY RUN THE WASHER ON A CLEANING CYCLE. Place the washer on the hottest setting you have (usually a Sanitary cycle) with nothing but bleach in the wash tub. Some newer models actually have a “Clean Cycle” available now just for this purpose. This helps keep the wash tub, drain lines and pump sanitized.

CHECK AND CLEAN THE DRAIN PUMP FILTER. Accumulations of debris in the drain pump filter can also cause odors. HINT: If you own a shop vac, pull the drain hose from the standpipe at the wall and pull a vacuum on the line. This will drain any residual water left in the tub, pump and drain lines BEFORE you remove the drain pump cover. This will prevent a messy clean up later.

LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN IF POSSIBLE. When not in use, leave the door open to allow the tub to air out and to keep mold and mildew from forming on the door bellow. I know this may not be desirable in some households with small children. If too much mildew forms on the rubber and it cannot be removed, replacement of the bellow may be required.

NOTE: This problem is common with front loader style washing machines. The doors on these machines have an air tight/water tight seal that is great for sealing the washer during the wash cycle, but can be terrible for collecting small garments and for not allowing the tub to properly air out when not in use. Following these simple preventive measures can go a long way towards preventing harmful mold and mildew, and towards extending the life of the door bellow and pump.



Thanks for using FixYa - a 4 THUMBS rating is appreciated for answering your FREE question.

Unfortunately, this is a common problem with front load style washers. Now...if you pull the rubber boot back where it meets the wash tub there should be several small holes that allow any residual water to drain back into the wash tub. If these holes become clogged with lint and/or debris water will accumulate and mildew. The best advice I can give you when it comes to this type of washer is to become diligent about ensuring nothing gets caught in the the seam of the rubber boot. Routinely inspect this area after each wash for loose items like socks and underwear. In addition, clean this area periodically. What I often recommemd to people is to wait until you get ready to do a load of towels and wash cloths. Clean this area with a dirty towel or wash rag and throw it into the wash to be cleaned. This way you don't have to worry about having any old rags lying around. If you are not in the habit of using hot water settings you should also run a cleaning cycle about once a week on the hottest setting available. Pour a small amount of bleach into the soap dispenser and run the unit with nothing in it. This will help in killing any bacteria. Some of the newer models have now been equipped with a "Clean" cycle just for this purpose. Due to the design of these washers they become breeding grounds for mildew because the wash tubs are dark and if you leave the door closed when not in use it seals out any air that could allow the tub to dry out. When you are not using the washer leave the door slightly ajar to allow the tub to air out. I hope you find this information is helpful. Post back with comments and let me know if this works for you, or if I need to give you better advice.