I can't get the front panel off my HE3 #44836 to clean the filter. The rubber backing crumbled on my bath mats in the washer. I vacuumed out the tub, but where did the rest of the rubber crumbles go? I'm guessing the filter. Need to clean it out. Would that help the mold-like smell, too? That's been getting progressively worse over the past year. Sears phone "help" wouldn't help me. Thanks. Xybev

Read the owners manual. Many washers have 'self cleaning' filters that will get clogged with big stuff. The 'moldy odor' is caused by MOLD. Run a 'extra large' empty load of HOT water with normal detergent + 1 PINT of ordinary bleach. Add another shot (pint) of bleach to the rinse cycle. Sometimes a small article (sock?) will escape the clothes basket and get trapped in the tub--it can't get drained out and can't get back into the clothes basket. The bleach will kill the mold, but if it returns you will have to take the top off and fish the lost article out using a bent clothes hanger as a hook.