After washing, the laundry started to smell.

The task of a washing machine is not only to wash dirty laundry, but also to freshen it, eliminating all odors.

But what if one day you take your laundry out of the drum after washing, and it smells as if it hadn't been washed at all? An unpleasant odor is a reason to question whether you're properly maintaining your machine, and the smell could also be the first sign of a problem.

Causes of unpleasant odor

When you take out your laundry and other items after washing, you discover an unpleasant smell that persists even after drying. What could be the cause?

1. Stagnant water in the drum. This is the most common reason for smelly laundry, according to experts. If water containing detergent particles stagnates for a week without being rinsed out, a slime forms at the bottom of the drum. During the next wash, the slime mixes with clean water and gets onto the laundry, causing it to smell bad.
2. Clogged pipes, drain hose and drain filter can also cause an unpleasant odor.
3. Clogged sewer. The smell can enter the machine through an incorrectly connected drain hose, causing a siphon effect.
4. An unwashed detergent drawer containing detergent residue and mold is another cause of unpleasant odors. During washing, the drawer is washed with water, and mold particles are released into the drum with the laundry, causing it to smell bad afterward.
5. Stagnant water in the drum rubber seal. Water remains in the drum seal after washing, creating a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. If you don't keep it clean, it's no wonder your laundry smells damp after washing.
6. Poor-quality detergent or overdosing on it. This problem is usually diagnosed when the machine is maintained, wiped, and cleaned, but the smell still persists. How much powder should I put in my washing machine? This is important. If it's not washed out, it will remain inside the machine and, after a while, will start to emit an unpleasant odor. Try changing your detergent; a low-quality detergent could be the reason why your clothes aren't washing properly and smelling bad.

Please note! Odor problems after washing most often occur when the washing machine is installed in a poorly ventilated bathroom with constant dampness and high humidity.

Ways to eliminate unpleasant odors

To get rid of an unpleasant odor in your laundry after washing, you need to check all possible causes step by step, then rinse and clean the machine. Re-washing with detergent may not remove the odor. Therefore, it's important to be proactive.

Start with the simple: check the drain filter. In almost all washing machines, it's located at the bottom, behind a small panel. Open the panel, place a rag underneath, unscrew the filter, and remove it for inspection. Rinse it with any readily available detergent, such as Fairy, which will effectively eliminate odors, and then replace the filter. You can also drain the water from the tank through the emergency drain hose, which is located next to the filter. This may help combat the smell of laundry after washing.

If you've never cleaned the detergent drawer or do it very rarely, feel free to do so. Removing it from the machine is very easy: just press the drawer holder with your finger, usually marked with an index finger. Just press, pull, and the drawer is in your hands. Now take a large container of clean water, pour in Domestos, Toilet Duck, or any other detergent—you can even use vinegar if you don't mind the smell—and soak the drawer in the solution for 3-4 hours.

Meanwhile, you can clean the tray compartment. You'll need a toothbrush and baking soda. Wet the brush with water, dip it in the baking soda, and thoroughly clean everything. If the stain persists, apply baking soda to the contaminated areas and leave for 2-3 hours. After the time has passed, clean and rinse everything again, remembering to carefully clean the hole where the water enters. When finished, wipe the compartment with a dry cloth.

Note! In addition to baking soda, you can use the same cleaning products you use to clean the tray itself, as long as you rinse it thoroughly.

Return to the drawer and use a brush or sponge to remove all dirt, mold, and limescale. Rinse the detergent drawer thoroughly with water, wipe it dry with a cloth, and replace it.

The next step is to check the drain system. If the machine is connected to the kitchen, pay attention to how the water drains in the sink. If it drains slowly, the drain trap may be clogged. This can cause laundry to smell bad after washing. To clear the blockage, clean the drain trap using various detergents and a special cable with a brush.

As for the drainage system of the machine itself, how to flush it is described in the article How to clean a washing machine drain hose.

Now let's turn our attention to the hatch seal. If there's mold on it, apply a copper sulfate solution to it for about 24 hours, then rinse with a cloth. To ensure the laundry doesn't smell after washing, run a test wash with 150 grams of citric acid or a small amount of vinegar (half a cup). To do this, select a long cycle at 90°C.⁰C, and be sure to set the extra rinse. Lemon juice will not only help eliminate odors but also remove limescale. Vinegar is excellent for removing musty odors. But after this, you need to thoroughly ventilate both the room and the machine itself.

Tip! Vinegar not only removes odors from the washing machine, but you can also try rinsing your laundry with a small amount of vinegar and then air-drying it. The vinegar fumes will quickly dissipate.

Preventing odor from appearing in the washing machine

To avoid having to wash clothes with an unpleasant smell from the washing machine and wondering why it appears, it is necessary to take preventative measures to combat such odors.

• After each wash, it is necessary to rinse the tray and drum cuff and wipe them with a dry cloth.
• Keep the hatch door slightly open, especially in the bathroom, so that the drum and tank are well ventilated and dry, Otherwise, the items will smell damp after washing.
• Regularly, at least once a month, you need to wash the drain filter and drain the remaining water from the tank.
• Avoid storing dirty items in the drum with the door closed until they're ready to be washed, especially socks, T-shirts, and kitchen towels, which can smell unpleasant. This type of storage is only recommended in extreme cases.
• At least once a week, run the wash at a temperature of 60⁰C, so that the hot water washes out the remaining powder that has settled in the tank.
• It is necessary regularly clean and wash the washing machine.

So, if your laundry smells strange after washing, and it's not the detergent, look for the cause in the machine itself. Best of all, don't neglect simple washing instructions, and you won't have to worry about why you can't remove the unpleasant odor.

   

3 reader comments

1. April 9, 2023 at 1:23 PM

   Denis:

   But what if only my things stink, but my wife and children's don't?

   Answer
2. April 23, 2023 at 10:46 PM

   Alena:

   Hello! What is citric acid? Google returns a type of pear and a fragmentation grenade. O_o Citric acid?

   Answer
3. October 21, 2024 at 10:36 AM

   Vasily:

   Change your wife. Looks like she's doing you harm.

   Answer