The washing machine stinks after cleaning with citric acid.
It's frustrating and confusing when the unpleasant odor only intensifies and develops into a stench after cleaning with citric acid. Does this mean the acidic detergent, which was supposed to remove all the fumes and dirt, actually had the opposite effect and worsened the situation? Unlikely; most likely, the technology was flawed or the cause of the stench was improperly identified. But don't despair or doubt the effectiveness of citric acid. It's far more effective to permanently address the problem and help your washing machine restore its neutral odor.
Why does it smell stronger after using lemon juice?
If your washing machine emits a terrible odor after cleaning, then citric acid should be ruled out as the culprit immediately. Unlike the sharp-smelling vinegar, citric acid can only “reward” the machine with light citrus notes. Most people find this smell pleasant and unlikely to be considered unpleasant. The stench is likely caused by something else.
Experience shows that an increase in the initial odor indicates that the citric acid concentration was insufficient. The alkaline solution is excellent at dissolving grease, dirt, and limescale deposits and killing bacteria, but sufficient dosage is required for excellent results. If the citric acid concentration was too low, only the top layer of dirt will be exposed, while the foul-smelling "internals" will not be completely washed away. Naturally, the disturbed foul-smelling residue will smell worse than the fossilized residue.
After "lemon" cleaning, it's not the cleaning product that smells, but the dirt remaining in the machine.
There's a solution: repeat the cleaning with citric acid or a stronger cleaner. It's not for nothing that experts recommend cleaning your washing machine in 2-3 cycles in a row. If the machine hasn't been cleaned in a while and is covered in a thick layer of scale, at least 4 cycles will be needed. A single maintenance cycle is sufficient for subsequent cleanings, and this procedure should be performed every three months.
If repeated cleanings do not help
If your washing machine still smells after 3-4 cycles with citric acid, the problem isn't dirt or mold. Citric acid is only useless if the machine isn't properly connected to the sewer system and "sucks" waste into the drum during operation. The drum constantly contains foul-smelling water, making it impossible to wash or even be near the machine.
To combat the stench, it's important to properly connect the drain hose to the sewer pipe. If the connection isn't made according to the instructions and the hose isn't raised high enough, a pressure difference will occur when water is drawn in and drained. To restore the balance, the washing machine draws some water from outside, dumping waste into the drum. This common problem is called the siphon effect and can be resolved by adjusting the drainage system.
Sometimes the cause of the smell cannot be determined, and the only option left is to contact a service center for advanced diagnostics.
Or maybe you're cleaning it incorrectly?
Before calling in professionals, it's worth re-evaluating the work done. The smell coming from your washing machine may be due to improper cleaning. The number of cycles is not the only important parameter: the water heating temperature, the selected spin cycle, the dosage of the detergent, and the duration of the program are also significant.
Proper cleaning with lemon juice necessarily includes:
checking the drum for forgotten items;
adding acid to the drum or tray in the required dosage (as a rule, 60 g is required for a 4 kg drum, and for full-size machines – from 100 g);
turning on a long high-temperature spin (optimally 60-95 degrees and 1.5-3 hours);
spin off;
double rinse activation;
manual treatment of the cuff, drum and machine body with a solution.
During the wash cycle, you should see flakes of limescale flying off, which indicates the lemon juice is working. Residual deposits may also get stuck in the cuff. Finally, don't forget the debris filter: unscrew it and clean it of any dirt.
It's frustrating and confusing when the unpleasant odor only intensifies and develops into a stench after cleaning with citric acid. Does this mean the acidic detergent, which was supposed to remove all the fumes and dirt, actually had the opposite effect and worsened the situation? Unlikely; most likely, the technology was flawed or the cause of the stench was improperly identified. But don't despair or doubt the effectiveness of citric acid. It's far more effective to permanently address the problem and help your washing machine restore its neutral odor.
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