Help me with smelly laundry.

I am confused about our washing machine. We try and wash at night because its so much cheaper. When we take the laundry out it smells musty. Is this because it sits in the machine for a few hours when we wake up? It never did this in the states. At first I thought maybe it was our detergent, we brought some from home. So we went out and bought some new stuff and its still smelly. We can't do fabric softener (I am allergic) so in the States we did a TBS or so of white vinegar in our downy ball. I couldn't find white vinegar here, so we did basics vinegar in the rinse cycle, Thought this would help with the smell but now the laundry smells worse!

Ok so maybe we are putting the soap and the rinse in the wrong places? As you see in the picture we put the laundry detergent in the right hand side (and for some reason it didnt all get rinsed down). I put the vinegar in the netted part assuming thats where you would put fabric softener.   Any suggestions

Does it smell sour or just musty?

Did you have a top loading machine in the US and a front loader here? I think the front loader has poorer draining, so it might have more water sitting around and causing the musty smell.

Does it smell sour or just musty?

Both to me, so much so that it makes our whole room smell when we are drying it. It also regains its smell if you get wet in the rain.

Did you have a top loading machine in the US and a front loader here? I think the front loader has poorer draining, so it might have more water sitting around and causing the musty smell.

Yeah we did have a top loader in the US and a front loader here. What does that mean?

It is possibly due to it being sat in the machine.  How old is your machine?  Sometimes every once in a while I do a whites hot wash 90degrees...just to ensure the machine itself gets a good clean from the heat.  Sometimes that can eradicate nasty niffs  

You may also need to check the pipes are clean and clear and also the filter..incase something is festering there.

Uh, like I said:

I think the front loader has poorer draining, so it might have more water sitting around and causing the musty smell.

Ahh, yeah, if it smells sour, its been sitting in the machine too long, in my experience.
What time frame are you keeping it in there? Wash overnight and then hang up to dry in the morning or after work?
How hard is your water? What are you spinning it at? Do you have an opportunity for an extra spin cycle?

It is possibly due to it being sat in the machine. � How old is your machine? � Sometimes every once in a while I do a whites hot wash 90degrees...just to ensure the machine itself gets a good clean from the heat. � Sometimes that can eradicate nasty niffs �

You may also need to check the pipes are clean and clear and also the filter..incase something is festering there.

I'm not sure how old it is, we are at a rental. We normally dont have enough hot water to do such a hot wash, but its worth a try. How does one check the pipes and clean the filter?

Ahh, yeah, if it smells sour, its been sitting in the machine too long, in my experience.
What time frame are you keeping it in there? Wash overnight and then hang up to dry in the morning or after work?
How hard is your water? What are you spinning it at? Do you have an opportunity for an extra spin cycle?

We generally put it to wash around 10 pm and then I hang if in the morning around 9 or 10. How do I test how hard my water is? I know I have been having issues with shampoo because of the water. I just set the normal color cycle (its the fastest, so less money on electricity). Would an extra spin cycle help? I can look!

I usually leave mine in overnight, but no smells.

I would do the hot wash and is there a trap at the bottom?  Maybe try that and empty it?

Also, we do the extra rinse but no fabric softener.  We do use Calgon though as a water softener, I haven't noticed any added smell from that in terms of allergies. 

Apologies in advance for the TMI but -

I never had a washing machine before I moved to the UK. I always had to take my dirty clothes to the laundromat.

On one of the earliest occasions that I used the washing machine, I left my clothing in the machine overnight, happy that I no longer had to deal with impatient laundromat customers waiting to use my machine.

I ended up with a thrush infection, which I do not commonly get.

Now I take the clothing out of the machine as soon as I can.

I'm not sure how old it is, we are at a rental. We normally don't have enough hot water to do such a hot wash, but its worth a try. How does one check the pipes and clean the filter?

I would defo do at least one boil wash then...you never know who washed what in it before   .  Your washing machine should be fed from the cold water main rather than the hot..not sure if that could possibly be your problem.  You will have to pull the machine out and check where your pipes are going into in the back...unscrew them and check for blockages or sharp kinks in the pipe..especially in the waste water pipe...It may be that the waste water can not escape properly and is backwashing into your machine.  Also sometimes people can often push their machine too hard back against the wall which can often squidge the pipes. As for the filter, you need to refer to your manual.  

I have to say tho..that regardless of that happening...leaving you clothes for that long in the machine wet will create a damp smell.  Can you do a late wash then hang it up straight away before getting into bed?

Ours is a combination washer/dryer and I've noticed that for the first dry after I've been washing it takes FOREVER to get anything dry, so I agree that there is probably more water than you realise sitting in the machine, even if it's not in the actual drum.

Ours has a variable spin rate and I've got it cranked up as high as it goes and yet I still have this problem so I think you've got little choice other than to take everything out as soon as it's finished it's cycle.... 

The detergent goes in the left-hand side compartment in our washer (and did in the machine in our old flat as well). The right-hand side compartment on ours is for fabric softener. Have never used the small, middle one, but assumed it was for bleach. Do you have access to the manual to find out where the detergent should go? Sometimes you can find manuals online, if not.

ETA: Also, if you are in an area with very hard water, you probably will need to use more detergent than you normally would. There is usually a hard-water suggestion on the back of detergent. Using a water softner every so often will also help to make sure that the soap works better.

I had this problem, then went to clean out the filter...it was truly nasty, but now we have nice smelling washing.

Vicky

I had this problem, then went to clean out the filter...it was truly nasty, but now we have nice smelling washing.

Vicky

And sometimes amongst the grim sludge and gunk..you can find some hidden treasure!