Washing machine smells – how to get it fresh again
Difficulty: Easy · Time: approx. 3 hours
When the washing machine smells musty, or freshly washed laundry comes out smelling stale, a biofilm is almost always behind it: a layer of bacteria and detergent residue. It thrives when you mostly wash at 30 or 40 degrees with liquid detergent – because liquid detergent lacks the bleach that keeps the film in check.
This full clean tackles all four sources of smell in one go: lint filter, detergent drawer, door seal and the drum itself. You'll be actively busy for about half an hour – the 90-degree wash takes care of the rest by itself.
What you'll need
- A shallow dish (casserole dish or baking tray) and an old towel
- An old toothbrush or small washing-up brush
- Cloth and warm soapy water
- Powder detergent (contains bleach) or washing machine cleaner
- Optional: rubber gloves
Step by step
- 1
Clean the lint filter
Open the small flap at the bottom front and have the towel and shallow dish ready – residual water always comes out when you unscrew the filter. Turn the filter out slowly, let the water drain, remove lint and any objects, and rinse the filter before screwing it back in.
- 2
Take out and scrub the detergent drawer
Pull the detergent drawer all the way out while pressing the release – usually a tab on the fabric softener insert. Scrub away detergent residue and black mould spots with the brush and warm soapy water, and wipe out the housing the drawer sits in too.
- 3
Wipe out the door seal fold
Pull the fold of the rubber door seal apart and wipe all the way around it. Water, lint and often the first spots of mould collect here – exactly the climate where the smell develops.
- 4
A 90-degree wash against the biofilm
Run the machine empty on its hottest programme – with powder detergent, because it contains bleach that kills the biofilm. Liquid detergent won't help here. Alternatively, use a washing machine cleaner as directed.
- 5
Prevent the smell from coming back
Leave the door and detergent drawer open after every wash, do a 60-degree or hotter wash with powder about once a month, and dose your detergent according to the packaging instead of by feel – overdosing feeds the biofilm.
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Upload a photo →Frequently asked questions
- Why does the washing machine smell in the first place?
- Modern laundry mostly runs at 30 or 40 degrees with liquid detergent – economical and gentle on fabrics, but without bleach and without heat. In the residual water, lint and detergent residue, a biofilm of bacteria grows, and that's what smells.
- How often should I do a hot wash?
- A wash at 60 degrees or hotter with powder detergent about once a month is enough in most households. Towels or bed linen are ideal for it – that way the hot cycle isn't an extra power drain.
- Do home remedies like vinegar or baking soda help?
- Baking soda can support the cleaning, vinegar is controversial: in larger quantities it can attack rubber seals and metal parts over time. A hot empty wash with powder or a machine cleaner is more reliable and kinder to the materials.