View Full Version : Smelly johnson after washing
Showing my complete noobness here. My washing machine used to smell of stale water or whatever it is. That wasn't toooo bad and I was able to get most of my clothes clean and to smell nice. I'd rewash any others and they'd be ok. However my last wash has caused a different smell to appear. I've done a few rewashes and its not going. I've cleaned out the rubber and inside as best I can. I can't access the little thing at the bottom due to some great kitchen design. Oddly tshirts seem ok but socks n co don't. Worst of all is my hats smell! I'm down to my emergency hat which can give me nipple head. Its not the best look. Its proving annoying and costly.
I always found that musty smell was from the drying. If the clothes are left wet for too long they'll smell when they dry. Had real trouble getting things dry at uni so half the time they'd go that way. It was also more noticeable once your body heat had warmed them up a bit too.
Of course if your washing machine/water is the culprit then this is probably academic!
What Belmit said - I've had that happen too.
If you're not using the dryer much then stale water could be an indication that the machine wasn't draining properly. Either the filter (probably that bit at the bottom you're referring to) is clogged or there's a plumbing problem.
Easiest way to find out if this is the problem is to put the machine on a rinse cycle (while empty), watch it fill - to make sure it actually does fill, and then put it on drain and do the same. Actually, doing a fill and drain cycle isn't a bad idea after using the dryer - some manufacturers recommend this, so it's worth doing anyway.
Have you tried doing a boil wash with a bit of powder and bleach to try and blast away anything funky living in the pipes? :p
That sounds like it. Could be that I'm drying things wrong. I've got a clothes stand thing and a balcony but its been crap weather lately so I've left it inside. Just rewashing the things that smell and I'll put them on the balcony to get some air.
Stale water would seem to me to be an indication that the machine wasn't draining properly. Either the filter (probably that bit at the bottom you're referring to) is clogged or there's a plumbing problem.
Easiest way to find out if this is the problem is to put the machine on a rinse cycle (while empty), watch it fill - to make sure it actually does fill, and then put it on drain and do the same.
Cool will do.
Have you tried doing a boil wash with a bit of powder and bleach to try and blast away anything funky living in the pipes? :p
Of course not :D I've tried washing them. Rewashing. Rewashing with less clothes and shouting at them.
Cool will do.
Edited my post slightly after you read it, but the gist is that a fill and drain will probably clear the smell after using the dryer too.
Dryer. Cool. Have no idea how to do that so I'll have to rtfm.
Could it be that the water is not draining away well? And such is swilling in dirty water? How soon after the last spin do you take the clothes out?
I may leave them 10 mins or so but not like hours. As far as I can tell the water is draining away. But its my first washing machine so I have no real idea wtf I'm doing.
Do the clothes drip when you remove them, or are they just damp?
Thats something that puzzled me. They don't drip. Just damp. My hats are even dry.
Swill a bit of white vinegar around inside the drawer and the drum and run a rinse cycle.
And mustard. Lots of mustard.
And mustard. Lots of mustard.
From orbit?
And mustard. Lots of mustard.
Don't be silly. His clothes will be hairy.
Hi pete, I used to work in white goods engineering and my thoughts on your situation are essayed (:p) below:
When a washing machine is causing smell it can be due to a number of easily resolvable issues and undertaking the following steps could hopefully resolve this issue for you:
1- Build up of bacteria: the majority of detergents will cause a build up of bacteria within the machine's detergent drawer, door seal and tub (the container which the drum sits in :)). This is not due to being unclean etc, but you might also find that the door seal and it's creases sometimes accumulate a black un-removable staining/build up.
Resolution : Fully remove your detergent drawer (sometimes a clip underneath or if not requires a strong sharp tug to full pull out). Clean the drawer fully with a toothbrush, clean the roof of the machine where the drawer has been removed from (you will see little holes for water jets) and then also clear out any build up towards the back of this space. Do not poke anything down the hole where the detergent goes.
Clean the door seal as best as you can, getting into the folds of the rubber, notably at the 6 o'clock section where water is often left behind. NB- if you find a small hole at this place, do not be concerned, they are manufactured in order to drain water but often become clogged with build-up.
Now undertake a maintenance wash on the machine, selecting the hottest wash your machine allows - usually a 90 degree cottons programme with No items of clothing within the machine at all. Ideally accompany this wash with a handful of soda crystals (cheap from any supermarket) placed in your detergent drawer. This will not remove any staining of the machine caused by such build up, but it will kill of this form of bacteria which cleaning by hand will not.
2 - Incorrect placing of drain hose.
If your drain hose (the ribbed one that either connects under your sink or goes into a stand pipe on the wall) is not correctly positioned then the foul air from the drain will back up through into your machine, or at worst, will back fill the machine with foul water during the pump-out cycles, although the latter is more unlikely.
Resolution: Ensure that there is a 'U-shape' bend in your drain hose when it comes out of the machine- this creates an air-break to prevent the bad smell returning into your machine. You might find that you have a clip your pipes fits into forcing this shape.
3 - Blockage within machine
A blockage in your filter, pump housing or drain hose could cause a very foul smell to remain on your clothes and/or machine.
Resolution: Firstly check your drain hose. Disconnect the machine from the mains and have a washing up bowl/old towell handy. Disconnect the drain hose at the sink end/pull out the drain hose from the stand pipe on the wall, whichever your setup, and ensure the end is clear of partial blockage/build up.
If there is any water in the base of the machine, placing this drain hose in a downwards direction from the machine will allow the water to drain via gravity. You should undertake the above actions prior to undertaking the following steps:
Now we should look to check the filter/pumphousing on the appliance- I know you said that the machine is in a difficult position, but as this should ideally be checked every 4-6 weeks and is vital for any problems it's best you find a way of pulling the machine out anyway.
At the bottom on the front of the machine you will find an access panel or kickplate, this will pull off to reveal a filter cover (looks like a mini-petrol cap), unscrew this anti-clockwise slowly, bearing in mind there will be a notable amount of water coming out at this point. (use a shallow oven tray or old towel to catch this water- you can unscrew slowly to catch into a tray, tighten up, empty tray & repeat etc if you find it's too much water).
Once you've finished with the water, fully unscrew the filter cover and pull it out. What you have in your hand is the filter, ensure this is free from blockages/build up and give it a quick clean.
Now look in the apeture from where you removed the filter, this is the pump housing and the pump will be visable (looks like a small propellor blade). ensure this little bay is completely clear of build up, blockages, foreign objects etc before replacing the filter firm and tightly and then placing the kickplate back on and reconnecting the drain hose, and finally, power supply.
Now at this point, it would be a good idea to undertake the maintance wash detailed above- ensuring that the machine fully completes before you interupt it.
Give the above a go and see how you get on, it may seem like a lot to digest but it really is all quite simple :)
Removing the drain hose would scare me - I'd be worried about not putting it back properly and flooding the kitchen. :o :shocked:
Removing the drain hose would scare me - I'd be worried about not putting it back properly and flooding the kitchen. :o :shocked:
Not something you wanna do on the 4th floor. No way I'm ripping the machine out the kitchen either. Done a rewash. I left the door open all night to air it out. Clothes smell better and I've put them on the balcony to air dry. *fingers crossed*
Removing the drain hose would scare me - I'd be worried about not putting it back properly and flooding the kitchen. :o :shocked:
It's nothing major really - if connected under your sink it simply presses on to the spigot on your sink u-bend, if it goes via a stand pipe on your wall it consists of a smaller pipe (the drain hose) sliding 4-6 inches in/out of your stand pipe (the larger pipe fixed to your wall).
I wouldn't be concerned about flooding your house unless you chose to not reconnect them in such a way- it's as much the same as being concerned about your toaster not working tomorrow incase you didn't plug it in properly :p
That said, I would much rather have no toast than a wet floor! ;D
If you have an extended warranty and eventually look to book an engineer for such an issue, just be very weary as the actions I have listed are classed as user-maintenance and many companies will look to claim a no-fault-found fee and call out & labour charges could apply.
I doubt it will ever get that far but just a heads up from someone who has worked on that patch ;)
I always leave the door of my washing machine ajar when it's not in use otherwise it gets smelly.
sliding 4-6 inches in/out
*fnar*
I always leave the door of my washing machine ajar when it's not in use otherwise it gets smelly.
Good idea- I do the same :)
Pete, even if you don't get around to any of the more physical things I've said about, if your problem persists at all I would highly recommend a maintenance wash I said about; it's easy to do, you don't have to move/check anything and it will do the machine (and therefore your results) alot of good.
:)
*fnar*
I personally resisted this on my original post as to not void my serious advice with my childish titter brain, but I'm glad I'm amongst my kind of people Faysh ;D ;D ;D
p.s. titter HeehHEHEHEHEEEEHHhheheehee!
I don't have space to leave mine open. Its in a cupboard so I have 2 doors open sticking out into the kitchen. They both open the opposite way so its tricky. I'll think about that tho.
As a few others have said more than likely a blocked pipe somewhere water or air outlet.
I personally resisted this on my original post as to not void my serious advice with my childish titter brain, but I'm glad I'm amongst my kind of people Faysh ;D ;D ;D
p.s. HeehHEHEHEHEEEEHHhheheehee!
^^ that's about the noise I was making before Red Bull came out my nose.
It's nothing major really - if connected under your sink it simply presses on to the spigot on your sink u-bend
This option, but I have doubts as to whether it was just pushed in (the kitchen is newer than the machine so they might have done something 'clever'). In any event, having sent water in the direction of the downstairs neighbours twice, I really don't want to do it again. ;D
That said, I would much rather have no toast than a wet floor! ;D
A broken toaster doesn't generally result in irate neighbours. ;D
I always leave the door of my washing machine ajar when it's not in use otherwise it gets smelly.
Me too, which probably also explains why I've still got the original door seals on mine 16 years after I got it (I think the motor is on its way out so I'll have to have something new soon I expect :().
Taking the cupboard door off at the hinges would solve the problem, but I can certainly understand not wanting to do that in a rented property. Just leaving the door open for an hour after use would probably help.
Since you need access to the filter and I get the impression you don't have that, contact the landlord about that and take the rest form there.
(I think the motor is on its way out so I'll have to have something new soon I expect :().
What makes you think this Mark ? :)
Regarding the OP- It's a bloody nightmare if things aren't plumbed in properly/awkward pipes/cupboards etc. Landlord time perhaps :)
What makes you think this Mark ? :)
Well, to be specific, it's either the motor brushes or the belt, but in either case its had a good innings.
As mentioned, run a boil wash with a capful of bleach in there. Ours does it all the time and unless we wash everything at 60 degrees it starts making our clothes stink.
Treefrog
10-09-2009, 17:49
Well, to be specific, it's either the motor brushes or the belt, but in either case its had a good innings.
Both are usually pretty easy, if fiddly, to change.
The last wash seemed ok. Whether that was due to airing the machine or leaving the clothes outside I dunno.
I may have found the problem. This machine has never been cleaned. I took the tray out and its dirty but not as bad as the tray drawer. Ew its bad. Gunna clean that out and do an empty wash.
That'll probably be it then. Good plan. Hot wash would obviously be best - environment be damned! :)
Yer and its not like I'm doing them every day. This is simply to really clean it. God knows what the previous guy smelt like if he never bothered cleaning this.
Grr. Still not easy to do this whole washing thing. To get something like my big thick jumper dry I'd have to wash it at about 7am and leave it to dry all day. I left it out for about 6 hours last night but the armpits are a bit smelly due to being damp. I may have to use the dryer facility on my washer as I needed it for tomorrow. That begs the question. Do I need anything special to do that? Softer? Bounce? Ideally I don't want to turn my favourite jumper into ashes and I'm going out at 7am tomorrow so I only get one chance or I'm wearing clothes I perhaps should have also washed... doh.
Knipples
03-10-2009, 13:11
Does it say you can tumble dry it? If it does, then just check it lots, like every 5 mins or so. Or if you have to select a time then have it on the lowest one and just keep an eye on it.
Dymetrie
03-10-2009, 13:23
At least you have a washing machine!
*stares at the empty cupboard with washing machine fittings*
*is going to have to go and buy one next week*
Does it say you can tumble dry it?
It doesn't in normal human words but it may in washing machine hieroglyphs. I need a translator. It doesn't smell at the moment but I'd really hate to be out and to find the smell came out when I got hot. Of course its clean and ok now so I'm likely to set it on fire or cause a crane to land on the building if I try again.
Knipples
03-10-2009, 18:27
Here you go Pete, does this help?
http://www.which.co.uk/advice/using-your-washing-machine/laundry-symbols/index.jsp
(scroll down a bit)
:)
Ah. Fsck. If my translation is accurate I can't tumble dry it. So I'm stuck getting it right. Ok. Plan B. Buy new jumpers so I've got one fresh and have to wash less.
Knipples
03-10-2009, 18:33
Get the iron out and dry it quicker that way?
Thats a great plan with only one flaw. I don't have an ironing board. I do have an iron so I guess I could wash my fake wooden floor and then iron on that. I planned to get the board but never needed to iron anything. I've gone for that arty look.
Knipples
03-10-2009, 18:36
That or a kitchen work top or table with a sheet/duvet cover over it will be fine.
Kitchen work tops are too small. Table is covered with computer bits. Debenhams is still open... Ah i'm sure its fine.
Matblack
03-10-2009, 20:05
Put it in the oven?
MB
Put it in the oven?
MB
But *not* the grill.
Tried the drying option. It won't give me my clothes back! I put it on for 10 mins and went to get them out to check. It wouldn't end. It said it wanted 20 minutes on top to cool down or some nonsense. Now I'm going to be late to the pub. You win this round Mr Dryer.
Ah, the digital age! Mine has real knobs and buttons, so I can just 'shut that bloody thing off' - even if it is in its 20 mins cool down cycle (which is a normal thing).
If yours has a real off button, it'll probably work. Providing there's no water in the drum then it might release the door lock within a minute or two. Prepare for a blast of heat when you open the door though.
Bah. 1 minute left anyway. Was tempted to turn it off properly but didn't want something to blow up.
Fair point - it could break, but it's pretty unlikely. Never fear using an off switch - it's your safety net against the machines taking over. :)
*repeats advice from previous thread*
Have you sorted the problem yet? We had the same issue and changing back to tablets and putting them in the drum helped loads! We only did it for a week to see if it would help and we've went back to the liquid and it's still been fine :)
:shocked: ;D
Naughty admin!
Awwwww who did that, thats just wrong! :confused::'(
Matblack
05-10-2009, 19:41
There must be some special topical creams available that you could apply to the source?
MB
Keep a Lynx(tm) Bullet(tm) in your pants.
I've never noticed Stan smelling after he's had a wash :confused:
Certainly interesting using the dryer. 60c heat is a little warm :p
:shocked: ;D
Naughty admin!
See I was sure the title had been changed then I saw this
*repeats advice from previous thread*
and got confused and thought maybe there was 2 threads. I was right all along, yay! :D
Fully remove your detergent drawer (sometimes a clip underneath or if not requires a strong sharp tug to full pull out). Clean the drawer fully with a toothbrush, clean the roof of the machine where the drawer has been removed from (you will see little holes for water jets) and then also clear out any build up towards the back of this space. Do not poke anything down the hole where the detergent goes.
Clean the door seal as best as you can, getting into the folds of the rubber, notably at the 6 o'clock section where water is often left behind. NB- if you find a small hole at this place, do not be concerned, they are manufactured in order to drain water but often become clogged with build-up.
Now undertake a maintenance wash on the machine, selecting the hottest wash your machine allows - usually a 90 degree cottons programme with No items of clothing within the machine at all. Ideally accompany this wash with a handful of soda crystals (cheap from any supermarket) placed in your detergent drawer. This will not remove any staining of the machine caused by such build up, but it will kill of this form of bacteria which cleaning by hand will not.
We did this at the weekend, our washing machine is now absolutely sparkling. I swear that the sun could be pulled out of the sky and replaced by the machine.
Glad to be of some help Mr Feek! I know I'm quick to leach advice from other's so it's nice to know I can give some back on occassion! :D
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