In recent years, consumers have fallen in love with front-loading washers primarily because they’re energy efficient, use very little water and even help clothes dry faster because they spin most of the water out clothes before they go into the dryer. However, as popular as front-loading washers have become, a number of folks are finding their machines have a nasty side to them – after a few months’ use their washers develop a moldy smell that gets right into the clothes washed in them.

The Cause

For quite a while, the cause of this smell was a mystery since front-loading washers have been used in commercial Laundromats worldwide for years without any smell problems. Now however, manufacturers appear to be in agreement that the smell is caused by mold that grows in home washers  as a result of the different usage pattern. In typical residential use, the machine is only operated once or twice a week, leaving many days when the washer sits idle. In commercial applications, a washer is used virtually every day, and this is why no smell develops.

The time a washer sits idle creates an ideal environment for mold to develop and grow. Just think about it, the interior of the drum provides a warm, moist environment. Combine that with a virtual lack of air movement inside the washer and detergent residue on the drum walls providing food, it’s understandable some washers will develop that nasty, moldy smell.

The Solution

So, now that we know why it’s there, how do we get rid of the smell and keep it from coming back?

First, get rid of any mold you can actually see. Using a mild mixture of bleach and water, wipe out and then dry the interior of the washer drum. Pay particular attention to the rubber or plastic seals and gaskets where the door closes, since water could get trapped in folds. On newer washers many manufacturers have changed the design of the seals to allow water to drain out of any folds.

Next, eliminate any mold that might be inside the washer where you can’t see it by running the washer empty on the hottest water setting, using a cup of bleach and no detergent.  This should get rid of any hidden mold, as well as any detergent residue on the drum.

Maintenance

To keep the smell from coming back:

• After each use, wipe out and dry the interior of the drum and the seals to get rid of any water/moisture left inside.
• Leave the front door ajar and the soap dispenser cover open to allow air movement that will get rid of any residual moisture.
• Only use HE (high efficiency) detergent in your front-loading washer. HE detergents’ low-sudsing formulas are designed specifically to leave less detergent residue in front-loading washers.
• Use bleach in an empty wash cycle once every couple of weeks to get any small build-up of mold out of your machine.
• Regularly clean your machine using the built-in cleaning cycle setting.
• Commercial products such as Affresh™ or “Smelly Washer” are available that claim to clean your washer and keep it from getting smelly.

To locate your washing machine user’s manual, visit the ManualsOnline Library.