When I run the washing machine, I smell something like rotten eggs. After an Internet search, this could be sulfur since we are on well water. Today I’m going to try a few of the suggestions to get rid of the smell just in case it isn’t sulfur.
One suggestion is to use bleach. This makes sense since if the smell is something lingering around, bleach will surely kill it.
Another suggestion is to wash with just washing powder - which might not be an option since I can’t find this locally. I will look one more time today when I go to the grocery store.
Doing a washing cycle with just vinegar is another suggestion. Vinegar is definitely one of those wonder products, so I may have to try this one, too.
Hopefully I will stumble upon some solution. I might look for water softeners, too. If it is sulfur, then maybe some sort of treatment can at least get rid of the smell.
June 8th, 2009 at 8:41 am
That’s interesting. My grandparents used to have a well and their water smelled like sulfur, but I never noticed if the washing machine smelled like it. Good luck with it.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Do you have a front loading washer or a High Efficiency washer?
Neglecting to run your machine’s recommended clean cycle at the times recommended by the manufacturer in the owner’s manual can also contribute to bad smells. Try doing a “maintenance cycle,” which involves a full wash cycle without any luandry in the machine. Washing machine manufacturers recommend that you may need to perform thsi periodic machine maintenance once per week or a min of once a month.
Other solutions:
Leave the washer door and soap dispenser unit slightly ajar after the laundry has been washed.
Avoid leaving a wet load of laundry in the washer for an extended period of time.
Good luck!!!
LaundryHE.com
June 9th, 2009 at 3:31 am
When mine starts to give off a smell, usually in the summer, I just leave the lid open and let it air, and dry out. It solves the problem.
June 9th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Also take apart the middle assembly. Ours breaks down into a few pieces and sometimes mold can grow.
June 10th, 2009 at 5:56 am
for what ever reason vinegar seems to be great for just about anything. lol
June 11th, 2009 at 3:45 am
We’ve got a brand new machine and had a similar problem. We’ve discovered that it only ever smells when we’ve perhaps overloaded it a bit. Try to cut down on the amount of washing you put in one load and see if it makes a difference. It did with ours, and our washing smells fresh again!
June 12th, 2009 at 5:30 am
I know that vinegar works as I have used it to clear mine out.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:32 am
If your clothes smell, there are washing powders to take care of it. Raising the lid will take care of most smells.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Vinegar works. The manufacturer of my washer recommends to run a cup of bleach through a cycle once every month or so. I have now problems so far.
June 12th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Was all ready to offer suggestions, but everyone else got there first LOL! Leave the lid up to allow it to dry out - it may not be the sulfur smell, but a moldy smell should be avoided. I also believe in either vinegar or bleach - or just try running a cycle once or twice without anything. Then you’d determine yes or no on the water… at least it sounds like a reasonable idea
June 13th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Well now that I’ve read all of your comments here I know what to do if I have the same problem. We have hard water and I hate it!
June 14th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Like Diane, I had most of those to offer up too
We’ve been having the same problem & seems like the dryer just bakes the smell in - yuck.
But ours already smells vinegary…guess I’ll try the bleach
June 14th, 2009 at 10:25 am
hehe funny washing machine you have though!
Good luck with it!
take care!
Monica O.
June 14th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I think the only time I’ve smelled anything funny with my washer was when I left wet clothes in there by mistake overnight! I hope yours is fresh soon-
June 14th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I hope you found a solution! Sometimes our shower water smells like rotten eggs. We have well water.
June 18th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Try having the trap in your main waste line cleaned out. An odor will come from my washing machine if my waste line starts to back up. Also make sure you have an U pipe between the main waste line and your washing machine. The U pipe will keep the smell from the main waste pipe down. The collection of water in the U acts like “door”.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Vinegar not only takes the smell out of the washer, but softens the clothes and helps them to retain their color. I use vinegar in every wash instead of fabric softner. No - the clothes do not smell like vinegar - they smell fresh and clean!
July 1st, 2009 at 11:19 pm
I suggest you better use vinegar. Aside from its effectiveness, its environment-friendly too and of course - cheap. All in one package for the rainy day savings.
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:30 am
You could try using a cleaning product specific for washing machines, specialty stores are filled with alternatives. I always use additional cleaning products for my washing machine and I have it for five years now, it still looks like new.
August 16th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
We were just talking about this on vacation. I have a front loader and it has been a problem. I have tried running a load on the sanitzer cycle with just bleach - no luck. My dad found a product called smelly washing machine v(they have a website). I will try the vinegar tonight, as I was gone a week, and a friend that was watching our dogs closed the washer door. YUCKY!
September 4th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
I also believe in either vinegar or bleach or just try running a cycle once or twice without anything.
regards
solid wood beds
September 12th, 2009 at 10:11 am
I know exactly what you mean… I used to smell the same thing near my washing machine… it was terrible. Put a deodorizer near it and it helped in a way. After a while the smell just went away..
September 23rd, 2009 at 3:28 am
My clothes smell like rotten eggs, too. Front loader…have had trouble w/clothes smelling musty that have not laid in the washer, too. I never had trouble before I got this Neptue front load High Energy machine.
Can’t seem to find the source of the rotten egg smell. It comes back on an irregular basis. Smell is from inside machine only. Stays in the clothes, not the machine. Happens w/hot or cold loads. Happens with light and heavy loads.
Has anything worked to keep it away? It just doesn’t seem rotten egg/sulphur smell would come from mold or miidew. Would it?
October 6th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Just a side note that everyone should be warned about. A similar smell could mean that the dryer exhaust vent is clogged and the lint is burning. This could be very dangerous and could cause a fire. I would always check that the dryer vent is clear also.
Janet Blaze the Electronic Cigarette Queen of NJ
October 20th, 2009 at 5:25 am
Try having the trap in your main waste line cleaned out. An odor will come from my washing machine if my waste line starts to back up. Also make sure you have an U pipe between the main waste line and your washing machine. The U pipe will keep the smell from the main waste pipe down. The collection of water in the U acts like “door”.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:32 am
You should make sure there is not a build up of residue or water in the unit. Do a thorough cleaning. Nothing is worse than a washer that makes your clothes smell worse.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:28 am
We’ve discovered that it only ever smells when we’ve perhaps overloaded it a bit. Try to cut down on the amount of washing you put in one load and see if it makes a difference.
April 17th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Sorry to hear about your washer! I had similar problems last year and just bought a new one
May 27th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Vinegar works because it has the ability to kill bacteria and germs in your washer in addition to dissolving molds and calcium that have collected in your laundry machine. You can also try lemon juice. This actually has the same cleaning prowess as vinegar. You can substitute vinegar with lemon juice if you don’t like dealing with the smell of vinegar.
August 17th, 2010 at 3:38 am
My mum swears by the vinegar rule for most things like that. I would say it’s worth trying a limescale killer too. Do everything you can to potentially unblock anything just in case!
August 20th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Neglecting to run your machine’s recommended clean cycle at the times recommended by the manufacturer in the owner’s manual can also contribute to bad smells. Try doing a “maintenance cycle,” which involves a full wash cycle without any luandry in the machine.