My scary washing machine !

A washing machine engineer once told me to occasionally run the machine totally empty at 90o every couple of months, which we do, and clean the filer. He said that half the problems he visited were because of too much powder, or worse still, liquid, being used. I don't use a lot of powder (non bio as husband reacts to bio ) and we're in a soft water area, but I always add some bicarbonate of soda in with the powder. No longer any musty smell.

It’s sounds like it’s the pipes leading out of the machine with standing water is the problem.

I use a clothes peg on the door catch mechanism to keep mine ajar. I can still close the integrated door flush, but there’s enough of the gap to keep it mould free and aired.

I use persil non biological liquid with occasional zoflora liquid and weekly wash towels and linens at 60 sometimes at 90. But I mostly put on a 30 minute cold wash every other day. Never use softeners or scent.

A mechanic told me after each wash to leave the detergent drawer open as well as the door.
Also mine can smell when washing, there's a bend in the pipe so its stagnant water sitting there .

On my mother'sadvice, I stopped using fabric softener (my Dad's had become allergic to it). Voila! Smelly problem solved ... probably assisted by the odd washing machine cleaner routine and 60degree washes for towels etc. Good luck!

Hello Everyone,
Just thought I'd pop back and let you know how things are (It's annoying when you've tried to help and then you never hear the outcome !!)
So, I know it's a boring subject , but here goes..
Firstly thanks all for replying and suggesting options to try.
They were all interesting points to consider. As you know, I had always aired out the machine by leaving door open, drawer out, wiping down and drying drum and seal after every wash.
However I took on board the suggestion of first emptying sump/filter thingy. It was the devil's own work to find it. On my previous machine it had a little door at the bottom front of the machine. ..Not on this one ! Anyway the WHOLE bottom panel came off and managed to get to the thing and drain it. No fluff or anything, stagnant water, but not AS smelly as the drum.
Ran another wash, smell still there, but not QUITE as bad and clothes still smelling too.Next I gathered up a load of towels and put them on a three hour hot wash (I confess I never wash stuff for as long as this due to trying to save on energy bills !)
As the LONG hours passed I was dreading opening the door and the smell being worse. Eventually the cycle ended and I opened the door. ..A change..it wasn't THAT smell, but a different sort of bready smell. Grrrrr. So next I did a 45min 40 degree wash. This finished, and Dear readers, I can announce..no smell !! Clothes nice and fresh, smelling only of detergent, washing machine, smelling only of washing machine and a faint trace of detergent.Hurrah ! I did a little post washing jig ! So I think it WAS a combination of the drainage sump thingy and more specifically not doing a high temp wash every now and again, so you can now sleep soundly in your beds and Thank you to you all.

I buy a washing machine cleaner and run on hot wash every six weeks. The instructions tell you to wipe around the seal with a small amount. Then I run my "boil" wash.
Also find that the fabric conditioner drawer needs taking out and cleaning under.
If I wash "hairy" things, or if my wash does not seem to be as dry as it might, I take out the bottom filter and check it out. I do find DH is not as careful as he might be about coins or screws and they do get that far - then they catch fibres that might normally go on through. I have noticed that not all machines seem to have a front opening one these days and I would not buy one.
I do use a small amount of Napisan in my cotton or Poly whites, for stain removal .

I found switching from liquid or gel pods to using actual biological powder made a difference. I ran the empty machine on a hot wash. Normally I use low temperatures for my laundry. I feel the really hot wash kills bacteria which could be the cause of smells.

I was told the best way to clean the washing machine was to use soda crystals on the hottest possible wash. Hope you manage to solve your mystery.

If the waste goes to under your sink , place a basin under there and undo the U bend , mine was clogged with washing lint and stunk like nothing I can describe

My Miele washing machine has a maintenance machine wash. I use biological powder in the tub and a liquid for hard water at the top.
It does a 85 ° wash in about 30 minutes. I would recommend a hot wash with bio powder monthly to keep clean.
Leave door open to dry and clean drawer regularly. Also check the section at the bottom of machine as others have mentioned.

I recommend this.
HG washing machine cleaner and odour freshener
Washer cleaner liquid
Despite cleaning your clothes, washing machines don’t always smell fresh. As they use hot water, they can leave behind a damp smell after use. It’s often caused by grease deposits and remnants of detergent building up in the drains, filters and rubber. Overtime, these remnants can also appear on your clothes after washing. It can also affect the lifespan of your machine. Our washing machine drum cleaner cleans your entire washing machine, leaving it smelling fresh and working efficiently.

For a clean and fresh smelling washing machine
Sufficient for 5 treatments
Effective washing machine cleaning liquid

I was always told to leave door slightly ajar after using to let air circulate. I have always done this. My machine is at least 10 years old....never a problem

Sorry, should say V3ra!

Mine sometimes smells too, it's in a cupboard in our shower room so it's noticeable.
I take out the dispenser tray to give it a good scrub underneath as they can sometimes get very slimy there. Then I clean the inside of the door seal all the way round, right to the top, with a sponge and strong detergent or disinfectant, sometimes I need to do this several times, it's a horrible job. After that I run a very hot wash with a bottle of washing machine cleaner or disinfectant.
I find that some detergents smell musty, though I don't like the highly perfumed ones either. Like V34a I never use fabric conditioners as I think they add to the unpleasant slimyness on the tray base and seals.
I'm guessing that you've tried all this rocketstop but there isn't much more I can suggest. I've never found that cleaning the bottom filter helps much as there isn't much debris there and obviously it is regularly rinsed through with hot soapy water.

I had this.Kink in the waste pipe, dirty water coming back into the drum.

When I got a new washing machine last year I stopped using fabric conditioner and the problem seems to have cleared up.

Is your machine balanced properly so that the water gets pumped out properly? I use a washing machine cleaner every 6 weeks or so on a hot wash.

leave the door open when it's not in use is a good idea.

We live in a soft water area, never had any trouble like that with our washers over 53 years.

We had a problem with our sink waste pipe - it was too long and too narrow and both the dishwasher and the washing machine emptied into it. It slowly got blocked which resulted in the plates not cleaning properly and also the washing as the waste water was not running away quickly enough. Had to cut a piece out where it was sticking and slot a new pipe in, and now we run hot water through frequently (and no fat). Do investigate because I know someone who ignored it and the pipe burst.

How does you washing smell? And what temperature do you use when washing?

If the washing smells and is clean, then the problem may be the filter, I too am uncertain whether this is the same as what some are calling the sump.

Or it might be the drain, the machine is draining into.

I suggest you try putting drain cleaner into the drain, but I am not sure if you can in the UK, as your plumbing tends to be different to ours. Here washing machine hoses go down into a floor drain with a grid, which you just remove in order to put drain cleaner down it.

Do you often wash pure wool in the machine, or do you have cats or dogs? Animal hair and pure wool can leave a machine smelling musty in my experience.

Here prevention in the tedious form of brushing animal hair off your clothes and their bedding before it goes into the machine is better than any amount of cures!

Otherwise, I suggest you run the machine empty on the hottest cycle you have and see if that does the trick.

I do always leave the door open after finishing the wash for 12-24 hours. Never longer as it would be in the way. It works - result has been no mold or smell.

My friend had this problem and the plumber had to change the drainage connecting hose. He advised to run the hottest wash regularly.

Do you use those pod thingys? I remember when years ago the Bosch engineer told me that most of his call outs were because of those "wretched" things which didn't dissolve properly and gummed up the works.

I have never used them but used to use the tablets but production seems to have stopped, sadly. I now use the liquid stuff, as powder always seems to get damp in the laundry room and turns into a brick at the bottom of the packet!

I have never been desperately fastidious with my machines but have never had any whiff.

On reading only yesterday in Which? magazine anout how to have fragrant washing tgere is a nite about NOT using vinegar in your washing machine. Causes deterioration in rubber, plastic, silicone in machines. Do you use fabric softeners as they accumulate some ingredients in the products and can cause damage. Mentioned just in case could be creating a smell. Sorry no help on how to eliminate smell other than what OPs have written.

Whitewavemark2 is definitely right about the very hot wash. I do it too and it has certainly put an end to the smell...so all the whites get washed at 60 degrees or hotter and everything is sweet