What smell in the washing machine? How to remove the smell from a washing machine

If you look, the unpleasant odor is most often caused by bacteria, which means that the clothes washed in such a washing machine will be dangerous to your health.

Housewives start to panic, some even call home appliance repair masters, while the cause of the bad smell is on the surface. The rotten smell from the washing machine can be quickly eliminated if you understand the root causes of its appearance.

Why smells of rotten meat from a washing machine

If the washing machine smells of sewage, a drain check will not work. The thing is that such terrible smells are formed for completely different reasons.

A terrible smell appears in the sewer due to stagnation of water, in which there are various contaminants, as well as due to the lack of proper care of the washing machine.

Breeding bacteria cause rapid decay of biological components, and the catalysts of the process are soap and washing powder.
  At the same time, it is impossible to completely wash the sewer - there will still be water in it, which, if left idle for a long time, will start to smell bad.

Let's try to consider several cases and see where the rotten smell from the washing machine comes from.

At the bottom of the drum when the washing machine is turned off (as well as in the pump and drain hose), some water may remain with residues of washing powder and lint. This is already material for intense decay, especially since washing is most often carried out at +30 - +40 degrees - this is a real paradise for bacteria that cause unpleasant odors.

If we forget about the washing machine for a week or two, then decay processes will begin in the remnants of water. As a result, we get a rotten smell from the washing machine.

An unpleasant odor can also come from the drum itself, on which microscopic residues of biological contaminants remain. To prevent the unpleasant odor from appearing in the washing machine the next time, periodically wash at high temperature.

Besides, the tank must be cleaned regularly  - we pour the washing powder into the empty machine and turn it on in the washing mode without laundry, setting the temperature to +95 degrees. Hot water will kill all bacteria and eliminate the causes of the disgusting rotten smell. At the same time, the heating element will be cleaned.


Some housewives use the tank of the machine instead of the tank for dirty laundrytightly closing the loading door. This should not be allowed, as the rotten smell from the washing machine will make itself felt in literally 2-3 days. It will be the laundry that stinks, and the remaining moisture will contribute to the intensification of the unpleasant odor. It will appear if the hatch is open.


  The conclusion is that for the storage of dirty laundry you need to use special plastic tanks in which there are ventilation holes.

In some cases, the appearance of an unpleasant odor can contribute to conditioners and washing powders. Banal excess of detergents  - and an unpleasant odor will spread throughout the bathroom (or kitchen).

If your washing machine has simply served its purpose and needs to be replaced, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the rating of the best washing machines.

It smells bad from a washing machine - what to do?

First of all, you need stop using the washing machine  - her drum needs cleaning. Launch idle wash  and carry it out at a temperature of +95 degrees.

After that you can restart the cycleusing ordinary instead of powder citric acid. It will not only remove residual contaminants, but also remove scale. Similar procedures should be carried out if the washing machine has stood idle for too long.


  If the smell appeared due to the storage of dirty laundry in the tank, then to remove the smell from the washing machine, it is enough to carry out one single washing.

If the washing machine smells of mold, and this smell does not leave the drum, you can. Sometimes pile and thread get stuck here, which is the reason for the appearance of a persistent unpleasant odor.

To read more about that, you can find out from the article located at the link.

From all of the above, we can draw only three conclusions:

1. It is necessary to conduct periodic cleaning of the drum with the help of blank washes;

2. You should get rid of the habit of storing dirty laundry in the tank of the machine;

3. Do not close the loading door between washings or when idle for a long time - the drum needs ventilation.

Following these simple rules, you can never know how your washing machine can stink. By the way, in some models there are special drum cleaning programs. Also, one should not rely on the praised silver ion coating. It certainly works, but it cannot cope with stagnant water.

Any housewife knows the unpleasant smell from the washing machine. It manifests itself already a couple of years after the start of operation of new equipment. At first, it does not cause inconvenience, but gradually becomes more noticeable. Many housewives get used to it and do not pay much attention to the inconvenience. But most family members really do not like the smell of a washing machine; how to get rid of it - many are interested. In this case, I want to remove it so that it does not appear again.

Causes of bad smell

The causes of trouble in the car can be many. For simplicity, they can (conditionally, of course) be divided into purely technical and related to improper operation of equipment.

Among the technical ones, it is possible to single out, for example, a malfunction (blockage) in the drainage system or sewage system, and the smell of molten plastic or burning material may appear due to poor electrical contacts on the power elements, which may result from poor-quality assembly, too tough operation, for example, during, or frank factory marriage. Diagnostics may also indicate a malfunction in one of the nodes.

Much more operational reasons. It could be:

• long-term storage of dirty laundry - often the machine acts as a kind of drive;
• low-quality use washing powdercontaining substances that emit an unpleasant odor when heated;
• plaque on a tubular heating element (TENE) or pump;
• lack of ventilation after washing or lack thereof;
• contamination of the tray for loading detergent and / or the channel for its supply;
• excessive operation of the drain hose without replacing it;
• contamination of the drain channel as a whole or filter;
• poor washing of the machine - incomplete removal of detergents inevitably leads to a problem.

In fact, the causes of this widespread problem are much greater. This list contains only the most common.

How to eliminate odor

Now that the causes of the malfunction are clear, we can talk about how to remove the smell from washing machine  machine. It is not particularly difficult if you follow all the manufacturer's recommendations regarding operation household appliances  and caring for her. By the way, in this case, the smell may not appear.

The problem itself will not go away. Moreover, it can be aggravated, and instead of washing the fragrance with freshness of the laundry, the hostess can get something unpleasant, unsuitable for use after washing.

The very first action that must be performed in case of trouble is to call the master at home. The specialist will quickly identify the cause of the odor and prescribe the appropriate "treatment". To prevent problems, manufacturers recommend:

• use only high-quality detergents and conditioners designed for automatic washing machines;
• properly connect the equipment to the water supply and sewerage;
• carefully monitor the condition of the machine, prevent excessive humidity in the idle position;
• periodically check individual components of the equipment for contamination;
• to study the operation manual and to strictly comply with all its requirements.

Fulfilling the recommendations of the manufacturer, you can easily prevent such a common problem that gives the family a lot of unpleasant minutes. But if it nevertheless arose, measures must be taken to eliminate it. But how to remove the smell from an automatic washing machine is a completely different matter.

Household chemicals to fix the problem

In order to solve the aromatic problems that have arisen, many highly effective chemicals that perfectly cope with the assigned tasks have been developed. Sometimes it is enough to clear the heater from plaque, and the question will be removed. For this purpose, use decalcification. To clean enough bag. In addition to antinakipin, other cleansing preparations are also used.

If the trouble is due to biological factors, you can use the effective antibacterial agent Frish Aktiv. With its help, mucus is quickly removed from problem areas. Scale, mucus, germs and rot are removed very simply:

1. Add the product to the tray intended for loading detergents;
2. Activate the washing process without things at a temperature of 60 ° C;
3. For drying and ventilation open the loading door, wipe the tray well.

It should be borne in mind that this tool acts very gently and is not suitable for removing strong contaminants.

Very interesting dry remedy Dr. Beckmann, which is a powder. It perfectly disinfects all the internal parts of the unit and completely eliminates the annoying problem. Use powder as follows:

1. Pour the powder into the tray;
2. Without loading the laundry, start the process at a temperature of at least 60 ° C;
3. Rinse is already included without chemistry, separately.

To maintain freshness in the drum, it makes sense to carry out prophylaxis using this product every three months.

Magic Power is made in Germany based on citric acid. It is sold in the form of a gel or powder (this option is more economical). Used to gently dissolve and descale. When using it:

1. Pour the powder or pour the gel into the tray;
2. Launch the washing program at the highest temperature provided by the instruction manual of the machine;
3. Rinse for half an hour.

As a result, the scale is removed - along with this unpleasant phenomenon.

A particular tool is selected in accordance with the cause of the problem. Read the instructions before use.

Folk methods

In the absence of branded products for sale or unwillingness to use them for one reason or another, you can use the so-called folk remedies. They have less efficiency, but, nevertheless, their strength is enough if the problem is not critical.

To eliminate the “aroma” that causes the fungus, for example, you can simply run the machine for washing at the highest temperature. The housewife will help in cleaning and disinfecting the device:

• vinegar;
• ordinary soda, which is in every kitchen;
• solution of copper sulfate (necessarily weak);
• laundry soap.

Mistresses use an effective universal way. Pour white vinegar into the car (half a glass will be enough) and start washing with boiling (without things). Pour vinegar only after the machine is completely filled with water.

How to avoid future trouble

As doctors like to stipulate, it is much easier to prevent a disease than to cure a sick person. The same is true for the smell of the typewriter. If you have already encountered a problem, you probably will not want to repeat it. And therefore it is better to take preventive measures - they are the same as when starting a new one.

Some preventive measures have been mentioned above. Here are some more preventative methods:

• keep the inside of the machine dry - this will prevent bacteria from developing;
• use quality products according to the instructions. An overdose is undesirable;
• do not neglect water softening additives;
• connect the machine through a household filter;
• every 60 days use start the process (without things), pouring bleach into the container;
• wash at high temperatures from time to time.

Fulfilling the above recommendations, conducting preventive measures, you can not worry about the appearance of this problem for a long time. However, now you know how a bad smell is formed from a washing machine and how to get rid of it. So you can solve this problem with ease.