8 Ways To Prevent Your Washing Machine From Smelling
Does your laundry emerge from the washing machine with a less-than-pleasant aroma?
In today's eco-conscious world, the prevalence of cold washes and eco-friendly products can mean our machines sometimes fall foul to odours. But fear not! With a few savvy strategies, you can keep your appliance smelling fresh, ensuring your garments come out as invigorating as a spring breeze.
The Risks of a Musty Washing Machine
A smelly washer isn't just off-putting; it can be a health hazard. Mould, fungi, and bacteria are the usual culprits, posing risks particularly to children, the elderly, and anyone with compromised immunity. The consequences can range from skin irritations to respiratory issues. Plus, let's be honest, nobody wants their clothes to become a mobile advert for mustiness!
Your 8-Step Scent-Saving Guide
1. Airing Out is Caring Out:
Post-wash, leave the door ajar. It's a simple step, but it allows moisture to evaporate, thwarting the conditions mould loves.
2. Spray Away the Grime:
Post-cycle, target the door seal, detergent drawer, and glass with a bleach-based spray. A quick wipe-down eliminates potential mould hotspots.
3. The Bleach Cleanse:
Occasionally, send a capful of Domestos or a similar bleach on a 90°C maintenance wash through an empty machine. Intersperse this with a monthly vinegar or baking soda treatment to keep bacteria at bay.
4. Circulate to Invigorate:
Small laundry space? Ensure it's well-ventilated, especially in damp-prone winter months. This can prevent a plethora of issues, from viruses to unwanted odours.
5. Turn Up the Heat:
Don't shy away from higher temperatures. Washing at 60°C can shift grease and grime and give your detergent the heat it needs to work effectively.
6. Measure for Measure:
Using too little detergent won't get your clothes clean, while too much can lead to residue build-up. Follow the recommended amounts for a balanced wash.
7. Rinse and Don't Repeat:
Too much detergent is as problematic as too little. Excess soap can linger, attracting dirt and leading to a grimy machine and garments.
8. Filter Through the Grit:
Monthly filter checks can save your machine's life. A clogged filter is a prime site for smell-inducing blockages, so regular cleaning is a must.
Scent S.O.S? First Serve UK to the Rescue!
Even with the best practices, some machines need professional attention. If you're in London and your washer is still a stink fest, First Serve UK Washing Machine Repairs is at your service. We'll give your appliance a high-temperature steam treatment, tackling the soap dispenser, door seal, and drain filter, ensuring your machine returns to its prime.
Don't let a smelly washer cloud your laundry days. With these tips, and First Serve UK's professional touch, you can look forward to the sweet smell of freshly laundered success in 2023.
2021 Update
From time to time our washing machine smells awful, and quite often they make our clothes smell awful too. Mold and fungi cause unpleasant smells, even when you've purchased a brand new washing machine. In this article, we’re going to give you 8 tips so you'll not only understand the reasons behind a stinky washing machine but you'll learn exactly what you can do to make your laundry smell fresh and clean again.
The harm caused by mould, fungi and bacteria varies from person to person.
Children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems can develop respiratory illnesses easily because of fungi infestation in the washing machine.
Human reaction and symptoms can lead to sneezing, itchy skin, eczema, coughing, watery eyes, irritation in the lungs, headaches, fatigue and asthma.
Smelly clothing due to mould and fungi saturation is not only a source of serious public embarrassment, but the smell can be absorbed by the skin. Clothing infected by fungi, mould and viruses very often smell worse when they come out the washing machine than when they were first put in.
Here are 8 ways to prevent your washing machine from smelling:
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Leave the door open after each wash:
Unwittingly by closing the washing machine door the moisture inside cannot escape and bacteria and fungi particles, mixed with trapped dirt in the drum machine starts to smell.
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Use a bleach spray:
Use the spray to sanitize your door seal, soap dispenser and glass after each wash, wipe it down with a cloth, this will keep mould and fungi from forming into colonies.
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Put Domestos bleach in your drum:
Putting a cap full of domestos bleach in your drum on a 90 degree service wash, twice a month will get rid of the bad smell triggered by bacteria. The next time you sanitize your machine, pour a bottle of white distilled vinegar in a hot 90 degree service wash. You could try using a half handful of baking powder twice a month too, this will help trump fungi and bacteria.
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Ventilate washing machine enclosures:
Ventilate your cupboards or laundry rooms with a fan if your machine is tucked away in a small space in summer time we don't suffer from viruses, damp, and moisture mainly only in the winter.
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Turn up your hot temperature settings:
Washes carried out at hotter temperatures 60 degrees as opposed to 30, will help remove grease, dirt, and assist the soap powder to dissolve easier in the water thus resulting in a softer, fresher cleaner smell as a result.
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Use adequate soap powder in every wash:
Not using adequate soap powder in your wash may also bring about poor wash results plus a smelly washing machine:
Your detergent's function is to remove dirt from your clothes, as soon as that is done it is to trap the dirt in the water until the water is pumped out. If the soap dosage is not adequate the soap can not remove the dirt and grease from the clothes, dirt is unlikely to be trapped in the water as it is being pumped out, instead it will stick to the insides of the drum, and bacteria that is already present will mix with it and multiply.
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Don't use to much washing powder in your laundry :
Using to much washing powder in your laundry will result in a poor wash load and a smelly machine :
Washing powder gets trapped in between the plastic drum and the revolving metal drum. Excessive detergent particularly soap powder gets trapped inside with lint, hair, dirt and grease which mixes with limescale that naturally builds up on the sides of the drums and undoubtedly affects the quality of your wash as a result.
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Regularly clean the drain filter:
The drain filter is usually situated at the bottom right of the machine and rarely at the bottom left of the machine. There is a flap that drops down or opens to the side with the aid of a screw driver.
The awful smell from the washing machine sometimes comes from a blocked filter, it catches foreign objects such as pins, socks, keys, coins, hairpins, colour catchers, hair, lint, and limescale. Make sure cleaning the drain filter is part of your monthly cleaning routine.
If, after all this, the smell problem remains and you are living in the London area and could do with some assistance, don’t hesitate to contact First Serve UK Washing Machine Repairs, we can steam clean the machine for at 140° degrees, clean your soap dispenser, door seal and drain filter.
Does your washing machine smell, and would you like to stop it?
Feel free to ring us on 07984670782 or contact us by our 24 hour chatbot, WhatsApp or book online, at firstserveuk.co.uk, we provide a 500 five star service.
Your health and that of your family is our top priority always.