Cleaning a washing machine

heth

heth

Nori Brick
Tackler
Hiya,

Just a question about washing machines and how do you go about cleaning them.

Our clothes are coming out clean but when the towels are getting wet after baths or even washing hands there seems to be a weird smell on them, like a dirty water smell if that makes sense.

Our clothes seem ok but I am just wondering whether our washer needs a "clean"?
I have put it on a empty wash to try and clear the pipes but it hasnt seemed to work.
I havent changed our washing powder or conditioner recently so cant be this.
When the washer is finished the conditioner compartment has been flushed through but it seems to be leaving water in there.

Any Suggestions?

Thank You.
 
heth said:
Hiya,

Just a question about washing machines and how do you go about cleaning them.

Our clothes are coming out clean but when the towels are getting wet after baths or even washing hands there seems to be a weird smell on them, like a dirty water smell if that makes sense.

Our clothes seem ok but I am just wondering whether our washer needs a "clean"?
I have put it on a empty wash to try and clear the pipes but it hasnt seemed to work.
I havent changed our washing powder or conditioner recently so cant be this.
When the washer is finished the conditioner compartment has been flushed through but it seems to be leaving water in there.

Any Suggestions?

Thank You.
Click to expand...

Try this heth
Appliance Spares | Spare Parts | Oven Spares | Oven Elements Affresh Smelly Washing Machine Cleaner
 
Thanks Dave & Marg.
Will have a look at Aldi tomorrow as it is cheaper than the one you put on Dave but if that doesnt work then will try the more expensive one!:D

Have you tried washer cleaner's in the past? Do they work?
 
heth said:
Thanks Dave & Marg.
Will have a look at Aldi tomorrow as it is cheaper than the one you put on Dave but if that doesnt work then will try the more expensive one!:D

Have you tried washer cleaner's in the past? Do they work?
Click to expand...

Iv tried dr beckmann as its my mch that smells, but doesnt affect the clothes, but cant say it helped, I searched net & tried soda crystals on very hot wash, that didnt work either, iv now given up bothering, hope it works for you though
 
wallop79 said:
Iv tried dr beckmann as its my mch that smells, but doesnt affect the clothes, but cant say it helped, I searched net & tried soda crystals on very hot wash, that didnt work either, iv now given up bothering, hope it works for you though
Click to expand...

Cheers Wallop, will give it a go and see what happens.
Like I say its only when the towels get damp that I notice the smell which is weird my clothes are fine.

Got some soda crystals at home so may try that aswell.
 
Bi carb is excellent for getting shut of nasty niffs.......removes odours from fridges, and if you have a pet that has an accident on the carpet........wash the area with a solution of bi-carb and the pong is gone.
Just wondering......nah, it would never work!
 
You know I were thinking the same!!!

Think the "job" your talking about is too big for Bi-Carb Marg! :D
 
You are welcome.
It is best to do it a couple of times........in fact I put a good heaped spoonful of bicarb in the machine when I am washing whites.........it is something my gran taught me....old habits die hard.
 
heth said:
Hiya,

Just a question about washing machines and how do you go about cleaning them.

Our clothes are coming out clean but when the towels are getting wet after baths or even washing hands there seems to be a weird smell on them, like a dirty water smell if that makes sense.

Our clothes seem ok but I am just wondering whether our washer needs a "clean"?
I have put it on a empty wash to try and clear the pipes but it hasnt seemed to work.
I havent changed our washing powder or conditioner recently so cant be this.
When the washer is finished the conditioner compartment has been flushed through but it seems to be leaving water in there.

Any Suggestions?

Thank You.
Click to expand...
I was getting that problem heth and eventually it broke down on me, when the guy came to repair it he said the smell was down to the outlet getting blocked, might be an idea to check it.
 
If you are using conditioner on towels, Heth, stop it now .. it builds up and will make them smell eventually. Also, conditioner is just a plastic coating, so the towels will not be as absorbent.

I sometimes get water left behind in the soap dispenser .. .just have to pull it out to clean it ... gets blocked.
 
katex said:
If you are using conditioner on towels, Heth, stop it now .. it builds up and will make them smell eventually. Also, conditioner is just a plastic coating, so the towels will not be as absorbent.

I sometimes get water left behind in the soap dispenser .. .just have to pull it out to clean it ... gets blocked.
Click to expand...
..............and the 'plastic' coating on your clothing can be absorbed into you via your skin which isn't the impermeable barrier most people think it is.
 
I take my soap drawer out and give it a soak every couple of weeks(I use denture cleansing tablets).

I also use a calgon type tablet to prevent the build up of limescale....I know we are a soft water area, but you do still get some build up.(or so a washing machine repair man told me...long before the chap on TV started telling us about it.
 
MargaretR said:
..............and the 'plastic' coating on your clothing can be absorbed into you via your skin which isn't the impermeable barrier most people think it is.
Click to expand...

And not to mention those awful smelly perfumes they put in them, eh .. yuk ? ;)
 
Do you do lots of 30 or 40 degree washes and use washing liquid? We used to and had the same problem. Now all towels and bedding gets washed at 60. You will want to wash bedding at 60 after you go away and google about bed bugs just to be sure.

One problem is a build up of washing liquid and conditioner that forms a slimy layer. This then starts to grow bacteria and you get black spots in places you cant wash them off. The smell is most likely to be bacteria and its waste products. Try washing some towels at the hottest wash your machine will do. I tried the white vinegar as sugested on a web site and washing machine cleaners but nothing worked. Eventually I washed some white towels on hot with a lot of bleach in the machine as chlorine kills the bacteria and breaks down the slime. We do this at work to clean out water pipes that feed the machines. I do not recommend strong bleach solutions in your machine though for 2 reasons. It can degrade rubber pipes in your machine and the bubbles came out of the power drawer and completely filled the machine. At least this meant the bleach got everywhere in the machine. It was like a magic porridge pot that did not want to stop. The washer is in the garage though so it did not damage anything. It took a few washes rinses to get rid of but it does not smell any more.

I used to wash everything at 40 thinking I was saving money, now I wash bedding, towels and my work clothes at 60 and everything else at 40. I think Rhonda does the same. Not had the problem since and it was over a year ago it started to smell and I would guess the machine was only about a year old then. The old machine never did it even though we washed most things at 40.
 
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