I have a front load washer & need help with stinky washcloths?

I have a front load washer & need help with stinky washcloths. Can no longer do a vinegar soak as I did with my top load washer to remedy this problem. Otherwise I love my front load washer.

Asked by Terri51 27 months ago Similar questions: front load washer help stinky washcloths Home.

Similar questions: front load washer help stinky washcloths.

OT stinky washer/ will Purewash help. The past few months I have been struggling with towels that smell fine after being washed but then smell sour as soon as they are damp. I keep trying different things like bleach and vinegar to rinse thru the machine and it hasn't helped.

I have a Whirlpool Duet front load machine. So today I googled suggestions and found that a zillion people are dealing with this issue and that it is caused by MOLD! Ewww I am disgusted.

I leave the door open and wipe it out with bleach but that hasn't helped. I found some posts that said that a product called "Purewash" has solved the problem and removes any mold or fungus.....(eww again) it must be ordered at smellywasher.com. Has anyone used it?

Ordered it? Had this problem? By the way, it is still under warranty and I called Whirlpool repair and they conveniently haven't called me back yet.

When I called Whirlpool this a..m they told me to run some bleach thru and start using HE detergent. Well, too late for that now and Bleach doesn't help. Suggestions or similar problems?

TIASusan My Maytag has a filter in it (center) that pulls out and you would be amazed at built up lint and gunk and moldy smell if you don't clean it out. I have allergies so am not always on top of it. My DH does it every so often for me.

Take it out and pull out lint and gunk and then rinse out and brush out with a tootbrush. Then was with soap and rinse and replace. I am guessing this is where your smell is coming from.

If this is your problem you can thank my DH. I didn't know such a filter existed! LOL!

Sources: http://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/p/394152/4714112.aspx .

According to a source, liquid detergents have a high wax content. The HE detergents have less wax. I'm told that the wax adheres to the interior basin of the machine (front and top loading) and that it, over time, begins to mold.

This may me the issue may be as much the machine as it is the products used. I've been told that powder detergents, although old fashioned perhaps, actually have more fragrance that stays behind AND no wax. So, it may be that these powders are really the way to go.

I've used the machine cleaners (Purewash) and they do help, but weren't as effective over time. If I can find the Tide brand washing maching cleaner, I'll try it. I've also been told that some of the new dry-style softeners contain sugar as an ingredient and, if a rinse cycle isn't strong enough, may actually help feed bacteria in the machines and fabrics.

Hard to know for sure. Problem is they are FANTASTIC softeners and fresheners- they smell fabulous! What we NEED is LYSOL in the BROWN BOTTLE.

One of my connections recommends placing smelly towels in a sink with detergent and bleach ( OR ammonia, or vinegar) and filling the sink with boiling water and allowing them to soak for as long as the water is HOT. I've used this method pretty successfully. Keep in mind that ammonia will leave a scent all it's own for the next few uses.

This is a great method for those dishtowels, socks, or pillowcases/covers or mattress pads (if you sweat at night) that can get smelly or really dirty too. And finally, (this is probably available online) there is an effective product that I get in Mexico (I live along the border so shopping in Mexico is easy) that is a laundry sanitizer. It's cheap, effective, and available in the laundry soap section of larger grocery stores (Commercial Mexicana-my favorite-, Soriana, Gigante, Calimax, and even WalMart de Mexico.) (Lysol in the brown bottle was similar, but I can't find it anymore).

The sanitizer is probably available in the U.S., but I just haven't come across it. Finally, one of the other posters is right, wet towels in damp bathrooms, with human residue is a recipe for a mess. New towels are a great idea, if you can keep 'em from stinking up, it's a great plan!

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Recently my towels got so bad so quickly that they're leaving a smell behind on my hands. I totally get how awful the issue can be! .

I appreciate all your info Volkswagoner. I don't think wet towels are the problem because we let everything dry out before it goes in the hamper. Lately I've been using about 1/4 cup baking soda & 1/4 cup of 20 mule team borax in the pre-wash then Tide & 1 tablespoon grapefruit seed extract in the wash.

This formula seems to be working. I also bought the machine cleaner & I have done that once. Terri51 2 months ago .

I had the same problem with my towels and washcloths. I was actually going to throw out all my towels and start over. My solution is easy and does not require adding extras to the wash cycle or cleaning your machine.

I switched from using liquid Tide HE to Sunlight HE (scent free) on the advice of our doctor as my son had skin problems and he thought the detergent change might help. Don't know if it helped my son but after a few weeks, I realized that I no longer had the stinky towel problem. Also, my washer does not smell anymore and I have done nothing else but switch detergents!

I have been using Sunlight for the past 3 or 4 years and have not had any issues.

Thanks Ginny2 ... it's worth a try! Terri51 3 months ago .

TRY THIS ONE TABLESPOON OF HE DETERGENT! STINKY TOWELS AND OUR FRONT LOAD WASHER. OR HOW I FOUND THE ANSWER:After 5 years of stinky towels, I finally figured it out...Think about this, a normal washer uses about 22 gallons per fill and fills 4 times.

The HE Washers fills with 2 to 5 gallons of water, I remember the lady at (deleted) telling me to only use 1 tablespoon of detergent, I never did....I read that again on the web the other day, So I decided to try only one tablespoon, Our last two loads of towels, I used one tablespoon of liquid (deleted) HE detergent, no Fabric softener, put them in the dryer, now two nights in a row and the towels smell like Hotel towels! I can't believe that the problem was too much detergent...

We used Od0ban for years, it helped, but lately our towels were smelling like burnt rubber, dropping down to one tablespoon of Liquid HE, has made a big difference, its been about 7 to 8 loads now and the smell hasn't came back! .

If your front load washer has an odor you can't get rid of you might want to check this out. We have an aftermarket vent fan motor and check valve that will eliminate the smell guaranteed! I know that everyone is sick of the odor that they keep getting from their front load washer, and unfortunately until now the solutions have not worked well!

Today we have a solution to offer that is guaranteed to work in only a couple of days after the installation of these brand new products. The vent fan assembly is mounted over your vent on the rear of your washer and pushes air into the washer drum continuously. When you are done with a load of laundry you simply leave the door open slightly to allow the air being circulated into the drum to escape.

The fresh air coming in mixes with the high humidity (moisture from the water inside) air and then exits through the door. The fan is a very low voltage Direct Current (DC) fan that draws less than 1/2 of a watt of electricity per hour which at an electric rate of .10 cents per kilowatt hour (KWH) is less than .05 cents per month to run. That is less than .60 cents per year to run this fan all the time (24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year).

The fan alone will reduce the majority if not all, of the odor on its own. Also if you have already tried simply leaving the washer door fully open between uses, you already know that does not get rid of the odor. The check valve that is to be installed between the pump and the drain hose that exits the washer.

One side of the check valve will be applied to the pumps itself and the other side is where you will apply the drain hose you removed to apply the check valve to the drain pump. On some models of front load washer they have designed them with a check valve that just could not do the job. All the other models have been manufactured without a check valve all together.

This check valve is specially made to eliminate the back flow when the drain pump stops pumping. This valve and the vent fan together will have you washer smelling fresh in no time at all. If your sick of the nasty smell from your washer you won't pass this up.

The vent fan has a 1 year warranty and the check valve a lifetime warranty. These products will eliminate the odor in 2 days and it won't come back so long as you keep the door open between washes and keep the fan plugged in at all times. Come and find out more at this page on our site, I've left the link to our page with pictures of these products and also a video on the installation of the vent fan.Html.

When I lived in Texas, I would put about a half cup of baking soda in my wash. From Jessica:Do you have any tips for keeping your bathroom towels and washcloths from getting stinky? It's so humid where I live that it seems they get stinky after just one or two uses, and when I pile them up in a laundry basket to get enough to do a load then they get really stinky and still seem to have a bit of an off smell even after I wash them.

I wish that after this plea for help, I no longer had to deal with stinky dish cloths! Every night before bed, I wring out my dish rag and hang it on the stove to dry. It's usually almost dry by morning, and then can be put in the dirty laundry basket (a great chore for Eliyahu!).

I get a clean dish cloth out every morning. I even got out some new dish rags that had been a wedding gift, so I'd be starting with fresh, clean rags. I think perhaps part of my problem is our climate and how much humidity we have...So I have just been using a little bit of bleach (maybe a tablespoon or so) in every other load of whites, and that keeps things smelling nice.

I wish I could find something other than using bleach, but I had gotten tired of trying so desperately, only to pull wet cloths out of my washer and smell mildew on them! Our bath towels survive all right because we use thinner towels and I hang them single-layer (not folded over) to dry after using... and with a smaller family, our bathroom isn't in constant use so it does dry out well enough despite not having an exhaust fan (we live in a rental). Those of you who live in damp environments -- what do you do about wash cloths, dish rags, and towels?

Do you use bleach in your laundry, or do you have some other trick? :) CommentsSubmitted by simplybrandy on Sun, 2008-08-10 16:23. Simplybrandy's pictureThis helps us.

. . Humidity varies where we live, but sometimes it can be quite high.

In those cases, I put our laundry racks in front of the window air conditioner while the towels are drying. That way, they dry more quickly. I also like to give them ample time in the sun after doing the wash.

* replySubmitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-12-26 15:31. STINKY LAUNDRYTHIS IS THE SOLUTION:I have been doing this for decades and it works GREAT! Buy a gallon of white vinegar for your laundry room.

Add 1 cup per loaduse this for any load you are not using bleach- ie: colr loads. This is WONDERFUL for all of you busy folks forgetting to empty out the washing machine only to have to re-wash.....NOT ANY MORE WITH VINEGAR all the bacteria that makes things smelly doesn't grown because of the unpleasant environment vinegar provides in the washer! THIS IS SPECTACULAR if the family has a cold bug and you want to wash germs away!

GOOD LUCK! ----- DM Spaven Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2008-08-10 16:33. Plain old Baking SodaWhen I lived in Texas, I would put about a half cup of baking soda in my wash.

It would destroy the worst odors, but also seemed to help later to keep them from comming back so quickly. My younger brother has extremely sweaty feet, no matter the temperature. I washed his sneakers and then threw in a 1/2 cup of baking soda, and two weeks later, still no smell.

Perhaps this could work for your towels and such as well. Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2009-03-09 12:17. Baking SodaMy vote is for Baking Soda too!

I buy a bag of the powder type of laundry detergent and then mix it close to 50/50 with Baking Soda right in a 5 gallon plastic bucket I recycled for the laundry soap container. This not only saves money (family of seven) it helps with all kinds of smells (kitty, puppy, mold, body odor, potty accidents, sickness, etc.) Helps remove stains too (blood, grass, mud, markers, pen ink) and the only "opps" is crayons--they still have to be caught before going through the wash. Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2008-08-10 16:39.

This might helpYou could try putting a towel bar on the back of bedroom doors for each person to hang their towel. This should help the towels dry out since bedrooms are generally less humid than bathrooms. Sources: http://www.tammysrecipes.com/node/2910 .

Here is a wonderful secret passed down from my grandmother to my mother to me: Use ammonia to remove ANY smell from your wash! For towels, I ALWAYS wash in hot water and add 1/2 cup of ammonia in front loaders and 1 cup in top loaders, along with my detergent. NEVER use bleach and ammonia together- it creates toxic fumes!

Wash your dish towels and dish cloths in hot water and bleach to kill germs and that nasty, stinky smell that they develop, sitting in your sink. If you use the ammonia, I guarantee you will never have smelly towels again! .

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My front load washer won't open hav a load of clothes in it need help thanks.

I have a front-loading washer. It smells like mold. Any help welcome!

My front load washer has ruined some clothes. They come out with big bleached spots but I don't use bleach. I use tide.

What is the advantage of a front loading clothes washer.

Laundry Question: I have a front load washer (a Frigidaire not one of those behemoth Whirlpools) and always seem to.

I recently bought a new washer, and today I put a load of washing in as normal, but to my horror when I came home my 13y.

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