Bleh. My clean laundry (fresh out of the wash) smells like wet dog.

[SunnyD]

Haven't figured out how to get the nasty musty smell out of the front load washer yet. And yes, we leave the door open between washes, etc.

 

[Platypus]

There are drop-in washing machine cleaner packs that look similar to the new 'pod' craze. They really work well. We got a few free (Affresh?) with our front load washer and they do the trick.

But yeah, always leave the door WIDE open and let it air out.

 

[onza]

They have like mentioned above, small packets you put into the wash to help clean the beasts out.

 

[trmiv]

Never had a front load washer. Is it common for them to smell like this?

 

[mmntech]

Bacteria in the washer. Just run a cycle through it using only bleach. Should fix it.

 

[Chiropteran]

Time for a scientific experiment.

Do a wash cycle without clothes in the washer.

Buy a pack of socks or underwear or something else you need & will use, and put it in for a wash, brand new out of the package. Does it come out clean or smelly?

If even clean clothes come out smelling bad, either something is stuck in your washer or it needs to be rinsed out better, maybe run a few cycles without clothes and see if that helps.

 

[Gunbuster]

Happened to my towels. Add some vinegar to a load and it will be sorted.

 

[Albatross]

Wash your dog separately from your laundry.

 

[SagaLore]

Haven't figured out how to get the nasty musty smell out of the front load washer yet. And yes, we leave the door open between washes, etc.

Throw a couple of clean towels in the washer, run a load with extra rinse on - pour in white vinegar in both the main wash and in the fabric softener cup.

 

[Iron Woode]

Wash your dog separately from your laundry.

winnar

 

[SunnyD]

Throw a couple of clean towels in the washer, run a load with extra rinse on - pour in white vinegar in both the main wash and in the fabric softener cup.

We've done the vinegar thing a few times, all it seems to do it make my laundry come out smelling like vinegar (which I find equally as disgusting).

 

[Druidx]

The instructions that came with the washer will probably tell you how to run a tub clean cycle and how much bleach to use.

 

[ElFenix]

Haven't figured out how to get the nasty musty smell out of the front load washer yet. And yes, we leave the door open between washes, etc.

wide open?

even then i've found that if you don't pull clothes out in a hurry they start to smell pretty quickly.

 

[Possessed Freak]

Reason number 373 on why I prefer top loaders.

 

[corwin]

The instructions that came with the washer will probably tell you how to run a tub clean cycle and how much bleach to use.

This...and it should be done at least once a month in my experience.

 

[CA19100]

I just use a little bleach when I do whites, and that seems to take care of the washer (a Bosch) as well. I leave the door just cracked and that's enough for it. On some front loaders, leaving the detergent dispenser open between loads helps it air out.

 

[iamwiz82]

This...and it should be done at least once a month in my experience.

This is what I do. I also keep the door open until the same clothes are dried in the dryer.

 

[Murloc]

Never had a front load washer. Is it common for them to smell like this?

nope, I never had a top load washer and I never heard of the washer itself smelling.
You don't risk killing your cat with them either, which is a plus.
Top load washers are pretty rare here afaik.

 

[Chiropteran]

How is it that top-load washers kill cats?

 

[SunnyD]

How is it that top-load washers kill cats?

Because cats are idiots.

 

[Evadman]

How is it that top-load washers kill cats?

Because cats are idiots.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Water sits in the bottom of all these washers and gets all funky. Top load uses a lot more water and flushes all the soap scum and dirt and crap out of the system, so the only water sitting in the very bottom is pretty fresh. These HE front load washers use a lot less so they don't flush out everything, so it sits and gets really nasty down there.

I have a Whirlpool Duet which is like the worst for nasty funk apparently. I found the only real way to keep it from smelling bad was to drain the unit after I'm done using it. It has an access panel that I removed to get to the drain/screen in the pump housing. Removing that allows all the water to drain out. I drain it into a pan, dump the pan, then leave the door and the drain open and the whole thing dries out. Simply leaving the door open only results in the whole place stinking up over a weekend.

I still run a cleaning bleach cycle every so often, but not near as often as I had to before I started doing this.

Such a pain. Part of me doesn't like this washer, but aside from this issue it works better than my old worn out clunker from the 70s and it was free

 

[Red Squirrel]

I have a top load and it works fine. Hearing all these bad things about front load makes me wonder if I want to stick to top load whenever I upgrade. The nice thing with front load though is you can stack the two units, and the drum is normally bigger too as it does not have the agitator so you can shove a full queen size bedspread in there.

And I don't get how a top load would kill a cat, unless the owner is stupid enough to leave the top open and have it on some kind of timer where it starts on it's own.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Maybe mine is just small but I have no idea how you'd fit a queen size bedspread in it. I mean, ok, it might fit in there once stuffed in there, but there wouldn't be much room for it to tumble around at all.

 

[lxskllr]

Try using some baking soda with the wash. Borax may work too.