New here... I have a question. I am living currently in Germany (as this is where the AF has sent us) and well, we were given a washer to use when we moved into housing...one problem... it has obviously had ONE TOO MANY loads of wet laundry left in it and well, yeah it smells. I have to hold my breath everytime I take clothes out of it when I do a change over. Nevermind not being able to leave anything in there for ANY amount of time cause it all comes out smelly. I have complained about this with the appropriate people but they since it is a "workable" washer then they won't replace it. My question, does anyone have any idea as to what I can do to try and remedy this? I have ran load after load of straight bleach and water (I emptied an entire gallon of bleach once) through it but doesn't really help so I will try anything at this point.
I can't tell you how to get rid of it but I can tell you what caused it.
When it was put away until needed next, they left the lid close and this kept the dampness in. These causes mildew and mold to grow inside. This could get above the waterline so when you try to clean it, water with bleach will never hit it.
This happens to refrigerators the are shut off with the door closed and left to stand. Next thing you know, you can’t stand to open the door.
I recommend tossing it and getting another just on health issues. Unless the AF can stand having one of there own laid up do to this mold. Check with the Base health officer.
Posts: 1587 | Location: Cleveland, OH. US of A | Registered: 06-03-02
This happens with some models of front loading washers. Since you are in Germany I assume that it's a front loader.
The problem is that the unit has been designed to seal tightly and some of the gaskets and other parts build up mildew. You can help the problem by taking bleach and running a cycle after each load with a cup or half cup of bleach - hopefully there is a short cycle function. Then you should leave the door of the washer open for awhile. Doing this after each load should eventually help but it sounds like there might also be mildew inside the washer case. You can see if there are any screws on the case or if the panels that form the box around the washer are clipped into place. If you can inspect around the drum of the washer you might find that there was a leak that allowed mildew to form in that area. You could then use bleach to clean it and hopefully prevent it from continuing to be a problem.
You can also try ammonia, but in general bleach is the way to go to kill mildew. If it doesn't work then it means there must be concealed mildew that the bleach is not reaching.
Another option... put in an enormous load of laundry and break the machine. Then you'd have a chance to get a new one.
If you have the make and model number of the washer, I might be able to help you further.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: aminator2002,
Posts: 3056 | Location: USA | Registered: 06-04-02
Hahahahaha... sounds like that is what I'll have to do. I have lived with it like this now for over 2 years and have always left the lid open when I am finished with it, but man that odor just won't go away. It really is bad. I hold my breath or make sure I am breathing out when I reach in. Thanks for the replies.
Wash it with bleach - empty a couple of times. Got a setting for its roughness? Keep away from the "gentle cycle" get it to really mix things up with the bleach to splash it around. Also after it washes and starts pumping out the bleach water turn it off and reset it to the start of the wash cycle again. This will get bleach water into the pump which may also have mildew/mold in it. In some machines the pump recycles some or all of the water through, say using the soapy water again and again while straining it for lint.
Then get a 5 pound bag of baking soda, dump the full contents in there and close the door and let it sit a couple three days.
That baking soda should absorb a lot of the odors. BTW a cup of Baking soda added to whites helps them come out whiter white;-) So it’s safe on clothing. A single wash cycle will remove the baking soda.
Also clean the gaskets and where the gaskets meet the washer. Try a diluted solution of bleach and water, you can make a paste of baking soda and smear that around there IF you can detect a smell. Cleaning that up is relatively easy to do – let it sit along with the machine full of baking soda. The rubber might have absorbed some of the odor.
How hard is the water there? Hard water causes mineral deposits which can lead to a good porous mildew/mold growing area – might want to run a long cycle with a gallon of white vinegar in the machine to break up the mineral deposits. Black stains at the top of toilet bowls is a mixture of mineral deposit and mold/mildew.
Unless it’s in the plumbing, or the inlet pipes/hoses. Those two, if left long enough, grow all sorts of interesting things which can lead to stench.
Posts: 3921 | Location: Leaving land, heading for the ocean | Registered: 06-03-02
