Front Load Washer and Awful Mildew smell..HELP

I remembered my brother talking about this too and thought I'd pass this on to you. Hope it helps!
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Ours was doing the same thing. I made everything smell terrible, and it drained slowly & sometimes wouldn’t finish the cycle.

I took the cover off of the front of the washing machine – it is the cover below the door, there are screws at the bottom of the cover, near the floor – and there was a little filter behind the cover. A couple of small socks were stuck in this filter and were causing mildew to build up. It was actually worse when you let it dry out.

When you take the plug out of the filter you need to have a couple of towel handy, as it will drain the water left in the system. But it is simple to do – remove a couple of screws, the filter lid comes off by hand, and you just pull it out & clean it. It doesn’t make sense that there is a hidden filter like this but it solved the odor problem.

BTW – ours is a GE. Other brands might be slightly different but the problem is probably the same. Something is plugging the drain line.

2 moms found this helpful

febreze laundry oder eleminator. i use it on every load and it gets rid of yucky smells. my washer does that too. alot of stuff comes out with a stinch even after less than an hour in the washer. using the febreze stuff works great. plus i use liqui fab. softner, color safe bleach and laundry sheets. i have always used all the other stuff and i just started using the febreze and i love it..

I have a Maytag Neptune (4 yrs) and I have not had a mildew smell. I do, however, leave the door open for a bit after I run it and I am a firm believer of bleach use. I didn't notice if you were opposed to bleach or not. I know I help keep Clorox in business. I always use Downy for my rinse cycle and clothes come out smelling fresh!

I understand your concern about leaving the door open if you have small children. I'd have the same feelings you do about that if I had small children.

I also agree with the poster who said to not stop calling the manufacturer. I've found in other cases that when you call enough, they will come out and fix your problem just to get you to stop calling.

S

please let me know what you find out. My problem isn't as bad as throwing clothes out but I have only had mine about two months. I don't have the mildew smell yet, but I have a feeling it is coming on.
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thanks,
E.

I have the LG with the same problem. Our problem too is we only do laundry on the weekends. I have found that if I run the first load on the sanitary cycle then it takes care of the smell and the subsequent loads are ok. Hope that helps.

I understand your concern about not wanting to leave the door open after each load, but that really is the best thing for front loaders. Gate it off, if possible so that the little kids don't mess with it.

Weird, but I have not had that problem with my LG front loader (the serviceman even mentioned it when he came, said to leave the door open to avoid "that mildew smell"- I said, "what mildew smell?". I have a very sensitive nose, too). So, getting past that (I do use bleach once a week on my whites-don't know if that has anything to do with it and I don't leave the door open) about the posters who said to clean out the filter- I have done that and you will definitely want to follow the manufacturer's directions on it. When I did mine, I had a bowl handy and it filled up with water- a towel will not do. It takes a while, too. Just make sure to read the manual. If you've misplaced it, I can e-mail you the directions, just let me know.

Yep, you have to leave the door open. I had the same problem, and resolved it by letting the washer air out. Once I can see the water has evaporated I close the door. Gate off the area if you can. It only takes a few hours.

Hi,
I have had similiar issues with our front loaders, they are only 5 months old and started devloping smelly clothes after two months. I have started to leave the door open and have a hook to hold it open so little ones don't squish their fingers, and I wash the washer with a cup of vinegar and hot water about every 3 weeks and that has really helped, the smell has pretty much disappeared.
good luck.

I don't have a front loader washer, but to get the smell out of clothes you can try adding some baking soda to the water and that will cut the mildew smell.

Oh my gosh, I had the exact same problem. Finally they came out and replaced the boot ( the lack rubber thing that seals the door shut) I complained about it so much, but then I moved and left the washer with the house, so I am not sure that it has resolved the problem. The problem is that water sits in the bottom of that boot, just a little, but when the wash runs, it mixes back in. So, try to use a towel to dry that completely and spray it with bleach water. I know how it feels to have smelly clothes. And for now, dont leave any laundry in the washer after it is finished. (I know easier said than done!!) And finally...fight with them to solve the problem, and dont stop calling and complaining until they do!! Best of luck, let me know if you have any other questions! ~A.~

I am reading all these responses and was just wondering if ev1 is talking about front loader washing machines. I have the top loader, I guess you could say, it's older and it's the one you put clothes in from the top, anyway, I have the same prob with the mildew smell and people are talking about the filter. Any1 know where the filter is on the washing machine that I have??? Sorry to take away from your question E..

Hi, I have the LG washer too. I find that if I drain it weekly it really makes a difference. I also purchased a child proof strap that allows the door to stay open about 3 inches, so nothing can get in, but air can circulate. The serviceman said that these machines need to run everyday so water cannot pool. Not only HE detergent but use less than recommeded. Since it is just my DH and I laundry only gets done 1x a week. I really like machine buthad I know this I might have reconsidered the purchase.

Nana

You have to leave the door open! I have a gate to keep my kids out of the laundry room. That is where the cat food and litter are as well. If you can't gate it off, you'll need to figure out a way to keep the kiddos away from it. When we bought ours, the salesman was very clear that we had to leave the door open. He even told us that if we can't do it, we should buy something else. Sorry I didn't have a better answer!

i dont use bleach, i use white vinegar with some tea tree oil in it, about 5 drops to every cup of vinegar, i would probably use at least 3 cups or so the first time you do it.

Run a washer cycle with no clothes in it but put a good amout of bleach in it. Then leave the door open after the cycle to dry. You need to leave the door open after every load.