Bad smell in the washing machine? How to clean it yourself
Bad smells in your washing machine almost always come from mold in the rubber gasket around the door and grease that has built up in the drum. The solution is simple and costs you nothing: clean the rubber gasket, detergent drawer, and lint filter by hand, and run an empty wash at 90 degrees with baking soda or citric acid. Never pour bleach into the machine.
The smell does not come from the machine being old or broken. It comes from how we wash today. We wash at colder temperatures than before, and liquid detergent and fabric softener leave behind a thin layer of grease and soap residue. On damp, warm surfaces behind the gasket, this creates a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mold. That's the biofilm you smell when you open the door.
Where does the smell actually come from?
Most of the dirt in a washing machine collects in three places: the rubber gasket around the door, the detergent drawer, and the lint filter at the bottom front. Top-loading machines have fewer folds for water to collect in, but the principle is the same.
The rubber gasket is the worst offender. Water remains in the fold at the bottom after each wash, and black mold spots grow there. The detergent drawer gets a sticky film of incompletely dissolved detergent and fabric softener. The lint filter catches lint, coins, and hairpins, and when water stands there, it rots.
The smell is also related to temperature. If you wash almost everything at 30 or 40 degrees, the drum never gets hot enough to break down the grease. Therefore, the machine needs a hot cycle periodically, even if your clothes get clean at low temperatures.
How do I clean the washing machine step by step?
Set aside half an hour. You only need a cloth, an old toothbrush, baking soda or citric acid, and a little patience with the gasket.
- The rubber gasket. Gently pull out the fold at the bottom all around the door. Hair, lint, and black mold are often hidden here. Wipe it clean with a damp cloth, and use the toothbrush in the corners. If the mold is stubborn, you can leave the cloth with a little baking soda solution on it for a few minutes before wiping.
- The detergent drawer. Pull the drawer all the way out – most have a small button or latch that releases it. Rinse it under warm water and scrub away the sticky film. Remember the compartment the drawer sat in; mold also grows on the ceiling there.
- The lint filter. It's located behind a flap at the bottom front. Place a cloth and a dish underneath, as water will drain out. Unscrew the filter, remove lint and small debris, and rinse it clean. Check the filter every three to four months.
- Empty wash at 90 degrees. With everything clean, run an empty program at the highest temperature. Add either about half a deciliter of baking soda to the drum, or two to three tablespoons of citric acid to the detergent drawer. Not both at the same time.
- Dry and air out. Dry the gasket and glass after the wash, and leave the door and detergent drawer ajar. A machine that is allowed to air dry will not smell.
A brief warning about chemicals
Never pour bleach into the washing machine, and never mix bleach with vinegar or ammonia – bleach and acid produce toxic chlorine gas, bleach and ammonia produce chloramine. The rule is simple: never mix bleach with anything other than water. If you use citric acid, keep it away from natural stone, marble, and untreated wooden surfaces nearby; acid etches and leaves dull spots. Always test in a hidden spot first.
Bleach in the drum – does it help against odor?
No. This is a persistent myth. The idea is that bleach disinfects, but the problem in a washing machine is not primarily loose bacteria – it's a biofilm of grease and soap residue that bleach does not dissolve. You kill a little on the surface, the smell returns within weeks, and in the meantime, the bleach can corrode rubber gaskets and other seals inside the machine.
What actually works is to remove the food the bacteria live on. Heat breaks down grease, mechanical scrubbing removes mold in the gasket, and an acidic or basic empty wash dissolves limescale and residue. Baking soda neutralizes odor and dissolves grease. Citric acid dissolves limescale, which is often part of the problem in hard water areas. Feel free to alternate between the two.
What kind of smell do you have, and what does it mean?
| Smell | Probable cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Mold, earthy | Black mold in the rubber gasket | Scrub the gasket by hand, wipe dry, leave the door open |
| Rotten, sewage | Stagnant water in lint filter or drain | Clean the lint filter, check that the drain hose does not have a dry trap |
| Sour, rancid | Grease from low-temperature wash and liquid detergent | Empty wash 90 degrees with baking soda, wash hotter occasionally |
| Detergent "sticks" | Overdosing and fabric softener residue | Reduce the dose, run empty wash with citric acid |
If it smells like sewage and cleaning the filter doesn't help, the problem may be in the drain itself under the machine. In that case, it's a good idea to have a professional look at it.
How often do I need to do this?
For a normal household, an empty wash at 90 degrees about once a month is sufficient, plus wiping the gasket and leaving the door ajar between each wash. If you almost always wash cold, use a lot of fabric softener, or have small children with many dirty washes, you can do it every other week. Check the lint filter a few times a year.
The cheapest insurance against bad smells is everyday habits: let the door and detergent drawer air out, dose detergent according to the package and not by eye, and include a hot wash of towels or bedding now and then so the drum gets properly hot.
Does the same apply to the dishwasher?
Yes, the principle is identical. Bad smells from the dishwasher come from food residue, grease, and limescale – not from the machine being broken. The three places to clean are the bottom filter, the spray arms, and the door gasket.
- The bottom filter. Lift it out from the bottom and rinse away food residue and slime under running water. This is the most common reason for odor, and it takes two minutes.
- The spray arms. Check that the small holes are not clogged with limescale or food residue. A toothpick or toothbrush solves most blockages.
- The gasket and edge. Wipe the door gasket and the edge around the door, where old grease and food residue are often hidden.
Then run an empty program at the highest temperature with a little citric acid or a dedicated dishwasher cleaner. Here too: leave the door ajar after the program is finished so the machine can dry. A closed, damp dishwasher quickly smells sour.
When is it worth getting help?
Most people can do this themselves in under an hour, and it's one of the simplest maintenance jobs in the house. If you still need help – perhaps in connection with a larger cleaning or a move – we are happy to include the machines as part of the job. If you are moving out, you will find a full walkthrough in our move-out cleaning checklist and a price estimate in the guide on what move-out cleaning costs.
If you prefer to prevent odor and wear with milder products, we have gathered advice in the article on eco-friendly cleaning at home. And if you're wondering how often you should actually tackle the various cleaning tasks in the house, you'll find an overview in the guide how often you should clean your home.
In short: the machine smells because it is damp, warm, and full of the grease that bacteria love. Clean the gasket, drawer, and filter, run a hot empty wash with baking soda or citric acid, and let the machine air dry. Then you avoid both the smell and an expensive service.
