If your washing machine smells like rotten eggs, there could be a couple of different culprits. Most often, the stench comes from mold or mildew caused by a buildup of soap scum, dirt, or even a trapped sock. Fixing the smell is as simple as doing a quick scrub and running a wash with water and distilled vinegar. In addition to solving the problem, there are easy things you can do to prevent it happening in the future.
There’s nothing worse than opening your washing machine and being slapped in the face by a terrible odor. A washing machine is supposed to clean, right? So why on earth are you smelling rotten eggs? You don’t want that smell sticking to your clothes, especially when you have to go out and be around people.
Thankfully, there are ways to combat the stench before it spreads to the entire house and causes you to walk around with a constant scrunched up nose. Finding the problem and solving it is not difficult, which is good because, if left untreated, it can be potentially harmful to you and your family.
What Is Causing That Rotten Egg Smell?
You don’t want to have to hold your breath every time you pass your own laundry room. If you’re gagging every time you need to do a load of laundry, there are three possibilities for what is causing the problem:
- The smell of rotten eggs coming from your front load washer is often caused by a buildup of dust, mold, mildew, or even soap itself. Whenever you put your clothes in to wash, the dirt, hairs, or lint sometimes get caught in the seal, gasket, or detergent dispenser where they sit and slowly start to grow bacteria.
- Occasionally, even a sock might get caught in the seal of the washer where it will grow mold or mildewy, giving off that rotten egg smell.
- Another possibility, though a much less common one, is that there is a gas leak. Natural gas has no odor, so utility services infuse it with sulfur so that it’s obvious when there is a leak. It is important to remember that if you suspect a gas leak, call your gas company immediately.
That rotten egg smell can range from inconvenient to dangerous if left unfixed. If that telltale odor reaches your nose, make sure that you check it out immediately. Once you’ve looked and can rule out the possibility of a gas leak, then you can usually fix the problem with materials found in your own house.
Fixing The Smell In Your Washer
If you have established that build-up in your washer is the cause of the offensive smell smell, the most common solution is to scrub and then do a water/vinegar rinse. The solution is similar whether you have a front-load washer or a top-load washer.
For A Front-Load Washer
- Check beneath the rubber seal for any buildup of soap scum, lint, mildew, etc.. Look for anything that might have gotten trapped, such as a sock or washcloth
- Next, use a rag and a solution of 1 part water and 1 part vinegar to clean the seal. It might take a little elbow grease, but it is important to clean away the dirt, soap scum, and other debris
- When you’re finished, add 1/3 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of distilled white vinegar to the detergent tray
- End by running the machine on the largest and hottest setting
(For step two, you can use bleach instead of vinegar. But remember to only do this if your laundry room is well-ventilated.)
For A Top-Load Washer
- Do a scrub of the inside of your washer using a solution of 1 part water and 1 part vinegar. This will loosen up dirt, mold, mildew, soap scum, and other debris that might be building up
- Once you have finished, Add 1/2 cup baking soda and 2 cups of distilled white vinegar into the washer at half full
- Run the machine on the hottest setting
Preventing Rotten Smells In The Future
Regardless of whether you have a top-load or a front-load washer, here are a couple of tips for preventing washing machine smells for longer periods of time:
- Keep the washing machine door open after use. This will allow it to dry, reducing the possibility of mold and mildew growing
- Periodically, wipe down the inside of the machine after use, especially behind the rubber seal. This will slow the build-up of soap scum, mildew, dirt, and other debris
- For a top-load washer, scrub around the door and hinges with a sponge, rag, or old toothbrush. Dirt has been known to get trapped there
We always expect a washing machine to clean, right? But making sure our washing machines are clean will spare us extra work in the long run, and help these tools last longer (which means less time and money spent buying a new one). If you’re wanting to give your washing machine a deeper and longer lasting clean, you can find more information on our other blog post.
iFiX Saves You Trouble
If you have tried everything, but still that rotten egg stench hits you every time you walk in the house, then iFiX is the solution. Our team of experienced technicians are ready and able to help you get your appliances fixed quickly and efficiently.
You don’t want to be without a washing machine, and waste hours and dollars in a laundromat just to get your clothes clean. Spare yourself the effort, spare yourself the cost, and spare yourself the time. Contact iFiX today to have your washing machine, and other appliances, repaired and running better than before.
You can browse our full list of services to see all the ways that we can help you. If you have any questions about services we provide, you can easily get in touch with us by calling 801-731-4349.
When it comes to appliance repair, iFiX so you don’t have to!
