Why does laundry smell bad after washing in a washing machine and how to deal with it?

Many housewives are perplexed by how laundry can emit an unpleasant odor after washing with the use of conditioners, fragrances and softeners. Experience has shown that if the entire volume of processed items smells bad, then the problem is in the washing machine. If only a specific product stinks, then you need to deal with it separately. It is not necessary to replace or send a damaged device for repair; you should first try to solve the problem yourself. To do this, you will have to identify the source of the smell and carry out a series of simple manipulations.

Why does laundry smell bad after washing in the washing machine?

To determine why clothes washed in a washing machine smell unpleasant, it is necessary to evaluate the correct operation of the functional appliance. Most often, this factor is influenced by the following points:

• Irregular or poor ventilation of the tank. After each use of a washing machine, even a completely new one, a small amount of moisture remains in the drum. If the door is immediately closed, the increased humidity in the environment will remain, which will stimulate the active growth of bacteria and the appearance of mold. This is the first reason why laundry smells unpleasant even after washing in a new machine. Experts recommend keeping the tank door ajar at all times.
• Using the wrong powder. Stench is not always a consequence of using a low-quality composition. An unpleasant odor can appear if an expensive product is used incorrectly. You should not use dry mixtures when washing at low temperatures; they may not dissolve completely and stick to the walls of the tray, hoses and tub of the washing machine, activating the growth of bacterial colonies.
• Abuse of detergents. The result here will be approximately the same as in the previous case. The mass will not be completely washed out of the fabric, settling on the walls of the elements in the form of bad-smelling mucus.
• Lack of proper maintenance of equipment. Accessible parts of the device must be inspected and cleaned regularly. Particular attention should be paid to the trays, drain hose, and filter.
• Incorrect connection of the washing machine outlet hose to the sewer. If the device is not connected to the bend of the outlet pipe, then the entire technology for removing liquid will be disrupted. In this case, the laundry usually smells like sewage.

Advice: If you do not have the appropriate skills, you should not try to install a household appliance yourself. An attempt to save money at this point can lead to rapid damage to the device or things being processed.

• Leaving dirty laundry in the drum for a long time. The washing machine drum is not designed to store dirty items before processing. Dirt and high humidity very quickly give a persistent unpleasant odor. It is better to get a special basket.

Once it becomes clear why the unpleasant smell is attached to the laundry, you can begin carrying out the appropriate manipulations. First, the source of the problem is eliminated, then the household appliances are cleaned.

How to deal with unpleasant odor

Cleaning the washing machine is a mandatory step in its debugging. If you refuse it, the quality of the wash will be restored to the desired level very slowly. To eliminate all signs of the problem, you need to use one of the following approaches:

1. We treat the cuff inside the device with a 50% solution of copper sulfate. We wet the material generously and leave it for a day, after which we wash it with water with the addition of powder or gel. Nothing will happen to the rubber part; it is recommended to carry out this manipulation regularly, and not just if the laundry smells bad.
2. Next, we start the standard washing program, but do not load laundry. You need to set the mode to maximum temperature, and pour citric acid, not detergent, into the tray. After the end of this cycle, you need to start another one, but this time with soda. Be sure to install an additional rinse.
3. An equally effective approach is using acetic acid and chlorine bleach. Mix a liter of the mentioned products and pour into the tray. We run the longest wash cycle at a very high temperature.

Next, clean the filter and all trays of the device. If even after such manipulations the clothes do not smell fresh, you should think about replacing the drain hose in the washing machine. It is this element that most often becomes covered with persistent mold and produces consequences in the form of an unpleasant odor.

Ways to prevent unpleasant odor

A problem such as a putrid odor will not return if you follow the basic rules for operating a washing machine, which many people forget:

1. After each cycle, accessible parts of the device should be wiped with a soft cloth until dry.This applies not only to the drum, but also to the trays and the sealing ring around the hatch opening. Keep the drum slightly open if possible.
2. We do not store dirty clothes in the bin, even if there is very little time left before washing. We load the drum immediately before supplying water.
3. We use washing powders and gels strictly for their intended purpose, observing the dosage and temperature conditions. You should not actively use air conditioners if your laundry smells unpleasant; this will only temporarily mask the problem, leading to more serious consequences in the future.
4. We regularly carry out preventative cleaning of the car, using approaches with vinegar or citric acid.
5. At least once every two months we run the unit through a full wash cycle at the highest possible temperature. At the same time, we do not load the drum.
6. We do not keep washed items in the machine longer than necessary; immediately after the end of the cycle we begin drying them.

In addition, experts do not recommend installing specialized household appliances in a bathroom or other dark room without good air circulation. A dry and regularly ventilated kitchen is more suitable for the appliance.

What to do if only a specific thing smells bad?

Before carrying out the above measures, you need to make sure that the problem is in the machine and not in a separate product. Often, terry robes or towels cause an unpleasant odor that spreads to all items in the drum. This may be a consequence of improperly washing the item (non-compliance with the regime, temperature or inappropriate detergent) or the appearance of mold on it.

The second scenario is typical for items that are not dried correctly.Terry needs an influx of fresh air, so towels and robes made of thick, fleecy fabric should not be hung in the bathroom, but at least on a ventilated balcony.

To eliminate unpleasant consequences, you need to try one of the following options:

• Soak the damaged product briefly in a cool vinegar solution (no more than two tablespoons per bowl of water), rinse and dry according to the rules. If necessary, you can slightly increase the concentration of the composition.
• We wash terry clothes in the machine according to the traditional scheme, but add an additional rinse. After this, you can even rinse the products by hand again.
• We wash the terry separately from all other products on the recommended cycle, but pour a little vinegar into the conditioner tray instead of fragrance. We install additional rinsing without drying.

The listed approaches should help; usually a full cycle of restoration measures is sufficient. The absence of a positive effect indicates serious problems with the device. In this case, you will have to contact the repair department for help.