Washing Machine Smells Bad? Here's How to Get Rid of the Stink

You pull a load out and the clothes smell like a basement. Or worse, you open the lid between cycles and your laundry room smells sour. This is one of the most common washer complaints and almost always the same root cause: bacteria and mildew growing in places water and detergent residue collect. A washer is a warm, wet, soap-fed environment - if you do not actively prevent it, mold will set up housekeeping.

There is a difference between a one-time clean and a permanent fix. Running a single hot cycle helps for a week. Doing all six steps below once and then keeping up with two simple habits keeps the smell gone for good.

Start With These 30-Second Checks

1. 1Open the door and sniff - is the smell coming from the drum, the gasket, or the dispenser?
2. 2Check the rubber gasket folds (front-loaders) for visible black or pink mold.
3. 3Look at the detergent drawer - pull it out and inspect the underside.
4. 4Confirm you are using HE (high efficiency) detergent if your washer requires it - regular detergent leaves residue.

1. Run a Hot Water Cleaning Cycle

This is the single most effective step and you should do it before anything else. Most washers have a built-in Tub Clean or Self Clean cycle. If yours does not, you can do it manually.

1. 1Empty the drum completely - no clothes for this cycle.
2. 2Pour 2 cups of distilled white vinegar directly into the drum.
3. 3Add half a cup of baking soda directly into the drum (skip the dispenser).
4. 4Run the longest, hottest cycle your washer offers - usually called Sanitize, Clean Tub, or Heavy Duty with extra rinse.
5. 5When the cycle finishes, wipe the inside of the drum down with a clean cloth - you will be surprised what comes off.

2. Deep Clean the Door Gasket (Front-Loaders Only)

On front-load washers, the rubber boot around the door is mold central. Water pools in the lower folds, soap and lint feed the mold, and warm darkness lets it thrive.

1. 1Pull back the gasket folds and look at the lower section - there is usually a half-inch of standing water and dark gunk.
2. 2Mix half a cup of bleach with a quart of warm water in a bowl.
3. 3Soak an old towel in the bleach solution and stuff it into the lower gasket folds.
4. 4Let it sit for 30 minutes, then wipe everything down with a clean wet cloth.
5. 5Run a rinse-only cycle to flush any remaining bleach.

3. Clean the Detergent Dispenser

The detergent drawer is wet, soap-coated, and dark - perfect for mold. After a few months of use, the underside of the drawer and the top of the drawer cavity are coated in pink slime.

1. 1Pull the drawer out fully - most have a release tab in the back you press to remove it completely.
2. 2Soak the drawer in hot soapy water for 15 minutes.
3. 3Use an old toothbrush to scrub every surface, including the underside compartments.
4. 4Look up into the empty cavity with a flashlight - clean the ceiling and walls of the cavity with a wet rag.
5. 5Reinstall the drawer fully dry - residual water trapped in the housing breeds new mold.

4. Clean the Drain Pump Filter (Front-Loaders)

Most owners never clean this filter. Years of accumulated lint, hair, coins, and gunk turn it into a permanent stink factory. If you have never cleaned this in over a year, it is the source of the smell.

1. 1Find the small access panel at the bottom front of the washer.
2. 2Place a shallow pan and old towels - several cups of water will spill out.
3. 3Unscrew the filter cap counterclockwise slowly.
4. 4Pull the filter out and look at what you find. Brace yourself.
5. 5Rinse it under hot water, scrub with a toothbrush, and screw it back in hand-tight.

5. Change Two Habits to Keep the Smell Gone

After all the cleaning, two simple habits prevent the smell from coming back. Both are free and take zero extra time.

1. 1Leave the washer door open between loads. Just push it slightly ajar - air drying kills mold before it can settle.
2. 2Pull the detergent drawer out 2 inches when not in use - the cavity needs to dry too.
3. 3Use less detergent. Most people use 5 to 10 times the right amount. Look for the smallest line on your detergent cap and use that.
4. 4Wash a load in hot water at least once a week - cold water never gets hot enough to kill bacteria.

6. Consider Switching Detergent

Some detergents leave more residue than others. Cheap, heavily-fragranced, non-HE detergents are the worst offenders. The fragrance covers up the bacterial smell for a few weeks, then the residue feeds the bacteria long-term.

1. 1Switch to a high-efficiency (HE) detergent if your washer requires it - the bottle will say HE clearly.
2. 2Try a non-fragranced detergent for one month - if the smell does not come back, fragrance was masking it.
3. 3Use liquid detergent rather than powder - powder leaves more residue.
4. 4Add a tablespoon of borax to occasional loads as a natural deodorizer.

Tools and Supplies You Will Need