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. If your washing machine smells musty or like mildew, even right after you cleaned it, this guide fixes the cause and not just the odor. It 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. 1If you ran the vinegar cycle in fix 1, run one rinse-only cycle first and open a window. Never bleach a drum or gasket that still holds vinegar.
2. 2Pull back the gasket folds and look at the lower section - there is usually a half-inch of standing water and dark gunk.
3. 3Put on rubber gloves and open a window. Mix 3/4 cup of bleach into a gallon of warm water in a bucket, the dilution washer manuals give for the seal.
4. 4Dip a cloth in the solution and wipe every fold of the gasket, pulling the rubber back as you go.
5. 5Let it stand for 5 minutes, then wipe it dry and leave the door open so the seal can air-dry. A long soak in stronger bleach wears the rubber out.
6. 6Run 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. 1Run a drain and spin first if the drum holds water, then unplug the washer before you open anything.
2. 2Find the small access panel at the bottom front of the washer.
3. 3Place a shallow pan and old towels - several cups of water will spill out.
4. 4Unscrew the filter cap counterclockwise slowly.
5. 5Pull the filter out and look at what you find. Brace yourself.
6. 6Rinse 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 more than they need. 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.

Why the Smell Comes Back After Cleaning

If you cleaned the gasket and the drum and the washer smells musty again within a few weeks, something keeps the inside wet or feeds the mildew. Whirlpool's own guidance for front loaders is to leave the door open between loads and to run the washer's cleaning cycle once a month. Check these in order.

1. 1Wipe the lower folds of the gasket dry after the last load of the day. A teaspoon of standing water there is enough to restart mildew.
2. 2Look at your detergent. Too much leaves a film that mildew feeds on, so fill only to the line on the cap and use HE detergent if the washer calls for it.
3. 3Check the drain: if water sits in the drum between loads, the drain hose or pump filter is partly blocked, see washer not draining.
4. 4Check the rubber seal for black spots that wipe off but return in days. A seal that is torn or permanently stained holds the smell, and replacing it is a job for a technician.
5. 5Keep the cleaning cycle monthly, and check your manual for the cycle name. Your machine may call it Tub Clean, Clean Washer or Self Clean.

Tools and Supplies You Will Need