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I love my front loader washer due to it uses less water and less detergent and the clothes come out less wet so less dryer time and electricity with that but I get a funk.
It a sour musty smell and I cannot figure out why it does this. I have to add fabric softner to the load in hopes it will fix the problem and I love the feature where I dont have to wait before rinse cycle begins to add it but I still get that funk.
My last option is adding scented dryer sheets but I want to know what the funk is
My mom had a front loader, She would after the last of the clothes were done run the machine with bleach water..no clothes. back then some water would be in the lines or something So by doing this she would clean the lines. hope this helps.
Front loaders unlike top loaders are air and water tight, if you do not leave the door ajar when not in use the moisture in it will smell like a basement for lack of a better word, we have a front loader I have people talk about smell all the time. we leave the door cracked open when not in use and it can air and dry out and not get funky musty smelling. People who do have an odor tend to shut the door when not in use locking in moisture.
SunnyKayak, check your owners manual. It probably has a few ideas for you. For instance, try cleaning the gasket (there should be instructions on this in your owner's manual). Also, some front loaders (the LG, for instance) has a special drum cleaning cycle you can try.
But the bottom line? Leave the door open when not in use to allow it to dry out naturally & occasionally clean the gasket. That should eliminate the problem.
we have had a lot of problems with our Whirlpool Duet front load washer and have gone through the bad smell routine. I couldn't believe how bad it made towells smell.
believe it or not, we hate the machine...have to use straight bleach in a load of white to try to keep the smell down. it's a constant battle.
leaving the door open when not in use does help to keep the smell away.
there's really no permanent fix for the bad smell.
Last edited by Southside Shrek; 07-29-2007 at 10:09 PM..
we have had a lot of problems with our Whirlpool Duet front load washer and have gone through the bad smell routine. I couldn't believe how bad it made towells smell.
believe it or not, we hate the machine...have to use straight bleach in a load of white to try to keep the smell down. it's a constant battle.
leaving the door open when not in use does help to keep the smell away.
there's really no permanent fix for the bad smell.
That's odd we have a Whirlpool Duet 9400 front loader and have never had a issue with any smell or a moments trouble out of it. We use the recommended detergent and leave the door open about an inch when not in use and everything smells nice and clean.
I agree. I have to leave my door open after washing so it can air-dry or it will have a musty smell, but even when I had a top loading machine, I always left the door open so it could dry out.
Yes, I have a front loader, you do have to leave the door open, if you don't want it to have that smell. I think I like the top loading machines better.
As MrsSteel suggested, cleaning the gasket might help. I had a front-loading Kenmore and it had an odor (wet, musty)...until I cleaned the gasket. You may need to do it periodically, as it seems like some sort of "scum" accumulates in there -- my guess is that it's residue from the laundry detergent and liquid fabric softener. I also left the door open for it to dry after using it.
Anyone with Front Loader get a Funk smell on your clothes?
Although the jury is still out, the odor problem w/front loaders seems to come from standing water (just a little bit) in the drum. Here are some approaches to alleviating the problem:
Every fourth or fifth load should be hot - bath towels - washing all time time with cold water aggravates the problem.
Use HE detergent.
If you have a drain filter, service it regularly ... maybe more than just "regularly."
Keep the door open between uses - I have cats and cannot.
Check out "Affresh" - a tablet (not cheap) that seems to help.
Look into using a little bit of tea tree oil occasionally (maybe an empty HOT load).
Live in the southwest (low humidity) - yukk - I live in New England.
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Anyone with Front Loader get a Funk smell on your clothes?
