Yuck!!!

[dustin92]

As you probably have seen in my other posts, we just moved and we now have a Maytag Performa washer and dryer. I have noticed the washer has a nasty moldy mildewy sour smell if the lid is left closed, but the clothes smell fine coming out. I have run bleach through it by the gallon, and the smell stays. Well, I decided to investigate today... opened up the top, unclipped the tub cover and found the problem..... (pic was taken after about ¾ of the slime was already scrubbed off)

 

[dustin92]

All my bleach washes were futile, the water level never gets high enough to reach this... the outer tub looked the same above the water level, as did the inner tub. I blame this on the washer being used for about the last 5 years or so on nothing but cold water, with most likely a minimal dose of detergent, and the lid closed after it was done. (The washer belonged to my grandparents, Grandma used warm for everything, and rinsed in warm, she used an all natural detergent for a long time, then switched to tide, using gallons of both, liquid only), she had dementia and insisted on doing laundry until she was no longer able (Grandpa said she would start the washer and forget to put clothes in, no telling how much detergent she used then). When Grandma passed in 2009, Grandpa started doing laundry, and used only cold water, probably stuffed the machines and used little to no detergent. (He is still so cheap he would try to pinch a penny until it turns into a nickel, even though he he is very well off). We are buying the house now and are finding the effects of his penny pinching handywork. The washer is all clean and smelling much better. It is a wonder the clothes got clean at all, and nobody got sick.

 

[pierreandreply4]

have you tryed soacking the part in hot water and vinigar it might help to remove the mildew or order a new part for your washer model

 

[dustin92]

It is all clean now, just took lots of hot water and a stiff brush.

 

[autowasherfreak]

Double Yuck!

 

[combo52]

We see this type of build-up in washers every day

Smelly washers is not just a FL washer problem, the biggest single is washing in cold water, the second biggest problem is too little and or cheap detergent, warm rinsing sometimes makes the problem worse as it leaves the washer at the perfect temperature for mold and bacteria growth.

 

[kenmore71]

John, I'll agree with you that exclusive cold water washing can cause this problem but your claim that warm rinsing can cause it is just silly. Whether you rinse in 50 or 100 degree water the machine is going to be back to room temperature within 20 minutes of finishing the last load.

 

[DirectDriveDave]

and as usual, (for TLs) just leave the lid open for a while after it is all done.

 

[dustin92]

I always leave the lid open, but since this washer was purchased new, the lid has been kept closed with a towel over it. I got into the habit of leaving it open a long time ago, then with our frigidaire front load, it had to be left open or it got funky overnight. I took a bath tonight and couldn't believe how much fresher my towel smelled, it was washed today after I got done cleaning the washer.

 

[combo52]

Warn Rinsing And Mold and Odors

I have worked on and seen thousands of automatic washers in my life and have diffidently observed a correlation between moldy washers and customers that always left the temperature switch on the  warm-warm setting. I remember a GE FF washer that the lady never used anything but WW and low agitate and spin speed the machine was not even six years old. She called because it wouldn't spin or agitate any longer, when I lifted the lid it was the most interesting mess I think I ever saw, the whole area under the lid was pink and black, it looked like an interesting science fair project out of control, LOL. I moved the washer away from the wall and the machines problem was immediately apparent as there was a big pile of black dust from what used to be the clutch. The washer got an entire new clutch and motor assembly, it was too far gone, thank goodness I didn't have to raise the washers top, when the machine started leaking a few years later we replaced it with a new WP DD that only gave cold rinses and I continued to work for this customer for many years and the WP never got moldy.

 

I know this is just one example and there are other factors in play here, the main one being the customer never left the lid open and because the GE FF washers top being sealed to the outer tub they were always more prone to getting stinky. And one case is not scientific proof but the same customer, same detergent, same water conditions [ always used liquid Wisk ] same laundry habits, but very different result.

 

While you are correct Mark that the washer will return to room temperature within a few hours after use a warm rinse still gives the machine and the clean laundry sitting in the washer a big boost in bacteria growth. Unless the load was bleached pretty heavily there is always going to be a lot of bacteria left in the laundry and it starts growing the minute the water in spun out and doesn't really stop until the clothing is dry. And while you have probably never left laundry sitting in the washer after it stops, this is not the way most American Families function these days LOL.

 

 

 

[kenmore71]

John, I see your point there. Generally speaking my laundry is out of the machine within 5 minutes of stopping and the lid left open for at least 24 hours. I can see where a load washed and rinsed in warm water and left to sit for 12 hours could get a nice bacterial "brew" going!

 

[pierreandreply4]

me i think the best option is if we have to do a cold water wash i think the best option would be right after to clean the washer in hot water bleach to prevent the formation of mildew smell and bacteria