my washing machine stinks

[BumbleB]

Dirty water in the outlet pipe

[Two_Sheds]

Dirty water in the outlet pipe

well, how do I tell?
and how do I fix it?

[hdp]

Try running a small wash with LOTS of bicarb of soda (a whole tub) and/or vinegar. If you put them in together be prepared for a lot of foam, but it does tend to clean out any grubby bits. More importantly it can absorb odours. I do think the most important thing is to leave the door open ALL THE TIME, but at least for several hours after every wash, until the inside is bone dry. Try storing a fridge deodoriser in the washing machine between washes. Hope you get it sorted. If you do, please post what you did.

[BumbleB]

well, how do I tell?
and how do I fix it?

When ours did this at a previous house it was because the outlet did not flow efficiently out and there was a kink that allowed water to stay in this kink. We had to take the machine away from the wall, then we could see the plumbings. It then needed to be replumbed in so that the pipe allowed the water to flow out without a kink.

Call a plumber!

[Two_Sheds]

I do think the most important thing is to leave the door open ALL THE TIME,.

I do !
I do !

[Two_Sheds]

Call a plumber!

I was hoping it was a DiY job, ie. free.

I have just stuck my hand down the outside drain (which smelled just like my machine, incidentally) and pulled out what looked like a fish skeleton. Gross.

however, the drain is at least a foot lower than the out-pipe, and there is no way on earth that water can jump from the drain back up the pipe.

[RedThorn]

How would I know?

You'd need to take the back cover off ..... but reading below.... that's not an option....

Lol, pmsl, lmao

No.
He's handy enough to walk in and say " the kitchen effing stinks" and that's about it.

[smallblueplanet]

...I have just stuck my hand down the outside drain (which smelled just like my machine, incidentally)...

Err, is the smell from the drain coming into the house via the washing machine pipework?

[msflocks]

Jees i know exactly which smell you mean! mine was like it and i got a new one around christmas, no smell now so it must be something within the machine and pipework for it to have gone away just by replacing my machine.
Hopefully it can be worked out and not have to replace it!!!

[Two_Sheds]

Err, is the smell from the drain coming into the house via the washing machine pipework?

Err, no

(it only smelled once I put my hand down there and stirred up the dead fish)

[hmk]

No idea whether this will help, but as you seem to have tried everything else...

Someone else suggested pooling in the body of the machine, and I have had that a couple of times with an old dishwasher and once with a washing machine that was temporarily plumbed in during building work and became 'unplumbed in' and flooded the kitchen and the machine...

Both times the machine stopped working before there was any smell, but you never know.

To empty any collected water you need to tip the washing machine forward. Obviously if it's under the work surface, wiggle it forwards as far as you can, so you can then tilt it up until, hopefully, water rushes out. Have lots of towels ready And keep your fingers crossed.

Hope you get it sorted,

HMK

[smallblueplanet]

Err, no

(it only smelled once I put my hand down there and stirred up the dead fish)

Oh, well you've two problems then a smelly washer and a smelly drain!

[Migueli]

It does sound odd. There is always a little water left in the machine but that doesn't normally cause problems because the dirty water has long since been pumped out and it's the rinse water that is left. Providing it's not weeks between washes I doubt it is the standing water.
This might be the culprit:

Washing machine usage (part 2)

[Lottieval]

Hi TwoSheds,
We had the same problem, did all the cleaning routines, bleached it, had the powder drawer out etc but there was still something. In Homebase we found, among the cleaning products, Washing Machine Cleaner - 'cleans deodorises and kills germs'. Its in a crystal form and you put it in the machine on a short cycle.
Also works on dishwashers (but my OH doesn't get smelly!!!)
Hope this is of some use, it worked for us.
Cheers Val.

[BumbleB]

If you had a blockage between the pipework and the drain this would cause some old water to stay in the pipes. If you have cleared blockage and deodorised machine - have you still got the smell?