Stinky he washer

[Farmfresh]

My aunt used to put several pairs of old knee high panty hose together and then fastened them over the end of the discharge hose. When they got gross and full she just tossed the works and started over.

The again, since she wore those to work she always had a good supply of used ones.

 

[~gd]

I haven't read all the thread, so if this has been said before forgive me. There is a sump built into HE washers where it is pretty hard and expensive to get to. If not used often the water in the sump is like stagnet and all kinds of things can grow there ( the same as the J pipe under your sinks only larger) this is the source of the musty smell! even while pumping out this sump is never completly flooded and therefor not cleaned. I wish I had an answer for you all on how to fix it but I don't. Maybe knowing the cause will help.

 

[tortoise]

I almost got Tide he cleaner, but remember the perfume-y smell comments from here. I got "Affresh" brand. It's running right now. I hope it works! I'm tired of stinky clothes!

One of the main ingredients is washing soda. The other is sodium percarbonate which is the product of the chemical reaction of washing soda plus hydrogen peroxide.

With that info, I bet someone on here can figure out a recipe. Maybe I will try after I use this stuff to get the big buildup off. - I have both on hand.

 

[tortoise]

Read a little more -- sodium percarbonate is sold commercially as a crystalized product. When added to water, it releases the hydrogen peroxide.

I'm thinking washing soda plus peroxide to make a paste would work. I have no idea how much though!

 

[horseymama2]

I have this problem occasionally in my top load washer. I have found the combination of baking soda and vinegar in the washer gets rid of it. Baking soda and vinegar together are a good drain cleaner, I just dump half a box of baking soda, and a bunch of white vinegar ( I don't measure, the worse it smells the more I dump ) then run it without a load. It fizzes like peroxide due to the chemical reaction. It is an inexpensive solution and the best that I have found.

 

[tortoise]

I have been using 1/2 cup washing soad and about 1-1/2T homemade laundry soap. I bleached the rubber gasket. The smell is better. It doesn't smell musty or moldy. I think bleaching the gasket made the biggest difference.