Whirlpool - Foul Smell

Posted by Slimjim on 2006-06-24:

Lowes just sells stuff. The don't make it and don't have to stand behind it when that's the manufacturer's responsibility. Do alittle research online and see what, if any, products are suggested to run through it to clean up that stagnant water residue. I know for example, dishwashers with order residue clean up well with a tad of vinegar added to an empty run.

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2006-06-24:

Should I say it?

Posted by Slimjim on 2006-06-24:

You know you want to.

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2006-06-24:

SWEEP THE COILS!

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2006-06-24:

Whew! That sure felt good after holding it in so long!

Posted by Slimjim on 2006-06-24:

LOL, disturbing. P.S., I meant to type odor, not order, in case anyone was wondering.

Posted by Slimjim on 2006-06-24:

It's pretty sad when you know he'll be trolling right behind you. God forbid if you make a spelling mistake.

Posted by Ponie on 2006-06-25:

Hey, thanks slim and siffer! I'll try the vinegar route. I've noticed a sometimes yucky odor from my dishwsher but thought it was only because I've had stuff like 3-day old dirty dishes in there. Don't run it really often since I eat out a lot. :)

Posted by UrFriendlyPirate on 2006-06-25:

Consider having your water tested, if you're using well water or have iron or sulfur in your city water it can cause the foul odor.

Posted by rah332 on 2006-06-25:

there was a similar situation the with neptune washer. it retained water and had the nasty smell. on top of that the washer kept breaking down. this also was a washer over >$900. there was a class action suit and we were given a voucher for $300 toward another of their neptune washer. But during the time of the suit, i couldnt deal with the problems anymore and bought a new washer. now i have this voucher but dont intend to buy a new washer (hopefully) for a long time. i am sure everyone else got rid of their problem b4 the end of the suit which told about 2 yr to resovle.

Posted by motsbc on 2006-09-04:

I am an appliance repair tech who has run across this problem with washer odor from time to time. We have tried "washermagic", bleach, ammonia, etc. The only thing that satisfies customers is a cleaner called "PUREWASH". Not sold in stores but available at www.smellywasher.com / We buy it in bulk it works so good!

Posted by robwolf100 on 2006-10-01:

Why does it say "Resolved" at the top.
What was the resolution? That "Pure Wash" stuff? Is that confirmed?

Posted by SilverWngs on 2006-10-14:

you can also use powdered Tang in your DW to clean the co-polymer walls...aka plastic liner. the jet dry baskets that hang on the upper rack also help with the odor. If water is not draining from bottom of the tub, try this healthy (i kid you not trick) Vinegar and vegetable oil in the dispenser and run empty, its like one of those medical things the dr gave your mom when you were younger and had ummm well couldnt go to the bathroom. I have heard of it working. Took a complaint one time and gave my email to the customer and told her to tell me if it really did work and she wrote back saying the oil and vinegar did "clean it out."

Posted by robwolf100 on 2006-10-15:

DW? Is that Dishwasher? We are talking about a washing machine here. I'm not sure I would dump tang in there.

Posted by slimjim21 on 2007-04-10:

yes, dw, stands for dishwasher, and she was refering to what ponie said. as for the washer, it developes mold on the gasket if you dont leave the door open for a few mins after a wash. you have to let the moisture escape, those washers vaccume seal and if you leave the moisture in there, you are gonna have issues with mold.

Posted by rickandaprilisrael on 2007-07-14:

I sell the Whirlpool Duet. 45 percent of my business with the formentioned company. All customers are informed of how to operate the washer. HE detergant is required or they will void the warranty no questions asked. Using regular detergant can lead to suds lock. Also, these units use considerably less amount of water. If the clothes are not removed soon after the wash cycle is complete mold odor will begin to occur. Also, all units sold are elligable for an Extended Protection Plan, which includes all patrs and labor by a certified Whirlpool technician. If the consumer is unhappy with the unit take it up with Whirlpool and they may just buy you a new washer.

Posted by minestinks2 on 2007-10-17:

I also spent much money on a Duet washer and dryer. Wasn't exactly impressed from the beginning. I followed the rules exactly - used HE Detergent, didn't overload with too many clothes, left the door open after usage. From the beginning, I noticed that my clothes - especially baby items, were no longer getting as clean as my old washer had gotten them. A few months later, I began to notice a faint odor. It got worse and worse as time went on. I always checked the gasket to make sure baby socks hadn't fallen inside. I always wiped it out and kept it dry after my last load. We had to have a technician out to make a minor "repair". Actually, something was in someone's pocket and wouldn't pass through a filter at the drain site causing it to not drain properly. He actually showed me how to take care of it myself the next time (and there has been a "next time) as well as told me that if I were to run out of HE detergent one day and needed to do a load that it was perfectly safe to use regular detergent as long as I used only a third of the amount. I haven't tried it yet but have talked a friend who says they do that very thing and have absolutely no problems with high suds. I, however, still have a major problem with odor and called the company - not Lowes where I bought it from - but Whirlpool. They gave me a "recipe" to clean it once a month with. After, wiping the inside of the gasket with a anti-mold type cleaner, fill the detergent cup with dishwasher detergent and run through a complete cycle. Wipe out inside of washer completely when finished and run through a rinse cycle. When she heard that we do 6-9 loads per day (we have 9 children) she suggested we do it weekly. It's a pain in the rear but it does help. We notice most of the odor on our towels so I add about a cup of ammonia to the wash load occasionally - I tried vinegar, it leaves an odor. I don't have time to let the clothes sit long enough to get mildewed so that's not the problem and I don't overfill the load either. I don't know what the problem is but I will not be getting another fornt loader again. I do love how it spins the clothes almost dry as it then doesn't take long to dry them. But the odor isn't worth any pros this set may have.

Posted by Speaking out on 2007-12-12:

What is the mater with us that we are accepting this outrageous product flaw? It's MOLD people! MOLD which causes allergic reactions, skin and lung problems and is a health risk for crying out loud!

Let's put the blame exactly where it belongs and keep it there until manufacturers clean up their act!

What in the world are we thinking when we allow ourselves to be forced to jump through these ridiculous hoops just do do laundry!?

I am furious and it is over something as stupid as a washing machine! A WASHING MACHINE!!!!

Manufacturers woeful response to government regulations for new water efficiency washing machines has my family’s clothing smelling like a stinking, rancid, moldy basement! This is absolutely absurd! I have been told to change laundry detergent, run hot bleach water through my washer and, get this; my washing machine is 1 year old and my clothes smell filthy!!! The mold and mildew from these nasty machines have wreaked havoc through skin rashes and allergies in my children!

I paid $1,000.00 for this da*ned washing machine and THIS is what is being sold to the public under the disguise of efficiency!!?? I have been on the phone about this problem. I have, over the past 3 months, with a technician on the phone, been instructed to do the following:

*Make sure I use high efficiency detergent THAT will fix my problem. and/or use more or less...
Wrong.
*Cleaned the lint trap (..that is stupidly behind a metal access plate that you have to use a screwdriver to remove screws to get to it EVERY TIME) and THAT will fix my problem.
Wrong!
*Cleaned the water hoses; THAT will fix my problem.
Wrong!
*Cleaned the gasket around the door. THAT will fix my problem
Wrong!
*Cleaned the tub with bleach water. THAT will fix my problem.
WRONG!
*REMOVE the hoses and clean the pump. THAT will fix my problem. (By the way, good luck with THAT).
WRONG AGAIN!
*Take the pump out entirely and clean all inlet, outlets and hoses. THAT will fix my problem.
WRONG! WRONG!! WRONG!!!

NONE of this fixed my problem of filthy, wet, stinking, rancid clothing that has endangered my family's health! I even washed my children's clothing out by hand in the bathtub and put them in the washer just to rinse and spin and they STILL smelled awful.

Finally, at the end of my rope, I returned to the appliance store from which I purchased this machine and they have told me that they cannot accept a return. They will not accept a return and I have to deal directly with GE. I HAVE dealt with GE up until the final straw when I they told me I needed a new pump, but so sorry, your warranty JUST expired 3 days ago!!!

Furthermore, my pump was fine. I did NOT need a new pump and have now been told that I cannot return the new, unused pump that cost me another $183.00.

Now, I have now been told that this is a problem with ALL front loading washing machines and, as regular maintenance, I should DO THE FOLLOWING:

VIA A FAX TO THE APPLIANCE STORE FROM A MANUFACTURER

*First, run a full complete wash cycle on hottest setting containing Bleach – * Note: wash cycle on my machine takes 1 hour and 20 minutes

*Next, run a full wash cycle on hottest setting using high efficiency laundry detergent for another 1 hour and 20 minutes

*Next, run a full wash cycle on hottest setting using Cascade automatic dish washing detergent for an ADDITIONAL 1 hour and 20 minutes

*Next, using Bleach water, wipe down entire interior of washing machine

*Next, using clean white cloth, wipe entire interior of washing machine dry

*Next, leave door open to air out machine

LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN!!?? That is Dangerous people! Just wait until a kitten or worse yet, a toddler unwittingly crawls inside!

*Furthermore, I have now been informed that I cannot use fabric softener in the machine even though there is a fabric softener dispenser right in the machine because the new front loading machines cannot handle fabric softener!!

Yes, people, our poor new $1,000.00 washing machines cannot handle fabric softener!

Give me a break!

Finally, I was told that this is new technology and since it is so new, no one really knew these kinds of problems were going to manifest themselves and I just need to try to work with these problems because it is not the manufacturers fault but the GOVERNMENT’S fault! Sorry.

Are you kidding me??

Now I have a $1000.00 piece of moldy junk that the appliance companies are selling to unsuspecting consumers and hiding their horrible designs by blaming the government and YOU.

So, now this is what I want!

I want the legislature to force manufacturers to properly inform the public of these problems and those who did NOT inform consumers of these issues, COMPENSATE their customers for the $$$$$ it has cost us and the misery and frustration caused by THEIR neglect by NOT informing the consumers of these issues. I want this to be retroactive BACK to at least the year 2005. Furthermore, I want compensated for the cost of buying another loading washing machine in an effort to keep our families away from the mold and mildew and filthy mess this has caused! Finally, I want manufacturers to own up to the fact that they disregarded the health and safety of consumers in their efforts to profit as much as possible while touting efficiency.

Efficiency my Aunt Sadie! Not when you have to run repeated full hot empty cycles over and over and over again!

Now I have heard that they have a new 'product' they can SELL to us to inhibit the growth and stench of mold and mildew. BS!

This is absolutely unacceptable!

This is outrageous and we need to speak out about this and make sure our voices are heard! Enough is enough my friends.

I am just a homemaker, but I am not stupid and I will NOT allow this to go unchallenged and neither should YOU.

Posted by exponent on 2008-05-19:

Washing machine odor is caused by a buildup of detergents and fabric softeners. This slimy, odor-causing buildup is hidden inside your washer which is the perfect environment for fungus to grow in. The fungus smell from the washer makes your towels smell like mildew and can even affect people with allergies and asthma!

Smelly Washer Cleaner is a completely organic powder that is used to clear fungus from any clothes washer. It works by disallowing cohesive properties between organic and synthetic compounds. The cleaner is used by adding a small amount (1 tablespoon normally suffices) to a hot setting in your washer and allowing it to complete the cycle.
In order to remove fungus spores from towels and clothing use just one teaspoon of cleaner instead of detergent. Rinse and dry as normal.
This product is super simple and works great!
www.smellywasher.com

Posted by mk_ranch on 2008-07-11:

I've had the same problem with mold odor in my Whirlpool Duet washer (other than the odor, I LOVE this machine)!
Here's my solution....
Pull the detergent dispenser all the way out, look inside (where the drawer goes) at all the slimy mold and mildew--YUK! Wipe all this clean with bleach to slow down future build up. Then take apart the dispenser and clean with bleach water.
Also, be sure to clean all around the barrel and rubber as needed.
After cleaning my machine I wash a load of whites or old towels, something I can use bleach on.
Good luck!

Posted by Ms.AnnieMcB on 2009-12-23:

I need to dry inside the rubber door seals with Lysol after every load (water puddles in there)and leave the door open when not in use so it drys out -- and the detergent dispenser needs to be taken out and the water dumped after every load, clean it with disenfectant inside the slide area and leave the dispenser out between loads. Poorly designed machine.

Posted by Laundrygal on 2011-10-20:

Just want to re-inforce the "no fabric softener" mantra. Many years ago I had a problem with a top loader. The service tech had to open the entire machine up, and I was beyond revolted when I saw the buildup of slimy, green fabric softener buildup. All it does is put back all the oils you have just tried to wash out of the clothes. If it is the lovely fresh smell you want, put a few drops, drops...:-) of any essential oil onto an old wash cloth and pop that into the dryer along with the load. Much more environmentally friendly too.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-10-21:

My dryer overheated, blowing out the coils. The reason was that the lint screen was completely clogged with fabric softener. When the service tech held it up to the light, I couldn't believe it. I had always cleaned out the lint, but I had no idea the fabric softener was creating such a barrier on the screen. I stopped using fabric softener and never looked back. We don't miss it at all.