What the hell, Chicago? What is up with the muggy-ass, bathwater-warm, sticky humid unpleasantness? What is up with the daily rainstorms? The never dry-ness?
I ask because there is some sort of MILDEW INFESTATION in my washing machine and all I really want to do is throw open all the windows and air this place the fuck out, but since it’s pretty much mildewy and humid outside, too, I really don’t see that helping.
I promise we are clean people. I have no idea what has caused my washing machine to smell irreparably of funk. Can anyone give me a suggestion as to what to do about it? It’s times like these I wish we still had a landlord to call to fix stuff.
August 23, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Do a load (with no clothes, though), set the water to hot/hot, and add a few cups of vinegar or bleach. Actually, probably start with bleach–it’ll kill any mildew or mold. Later you can do one with vinegar to kill any remaining smell.
August 23, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Bleach, vinegar, what the other person said. No clothes.
Did you leave the washing machine door closed while you were away by any chance? If so, try leaving it open in the future, any time there aren’t clothes in it being washed.
Also, dehumidifier in the laundry room might help/prevent.
August 25, 2007 at 4:48 pm
What they said.
And I can attest that Pseudo is a clean and good-smelling person, Internet. Do not judge.
August 27, 2007 at 2:02 pm
[...] Smelly (pseudostoops) [...]
September 6, 2007 at 6:21 pm
You just brought it home from Michigan (the weather)! I was just there for a week and now know why I left over 10 years ago! The clean and dried towels at my Mom’s house even smelled like mold. Honestly, I don’t think there is a way to prevent it outside of keeping the central air and dehumidifier on 24/7. Winter is coming – you can look forward to clean smelling laundry and sub zero weather..LOL Last suggestion, move aforementioned washer/dryer to west coast forever like I did.
December 16, 2008 at 9:24 pm
This happens in Syndey too because its humid.
If the washing machine is a front loader then they sometimes have lint inside the front near the door that gets wet and then starts to smell. Run your finger around the rubber door seal inside the drum.
The smell could also be coming from the drain and not the washer itself. Open the washer door and smell. If the smell is stronger inside then its the washer. If the smell is the same then its probably coming from the drain. If its the drain you need to seal it.