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Washer Smells: Causes & Fixes

Musty, mildew, sewage or burning.

The single most common cause is a habit, not a fault. GE states that washer odours like mildew are usually caused by leaving the lid closed when the machine is not in use, so air cannot circulate and dry the tub; the stagnant air and moisture is what smells.

Before you work on your washer

  • Power: Unplug the washer or switch off its circuit breaker before removing panels or touching wiring.
  • Water: Turn off the water supply valve before disconnecting hoses or the inlet valve.
  • Heat: Water and the heating element can be hot right after a cycle; let the washer cool first.
  • Sharp debris: Wear gloves when reaching into the filter or sump; broken glass often collects there.
  • Stop: If you smell burning, see smoke or sparks, or find water near wiring, switch off the breaker and call a technician.
  • Burning smell, smoke, sparking, or scorched wiring: If you notice a burning smell, smoke, sparking, or scorched or melted wiring near the washer, its drain pump, or its power cord, stop using it immediately.
  • Disconnect power before opening the washer: Unplug the washer or switch off its circuit breaker before removing the pump filter or access panel, before pulling the machine out, and before touching any wiring.
  • Heavy appliance: get a second person: A washer is heavy and awkward, and it can tip when it is pulled out or tilted. Do not move, tilt, or lift it by yourself; have a second person help you.
  • Water left in the tub can be scalding hot: A tub left full after a hot or sanitize cycle holds very hot water. Let it cool for about an hour, then drain the water out through the emergency drain hose into a flat container before you open the pump filter.
  • Never mix bleach with another cleaner in the washer: Clearing an odour usually means running a cycle with chlorine bleach or a washer cleaner. Run one product at a time and rinse between them. Bleach plus ammonia, a toilet or drain cleaner, or an acid such as vinegar releases toxic gas in a small, closed laundry room.
  • Hard and sharp objects collect in the pump filter: The drain pump filter and coin trap collect loose change, buttons, pins, and other hard items from pockets. Pull debris out carefully and wear gloves; anything broken or pointed in there can cut you.

Why your washer smells

  1. Door or lid kept shut between washes, so the tub never dries: The single most common cause is a habit, not a fault. GE states that washer odours like mildew are usually caused by leaving the lid closed when the machine is not in use, so air cannot circulate and dry the tub; the stagnant air and moisture is what smells. Difficulty 1/5. Part cost no parts needed.
  2. Residue and mildew in the door seal (front load): On a front loader the rubber door seal is where the smell actually lives. Whirlpool describes the seal accumulating dirt, grime and detergent residue over time, and cleaning it as what eliminates the mould and mildew; GE has owners check for objects trapped inside the gasket and for blocked holes behind it. Difficulty 2/5. Part cost no parts needed.
  3. The monthly clean-washer cycle has not been run: Every manufacturer here asks for the same maintenance interval, and skipping it is itself a cause. Whirlpool says to run the Clean Washer cycle every month to keep odours from developing, and separately that the washer should be cleaned about once a month to stop detergent and fabric softener residue building up. Difficulty 1/5. Part cost washer cleaner or bleach (estimate).
  4. Non-HE detergent, or too much of it, leaving a film: Using more detergent does not make a washer cleaner; it is a cause of odour. Whirlpool states that non-HE detergent, or more than the recommended amount, causes excessive suds and poor rinsing, and that non-HE detergent leaves a film residue which results in odour. GE recommends liquid HE detergent. Difficulty 1/5. Part cost no parts needed.
  5. Wet laundry left sitting in the drum after the cycle: A load left sitting after the cycle ends seeds the machine as well as the clothes. Whirlpool's wording is the same on its front load and top load pages: wet clothing left in the wash basket leads to mildew, and the odour ends up in both the garments and the washer. Difficulty 1/5. Part cost no parts needed.
  6. Drain hose pushed too far down the standpipe, siphoning water back: A sewage or sulphur smell is a different fault from a musty one and has a mechanical cause. Samsung and GE both attribute it to a drain hose pushed too far down the standpipe: the drained water siphons back into the washer. GE calls the result a musty odour, Samsung a sulphur or sewage odour. Difficulty 2/5. Part cost no parts needed.
  7. Standing water and debris in the drain pump filter (front load): A front loader has a pump filter that holds standing water and whatever came out of the pockets, and on an odour complaint it is the place people forget. Samsung locates it for you: most front loaders have a pump filter on the front, near the bottom, behind a panel. Difficulty 2/5. Part cost no parts needed.
  8. Detergent and softener residue in the dispenser drawer: The dispenser drawer is a separate reservoir of the same problem, and it is easy to miss because it is usually out of sight. Whirlpool says the drawer should be removed and cleaned regularly; Samsung's routine after a clean cycle is to wipe out the detergent drawer, the tub and the door seal with a clean dry cloth. Difficulty 1/5. Part cost no parts needed.
  9. The washer is not level, so it never drains completely: A washer that is not sitting level never empties itself properly, and what stays behind is what smells. Samsung states that water and laundry additives do not drain properly when the washer is not levelled, leaving residue which over time causes odours. Difficulty 3/5. Part cost no parts needed.
  10. New washer: motor coil coating burning off in the first cycles: There is one burning smell that is not a fault. Samsung documents that the insulating coating on the coils of a new washer's motor may produce a burning or unusual smell on the first couple of cycles, and that the odour then goes away. Difficulty 1/5. Part cost no parts needed.

Find the cause for your washer

Start with the smell itself, because the three kinds have different causes. What is it closest to?

Step-by-step checks for a washer smells

Check when the washer's own clean cycle last ran

About 5 minutes

  1. Find the cycle in your Owner's Manual: it is called Clean Washer, Self Clean, Tub Clean or Basket Clean depending on the brand.
  2. Work out when you last ran it. Whirlpool, GE and Samsung all ask for it monthly.
  3. If the answer is never, that alone will account for an odour on a machine two or three years old.

Read the detergent bottle and the dose you actually use

About 5 minutes

  1. Check the bottle carries the HE symbol; a high-efficiency washer needs HE detergent.
  2. Compare the amount you pour with the dose printed on the bottle for your load size and water hardness.
  3. Concentrated detergents need far less than the cap suggests; more detergent is a cause of odour, not a cure for it.

Take the dispenser drawer out and look at it

About 10 minutes

  1. Remove the dispenser drawer, following your Owner's Manual for the release.
  2. Look at the drawer and at the recess it slides into.
  3. Thick sludge, crust or pink or black film means the drawer is part of the smell.

Check what happens between washes

About 2 minutes

  1. Is the door or lid shut when the washer is not in use?
  2. How long does a finished load usually sit in the drum before it comes out?
  3. Both of these keep the tub damp, which is what the manufacturers name as the usual cause.

Pull back the door seal and look inside the fold

About 10 minutes

  1. Unplug the washer.
  2. Pull the rubber fold of the door seal back with your fingers and look right inside it, all the way round.
  3. Look for black or grey film, trapped water, hair, coins and socks.
  4. Check the drainage holes behind the gasket are not blocked.

Name the smell before you clean anything

About 2 minutes

  1. Musty, damp or like a wet towel: biological growth inside the machine. Work through the seal, the drawer, the filter and a clean cycle.
  2. Sulphurous, eggy or like drains: the drain hose is siphoning water back from the standpipe.
  3. Burning, hot plastic or electrical: this is not a laundry problem. On a brand-new washer in its first two cycles it can be the motor coil coating; after that, stop and book service.

Check how far the drain hose goes into the standpipe

About 10 minutes

  1. Pull the washer out far enough to see where the drain hose enters the standpipe or laundry tub.
  2. Check how far in it goes: more than eight inches and it can siphon drained water back into the tub.
  3. Check it is clipped or hooked to the side rather than pushed deep to hold it in place.

Check the washer is sitting level

About 15 minutes

  1. Put a spirit level across the top of the washer, front to back and side to side.
  2. Rock each corner: a washer that moves on one foot is not carrying weight evenly.
  3. A machine off level does not drain out completely, and what is left behind is what turns.

Open the drain pump filter and smell what comes out

About 20 minutes

  1. Unplug the washer.
  2. On a front loader, open the small panel at the front near the bottom.
  3. Put a flat container under the drain hose, release it from its clip and drain the water out before unscrewing the filter.
  4. Look at what the filter holds and whether the water that came out smells.

How to fix a washer smells

Remove and clean the dispenser drawer

About 20 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Remove the drawer as your Owner's Manual describes.
  2. Wash the drawer and its inserts in warm water, working the softener siphon clear.
  3. Wipe out the recess the drawer sits in; residue collects on its roof where you cannot see it.
  4. Dry everything and refit it, then wipe the drawer out with a dry cloth after cleaning cycles.

Switch to HE detergent and cut the dose

About 5 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Use only detergent marked HE in a high-efficiency washer.
  2. Measure the dose the bottle specifies rather than filling the cap.
  3. Cut back further if you have soft water or wash small loads.
  4. Run one clean cycle afterwards to clear the film that has already built up.

Leave the door or lid open between washes

About 2 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Leave the door or lid open after every load so the drum can dry out.
  2. Wipe the tub and the seal dry with a cloth or paper towel when the last load of the day comes out.
  3. If children or pets are around, leave it on the latch rather than wide open, and keep detergent out of reach.

New washer, burning smell: two cycles and no more

About 60 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Samsung documents one benign burning smell: on a brand-new washer, the insulating coating on the motor coils can smell burnt for the first couple of cycles, and then stops.
  2. That exemption is narrow. It applies to a new machine, in its first two cycles, with no smoke, no sparking and nothing hot to the touch.
  3. Anything outside that: unplug the washer, leave it off, and book service. Samsung's own instruction is that a burning smell after the first two cycles needs service.
  4. If you are not sure which of the two you have, treat it as the second one.

Run the washer's clean cycle, then keep it monthly

About 120 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Empty the drum completely.
  2. Use the cycle your manual names: Clean Washer, Self Clean, Tub Clean or Basket Clean, with a washer cleaner tablet or liquid chlorine bleach.
  3. On a Samsung, pour the liquid chlorine bleach into the detergent compartment up to the max line, not the bleach compartment, and start Self Clean straight away.
  4. With no such cycle, run a large heavy or cotton cycle empty on the hottest, longest setting with about one cup of bleach.
  5. Do not use thickened, easy-pour or no-splash bleach: it makes excess suds.
  6. Run only one cleaning product per cycle, and never follow bleach with vinegar or an ammonia-based cleaner.
  7. Wipe the residue out of the tub afterwards and leave the door open to dry.
  8. Put it in the diary monthly.

Take the load out as soon as the cycle ends

About 5 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Move washing to the dryer or the line as soon as the cycle finishes.
  2. Use the delay start so a cycle ends when someone is there, rather than overnight.
  3. Rewash anything that has already gone musty; the smell transfers back into the machine otherwise.

Drain and clean the pump filter

About 30 minutes · Difficulty 2/5

  1. Unplug the washer.
  2. Open the access panel at the front, near the bottom.
  3. Put a large flat container under the small drain hose, release it from its clip, pull the plug and let the water out. Let a hot wash cool for about an hour first.
  4. Unscrew the filter, pull the debris out wearing gloves, and rinse it under the tap.
  5. Refit the filter fully, close the plug and the hose, then run a rinse cycle and check for leaks.
  6. Repeat every few months on a front loader.

Clean the door seal properly

About 30 minutes · Difficulty 2/5

  1. Unplug the washer.
  2. Pull the fold of the seal back and wipe the loose debris, hair, coins and socks out with a cloth.
  3. For stubborn film, mix warm water with a mild detergent, apply it to the seal and work the crevices with a toothbrush.
  4. Do not use harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners: they damage the rubber, and a damaged seal leaks.
  5. Check the drainage holes behind the gasket are clear.
  6. Dry the seal with a cloth, paying attention to the folds, and leave the door open to air.

Pull the drain hose back and clip it to the standpipe

About 20 minutes · Difficulty 2/5

  1. Unplug the washer and pull it out far enough to reach the standpipe.
  2. Pull the drain hose out, clean its end if it is furred, and reinsert it no more than eight inches into the drain or standpipe.
  3. Clip or hook the hose to the side of the standpipe so it holds itself in place without needing to go in deep.
  4. Leave an air gap around it: a hose sealed into the pipe siphons as well.
  5. Run a cycle and check the smell after a few loads.

Level the washer on its feet

About 45 minutes · Difficulty 3/5

  1. Unplug the washer and get a second person: it is heavy and awkward to tilt.
  2. Adjust the levelling feet until a spirit level reads level front to back and side to side, and no corner rocks.
  3. Lock the feet off if your model has lock nuts.
  4. Run a clean cycle afterwards to clear the residue that has already collected.

Sources

  1. Top Load Washer - Odor in Tub, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-22)
  2. Front Load Washer - Odor in Tub, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-22)
  3. Washing Machine Not Draining - iFixit Troubleshooting, iFixit (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  4. LG Washer - How to Clean the Drain Pump Filter, LG Electronics USA (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  5. Samsung washing machine will not drain, Samsung Electronics America (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  6. Samsung washing machine or laundry smells bad, Samsung Electronics America (retrieved 2026-09-22)
  7. Samsung washing machine has a mildew smell or visible mold, Samsung Electronics America (retrieved 2026-09-22)
  8. Frigidaire Recalls Clothes Washers Due to Fire Hazard, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  9. Ammonia Recalled by OnLine Packaging Due to Chemical Hazard, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (retrieved 2026-09-22)
  10. GE Recalls Front-Load Washers Due to Fire and Shock Hazards, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  11. Removing Odors or Smells - Front Load Washer, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-22)
  12. Cleaning a Front Load Washer Door Seal, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-22)
  13. Cleaning the Pump Filter - Front Load Washer, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  14. Moving a Front Load Washer, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  15. Removing Odor or Smell - Washer, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-22)

Last updated October 2, 2026 · facts last verified September 22, 2026 · How we source and verify

Guidance only; follow your appliance manual and local codes. If anything looks unsafe, stop and call a qualified technician. Safety disclaimer