As the household advice editor, the number one question I get asked is: what can I do to stop a smelly washing machine? It’s a problem almost every household faces – no matter how disciplined you are at unloading the machine or whether you make the effort to run self-clean cycles. Come laundry day, you still open the door to that same musty scent, which can even leave its mark on your clothes.
There’s lots of advice out there when it comes to deodorising a washing machine. But as someone who has tested this appliance for five years at the GHI – and had to learn the hard way to keep these smells minimal – there’s one hack I’ve noticed doesn’t get the attention it deserves. This hack speeds up the drying process, prevents mould and, no, it’s not opening the door. Here’s what you need to do:
Why does my washing machine smell?
That unpleasant, musty smell comes from the bacteria that’s breeding in your washing machine. Each cycle leaves behind traces of water, soap suds and heat, which, combined with an enclosed, dark space and minimal ventilation, gives you the perfect formula for bacterial growth. Rather than washing away with the next cycle, it sits and continues to grow, to the point that you hold your breath whenever you open the door.
Certain bad habits will encourage this bacterial growth, including leaving your washing in the drum for too long, overdoing the detergent and, of course, failing to clean your machine routinely.
What one-second hack will stop my washing machine smelling?
First, we shouldn’t downplay the importance of opening the washing machine door; this step is essential to help ventilate the machine and reduce moisture retention. Likewise, wiping out residual moisture from the door’s rubber seal also plays a part; this is where a lot of mould tends to congregate and, being in a receded fold, it takes a long time to dry – even with the door open.
But the step we’re talking about can be found a little higher up on the machine: it is, in fact, opening the detergent drawer. This essentially reinforces the effectiveness of opening the main door because the internal pipes have better breathability, and the drawer itself, where you often find a lot of mould, can dry more readily. If you wanted to take it a step further, you could also use the same cloth that’s just wiped out the rubber seal on the inside of the drawer. There’s a lot of puddled water in here after a cycle, which is why mould grows so aggressively.
It takes less than a second to pull out the detergent drawer once a cycle has finished, and it really makes a difference to the drying process. In fact, I even know people who fully remove the detergent drawer and leave it on top of the machine, so everything dries more promptly, thanks to the open housing – FYI, it's a good idea to clean this space while you’re here if your detergent drawer keeps flooding. Leave the drawer open for a good few hours or overnight to ensure the machine has fully dried. I leave mine open whenever it’s not in use to keep it constantly ventilated.
Opening the door and drawer alone is not enough to keep your washing machine deodorised though. You also need to practice good habits, including unloading it readily, not overloading it, using the right amount of detergent and cleaning it routinely. No matter how stringent you are, your washing machine will still need cleaning to keep it refreshed. We recommend doing this once a month with an empty hot-wash cycle (60 degrees or higher) or a dedicated self-clean cycle. You should also run a proprietary washing machine cleaner, like Dr Beckmann’s Service-it Deep Clean Washing Machine Cleaner, through the machine every three to six months for a deep clean.
But, for everyday deodorising, opening both the washing machine door and the detergent drawer between cycles will make a difference to those nasty musty smells. It takes a second to do, but it speeds up the drying time and doesn’t give bacteria the chance to grow.
