Smelly laundry shouldn’t exist – we’re talking about the clothes that have been freshly run through the washing machine and yet still stink as you unload them. It’s a distinctly musty and grubby smell we all know too well; one that even the best perfumes won’t cover up.
There are countless reasons for smelly laundry, ranging from how you load the machine to the cycle you choose, as well as the drying process. But there’s one factor that most of us don’t know about and it’s hidden in the detergent drawer, sabotaging every cycle.
Why does my laundry smell?
Before we delve into the detergent drawer, you need to know about the other factors that are likely contributing to your smelly laundry. Let’s start with detergent.
Too much detergent might sound like a good thing – extra cleaning power, right? Sadly, not. Using excess detergent creates more soap suds, which take more water and energy to remove. Your washing machine might run for longer to make up for it, but soap suds are still likely to be hanging around by the end – you can tell if there’s still some foam sitting on the rubber seal when you unload. So much soap contributes to bacterial growth on the clothes, making them smellier.
Shorter cycles, like the quick wash, are a recipe for smelly clothes, too. While these are more convenient, your clothes aren’t getting as thorough a wash. Then there’s overloading the machine, which stops the clothes from agitating so well and the detergent from effectively distributing. And the most common culprit? Leaving your washing sitting in the machine for a long time once it’s finished. This guarantees bacterial growth and makes it likely to transfer to other loads thereafter. These are all bad habits to break with your washing machine, but where does the detergent drawer fit in?
How can the detergent drawer make my laundry smell?
It all comes down the to the little plastic flap found in the main wash compartment of the detergent drawer (the biggest compartment, usually with the symbol II). This is often left folded up and receded, out of sight and out of mind – and that’s the problem. This little plastic flap is essential when you use liquid detergent. It contributes to the effectiveness of the wash cycle and it helps to avoid overdosing.
When you’re using liquid detergent, the flap should be down to contain it in the drawer prior to the cycle starting. It’s handy to use because it often shows measurements to prevent you from dosing too much. The water then flows through once the cycle reaches the main wash stage, collects the detergent and distributes it in the machine.
If the flap is up, the detergent is dispensed immediately into the drum, with a portion being lost via the drain pump once the cycle starts – so you’re unintentionally losing detergent, which impacts the cleaning power of the cycle and means smelly clothes are more likely. The flap takes seconds to adjust and can make all the difference to the wash performance.
The flap can stay up when you’re using powder, though, as that won’t run into the cycle pre-emptively and drain away. In fact, you’ll want to leave the flap up in this instance, because it would just clog in the drawer and leave a mess behind otherwise! Even the best detergents will struggle when the flap is the wrong way round.
It’s worth noting that not all washing machines come with flaps, though; some machines have a little insert you need to place when using liquid detergent or, for auto dose designs, there may be no flap at all. It’s worth consulting your manual and seeing what yours needs. In other cases, you may need to remove the detergent drawer completely to access the flap; you can usually do this by pressing the release button once it’s pulled out, but consult your manual if you’re unsure.
So, there you have it – this tiny component might be contributing to your washing machine woes. By using it properly and taking a second to adjust it, you’re wasting less detergent, and the washing machine can perform better.
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