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Washing Machine Odor Removal: You Must Clean 'This' Area, Not Just the Drum

Published: November 18, 2025
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🤢 Musty Smell After Laundry? Washing Machine Odor Requires More Than Just Drum Cleaning!

If you take clothes out of the washer and they still have a musty, unpleasant odor, it's highly likely the problem isn't the laundry, but the washing machine itself. Many people focus only on cleaning the wash drum when the machine smells. While drum cleaning is crucial, there are 'two other places' where the main culprits of odor hide, and they must be cleaned. I'm sharing the essential areas I manage regularly to eliminate odors.

🚨 The Two Spots Where Odor Culprits Hide

The interior of the washing machine is a perfect environment for mold and bacteria to grow, combining moisture, detergent residue, and fabric lint. Areas that are out of sight are often the most contaminated.

1. The Detergent Dispenser:

  • The Problem: Sticky detergent residue constantly remains around the dispenser where liquid detergent or softener is poured. This residue combines with moisture to grow black mold, and the mold spores re-enter the laundry during the wash cycle, causing odor.
  • Cleaning Method: Detach the dispenser (if it's a pull-out tray) and soak it in hot water with oxygen bleach powder for about 30 minutes. Use a small toothbrush or brush to scrub away the residue thoroughly, dry it completely, and re-install.

2. The Rubber Gasket (Front-Load Washers Only):

  • The Problem: The inside of the rubber gasket around the door of a front-load washer is where water pools after use, combining with fabric lint to grow the most severe black mold that causes terrible odors.
  • Cleaning Method: With no water present, soak cotton wool or tissue paper with bleach (chlorine bleach) and tuck it into the moldy parts of the gasket. After 30 minutes to an hour, when the mold is gone, rinse thoroughly with water. (For those sensitive to strong chemicals, vinegar solution or oxygen bleach paste can be used, but the effect won't be as strong as chlorine bleach.)

💡 The Most Important Prevention Tip

Prevention is more important than cleaning.

  • Leave the Door Open After Use: Always leave the washing machine door (or lid) and the detergent dispenser drawer open after washing to completely dry the interior moisture.
  • Remove Laundry Immediately: Leaving wet laundry in the machine for too long after the cycle is finished will immediately start causing odor. Remove and dry the laundry as soon as the cycle is complete.

By regularly maintaining these two areas along with the wash drum, you will significantly reduce the stress caused by washing machine odors.