Washing Machine Smells Bad How to Clean It in Accrington

Published September 2026 | washing machine smells bad how to clean it

If your washing machine smells strongly of mould, sewage, or rotten eggs, stop running cycles until you've investigated - bacterial contamination from a neglected drum transfers directly onto your laundry, and a sewage smell in particular can point to a blocked or incorrectly installed drain hose that needs urgent attention.

Immediate Actions - Do These NOW

A bad smell coming from your washing machine is your appliance telling you something's wrong. Here's what to do right now before you run another load of laundry.

1. Check and clean the door seal

Pull back the rubber gasket around the door. This is where mould and grime accumulate fastest, particularly on front-loading machines like Bosch, Samsung, and Beko models. You'll almost certainly find black or dark green residue tucked into the folds. Wipe it down thoroughly with a cloth soaked in a solution of one part white vinegar to one part warm water, or use a dedicated washing machine cleaner from any supermarket. Get right into the creases - the back of the seal is where it's usually worst.

2. Run a hot service wash

Put nothing in the drum - no clothes, no detergent. Set the machine to its highest temperature programme (typically 90 degrees) and let it run a full cycle. Most modern machines from LG, Hotpoint, and Samsung have a dedicated drum clean or tub clean programme - use this if yours has one. This kills bacteria and loosens soap scum that's built up over months of low-temperature washes. A 40-degree habit is great for your energy bills and your clothes, but it lets bacteria establish themselves inside the machine over time.

3. Clean the filter

Find the filter access panel, usually at the bottom front of your machine. Put a towel down first because water will come out when you open it. Unscrew the filter cap slowly, let the water drain into the towel, then pull the filter out completely. Clean off any lint, hair, coins, and debris under a running tap. A blocked filter is one of the most common causes of a machine that smells, and it's something our engineers find on the majority of service calls in Accrington homes.

4. Add a cleaning agent to the drum

For a thorough clean, place two dishwasher tablets directly in the drum (not the drawer), or use a proprietary washing machine cleaner like Calgon or Dr Beckmann Service-It. Then run another 60-degree cycle. Alternatively, a cup of bicarbonate of soda in the drum combined with white vinegar in the detergent drawer is effective at neutralising odours and is a popular option in households across Accrington looking to avoid commercial cleaning products.

5. Clean the detergent drawer

Pull the drawer out completely - most slide out with a small release tab. Soak it in warm water and scrub out the built-up detergent residue and mould with an old toothbrush. Don't neglect the cavity the drawer sits in; mould grows in here unseen and contributes more to the smell than most people realise.

What NOT to Do

There are several mistakes that will make the problem worse or cause lasting damage to your machine. Our engineers see these regularly, and they're worth flagging before you experiment.

Don't use neat bleach directly in the drum. Neat bleach degrades rubber seals and internal components over time, particularly on older Hotpoint and Beko machines. If you want to use bleach, dilute it heavily and use it only occasionally - not as your regular fix. Repeated bleach use can cause the door seal to crack, which then holds even more moisture and makes the mould problem worse.

Don't ignore the smell and keep washing. Running a machine with heavy mould or bacterial contamination means that contamination goes onto your clothes. This is a real concern for households with young children, elderly residents, or anyone with a respiratory condition or skin sensitivities. Mould spores from a contaminated drum are a health issue, not just a nuisance.

Don't overload the detergent drawer. Using too much detergent is one of the most common root causes of smelly machines in Lancashire. Excess detergent doesn't rinse away fully and sits in the drum and pipes, becoming a breeding ground for bacteria between washes. High-efficiency machines from Bosch and Samsung in particular need far less detergent than people assume - check your machine's manual for the correct dosage.

Don't leave wet clothes in the drum. This is a fast track to mould. Once a cycle finishes, get the clothes out promptly. Leaving a damp load sitting overnight creates exactly the warm, moist conditions that mould and bacteria thrive in.

Don't assume a 40-degree wash will sort the machine. A service wash needs to be at 60 degrees minimum, and ideally 90 degrees. You're not cleaning your clothes here - you're killing the bacteria living inside the machine itself, and that requires sustained heat.

When This Is a Genuine Emergency vs When It Can Wait

Not every smelly washing machine is a crisis requiring immediate action. Here's how to tell where yours sits on the scale.

It can probably wait a day or two if:

• The smell is musty or mildewy and has developed gradually over weeks or months
• Your clothes are coming out fine but the drum smells a bit off when you open the door
• You haven't cleaned the machine in over six months and that's the most likely explanation

Treat it as more urgent if:

• The smell is sewage-like or sulphurous - this suggests a drainage problem rather than just a dirty drum
• Water isn't draining properly after cycles complete
• The smell appeared suddenly rather than building up gradually
• Your freshly washed clothes are consistently coming out smelling worse than when they went in

Treat it as an immediate issue requiring a call-out if:

• Water is backing up into the drum after cycles finish
• You can smell burning alongside the bad odour - this could indicate a fault with the heating element
• The machine is leaking and smelling at the same time
• You're seeing error codes on the display alongside the smell

If the Voltrade GoFIX diagnostic tool flags a drainage or heating fault when you run a check, don't push through another cycle hoping it'll clear. An underlying mechanical fault only worsens with continued use.

Getting Emergency Help in Accrington

If you've worked through the cleaning steps and the smell persists - or if you suspect a drainage fault or something more serious - you need a qualified appliance repair engineer rather than another cleaning cycle.

Accrington has a reasonable number of local engineers, though availability for same-day call-outs can vary. When you're booking, be specific about the symptoms: the type of smell, whether it came on suddenly or gradually, the make and model of your machine, and any error codes you've seen on the display. This saves time and means the engineer arrives prepared with the right tools and likely parts.

For most standard call-outs in the Accrington area, expect to pay between 60 and 90 pounds just for the engineer to attend and diagnose the problem. Labour on top of that typically brings a repair to between 100 and 200 pounds for common faults. If the drum seal needs replacing - a common culprit on machines over five years old - parts and labour together typically cost between 120 and 180 pounds depending on the brand. Bosch and Samsung seals tend to sit at the higher end; Beko and Hotpoint parts are generally cheaper and more widely stocked.

In Lancashire more broadly, first-visit turnaround times for appliance repair are commonly 24 to 72 hours, though some services offer same-day slots for a premium.

What the Emergency Repair Involves

When an engineer arrives at your Accrington property to investigate a persistent washing machine smell, here's what a thorough inspection typically covers.

Diagnostic check. The engineer will run the machine through a diagnostic cycle - many modern appliances from LG, Bosch, and Samsung have a self-test mode accessible via specific button combinations - to check for fault codes that might indicate a heating element or pump issue.

Drain pump inspection. If the smell is sewage-like, the drain pump and hose configuration get particular attention. A drain hose that isn't elevated to the correct height can allow water to siphon back into the drum between washes, carrying bacteria with it. This is a surprisingly common installation error that causes persistent smell problems.

Drum seal inspection. The door gasket is checked for tears, trapped debris, and mould infiltration. A torn seal holds water between washes and becomes contaminated quickly. Replacing a damaged seal is one of the more common appliance repairs our engineers carry out.

Sump hose inspection. Engineers check the sump hose that connects the drum to the pump for trapped debris and bacterial build-up. This component often goes years without being checked and can be the primary source of a smell that doesn't respond to cleaning.

Heater element check. Where the smell has a burnt or electrical quality, the element is checked for heavy scale build-up - particularly relevant in harder water areas of Lancashire - or physical damage. A scaled element can overheat and produce an acrid smell that's easy to mistake for an electrical fault.

Most standard cleaning jobs and minor repairs are completed in a single visit. If parts need ordering, a second visit typically follows within 24 to 48 hours.

Emergency Questions

Why does my washing machine still smell after I've cleaned it?

If the smell persists after a service wash and filter clean, the problem is likely deeper in the machine - the sump hose, drain pump, or drum seal. Mould can establish itself in areas that a standard clean can't reach. Persistent smells in Accrington households are commonly traced to a drain hose that's incorrectly installed, allowing dirty water to sit stagnant in the machine between washes. An engineer can inspect these components and either clean or replace them depending on the severity of the contamination.

How often should I clean my washing machine to prevent bad smells?

Most appliance engineers recommend running a service wash at 60 degrees or above once a month and a full drum clean programme every three months. Clean the filter every two to three months, and wipe down the door seal weekly - particularly in busy households that run multiple loads each day. If you're using your machine daily, as many Lancashire families do, monthly maintenance is worth building into your routine before the smell has a chance to develop.

Can a smelly washing machine make my clothes smell worse?

Yes, and this is one of the clearest signs the problem has progressed beyond surface-level mould. If your freshly washed clothes are coming out smelling musty or stale, the drum is almost certainly contaminated with bacteria. The wash cycle is redistributing the contamination rather than removing it. Stop using the machine for laundry until you've completed a thorough clean or had an engineer take a look, particularly if anyone in the household has allergies, eczema, or respiratory sensitivities.

Is it worth repairing a smelly washing machine or should I just replace it?

In most cases, a smelly washing machine is entirely fixable without replacement - the cause is usually bacterial build-up, a mouldy seal, or a blocked filter, all of which are repairable. The repair-versus-replace decision typically hinges on the age of the machine and the cost of the fault. Our engineers generally recommend replacement when repair costs exceed around 50 per cent of a comparable new machine. For a mid-range Beko or Hotpoint, that threshold tends to sit at around 150 to 200 pounds in parts and labour combined.