How to Clean a Smelly Washing Machine in Whitehaven

Published September 2026 | Washing Machine Smells Bad How to Clean It

This guide covers the most common causes of washing machine odours and the practical steps you can take to get rid of them for good. It's aimed at homeowners in Whitehaven and across Cumbria who want to tackle the problem themselves before spending money on a repair call-out.

Before You Start - Safety First

Before you touch anything inside or around your washing machine, switch it off at the plug and pull it away from the mains socket. Even when a machine is sitting in standby mode, components inside can carry a live current, so this isn't a step to skip.

If the machine has been running recently, give the drum and water inlet areas time to cool down before you put your hands near them. Hot surfaces and residual water inside a filter housing can cause burns. Keep a few old towels close by - opening the filter on a front-loading machine will typically release a small amount of water, and it's better to have something ready than to be mopping up the kitchen floor.

A word on chemicals: don't mix bleach with white vinegar or any other acidic cleaner. Together they can produce chlorine gas, which is harmful in an enclosed space. Use one method or the other, not both at the same time.

What You Will Need

You don't need specialist tools for this job. Most of what's required will already be in the house, and anything you're missing is easy to pick up locally in Whitehaven or order online.

Materials:

• White distilled vinegar (a standard 500ml bottle is plenty)
• Bicarbonate of soda (a small box from any supermarket)
• A proprietary washing machine cleaner tablet or sachet - brands like Dr. Beckmann Service-it Deep Clean or Dettol Washing Machine Cleaner work well and typically cost between 3 and 6 pounds
• An old toothbrush
• Microfibre cloths or old rags
• Rubber gloves
• A shallow tray or old towel for catching water from the filter

Time estimate: Allow around two to three hours in total. The active work - scrubbing, cleaning, and running cycles - takes about an hour. The rest of the time is the machine doing the work, plus drying time at the end.

Step-by-Step Instructions

These steps work for the most common front-loading machines you'll find in UK homes, including popular brands like Bosch, Hotpoint, Beko, Samsung, and LG. If you have a top-loader, the drum clean steps are the same, but you won't have a rubber door seal to deal with.

Step 1: Clean the door seal

The rubber gasket around the door on a front-loader is one of the main culprits for that musty, mouldy smell. Water, lint, and detergent residue collect in the folds of the seal, and because it stays damp between washes, mould takes hold quickly. Pull back the rubber lip all the way around and have a proper look inside - you'll often find black or dark grey mould growth, and sometimes small items like coins or hair clips that have worked their way in.

Dampen a microfibre cloth with a small amount of white vinegar and wipe firmly around the inside of the seal, paying particular attention to the lower section where water tends to pool. For stubborn mould patches, use an old toothbrush with a paste made from bicarbonate of soda and a little water. Scrub the affected areas, leave it for five minutes, then wipe clean. Avoid using bleach-based products directly on the seal unless the manufacturer's guidance says it's safe - some rubber compounds degrade with repeated bleach exposure.

Step 2: Remove and clean the detergent drawer

Pull the detergent drawer out completely - most machines have a small release tab you press while pulling. You'll likely find a build-up of old detergent, fabric conditioner residue, and possibly some mould around the compartments. This gunk smells, and it also means your detergent isn't being dispensed cleanly into the drum during each wash.

Take the drawer to the sink and rinse it under warm water. Use an old toothbrush to scrub all the compartments, including the fabric conditioner recess where residue clings most. While the drawer is out, look into the housing in the machine itself - there's often a matching build-up inside. Wipe this out with a damp cloth or use the toothbrush to get into the corners. Leave the drawer to air dry before replacing it.

Step 3: Run a hot drum clean cycle

This is the most effective single step for dealing with persistent smell. Most modern machines - including Bosch Serie models, Samsung Eco Bubble machines, and LG Direct Drive washers - have a dedicated drum clean or tub clean programme. If yours does, use it. If not, set the machine to the hottest cycle available, typically 90 degrees Celsius.

Add two tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda directly into the drum and pour 200ml of white vinegar into the detergent drawer's main wash compartment. Alternatively, use a proprietary cleaning tablet placed directly in the drum - follow the packet instructions. Run the full cycle with nothing else in the machine. The high temperature breaks down grease and bacteria, and the cleaning agent helps lift residue from parts of the drum and internal hose work you can't physically reach.

If you're in Whitehaven and the water in your area runs on the harder side, you may notice limescale build-up on the drum paddles and around the door opening. Running a dedicated descaling product during this step can help tackle that at the same time.

Step 4: Clean the pump filter

The pump filter is commonly the most neglected part of the machine, and it's often the source of the worst smells. It's designed to catch fluff, coins, hair, and debris before they reach the pump, but if it isn't cleared regularly, all that material sits in standing water and rots.

The filter is usually found behind a small access panel at the bottom front of the machine. Place your towel or shallow tray underneath before you open it, because water will come out. Unscrew the filter cap slowly, letting the water drain as you go. Once it's fully removed, clean it under the tap and clear any debris from inside the housing. Check the rubber seal on the filter cap before replacing it - if it's cracked or damaged, it can cause slow leaks. Replacement seals are widely available and typically cost just a couple of pounds.

Our engineers recommend clearing the filter every three months as a routine. Many call-outs to homes in Whitehaven and the surrounding Cumbria area involve machines that have never had the filter checked since the day they were installed.

Step 5: Wipe down the drum interior

Once the cleaning cycle has finished, open the door and wipe down the inside of the drum with a clean dry cloth. Pay attention to any residue that may have loosened during the cycle. Wipe the door glass on the inside as well - detergent film builds up on the glass and holds bacteria over time. Give the exterior of the machine a wipe-down too, particularly around the detergent drawer opening and the control panel where sticky residue from detergent bottles tends to accumulate.

Step 6: Leave the door and drawer open to dry

One of the most common reasons washing machines develop a smell in the first place is that the door is shut immediately after a wash, trapping warm, damp air inside. This creates exactly the conditions mould needs to grow. After every wash, leave the door ajar and pull the detergent drawer out slightly to let both areas air. It takes a few seconds and it makes a significant difference over time. Even cracking the door open by a few centimetres is better than closing it completely.

Step 7: Review your detergent habits

Using too much detergent is a surprisingly common cause of smells. Excess detergent doesn't rinse away cleanly - it leaves a residue inside the drum that feeds the bacteria producing the odour. Liquid detergent tends to leave more residue than powder. Pods and tablets are pre-measured, which removes the temptation to over-dose.

If you regularly wash at low temperatures - 30 or 40 degrees - consider running a hotter wash once a week. Modern detergents are formulated for cool water, which is efficient and fine for lightly soiled loads, but it doesn't kill bacteria or clear grease from the machine's internals the way a 60 or 90 degree cycle does.

What to Do If This Does Not Fix It

If you've worked through all the steps above and the smell returns within a few washes, the problem is likely deeper than surface-level build-up. Here are the most common culprits worth investigating:

• A blocked or kinked drain hose. If waste water isn't draining cleanly, it can pool and stagnate. Pull the machine forward and check the hose runs without kinks. The end of the hose should be inserted into the standpipe no more than 15cm deep - any deeper and siphoning can cause dirty water to flow back into the drum.
• A faulty drain pump. If the pump isn't clearing water completely after each cycle, residual water in the base of the drum will smell. Water sitting in the drum after a cycle finishes is a clear sign this may be the issue.
• Mould growth inside the machine body. On older machines particularly, mould can establish itself inside the outer drum casing and in the internal hoses. This is very difficult to shift with a drum clean alone and may need a professional strip-down and clean.

Running a second drum clean at 90 degrees, this time with a washing machine descaler, is worth trying before calling in help. The Voltrade GoFIX diagnostic tool can also help you narrow down whether the issue is a mechanical fault or a cleaning problem - it asks a series of questions about the symptoms your machine is showing and gives you a clear steer on what's likely causing it.

When to Stop and Call a Professional

Some problems look like maintenance issues but are actually faults that need a proper repair. Stop and get a professional involved if any of the following apply:

• Water is not draining fully after the cycle ends
• The machine is vibrating heavily or making a grinding noise during spin - this can indicate a bearing fault, which can cause water retention inside the outer drum
• You can see visible mould growth inside the drum itself (not just on the seal) that won't shift with cleaning
• The smell is electrical or sulphurous rather than musty - this can point to a motor or wiring issue that needs urgent attention
• Your machine is displaying a persistent error code you can't clear

A washing machine repair call-out in Whitehaven typically costs between 60 and 100 pounds for the engineer's time, with parts on top if needed. Common repairs - such as a drain pump replacement or a drum bearing job - commonly range from 120 to 300 pounds depending on the machine model and the severity of the fault. On older machines, it's worth asking the engineer whether repair or replacement makes more economic sense before committing to expensive parts.

Cumbria's climate is damp, and homes in Whitehaven that are closer to the coast can see faster mould growth in appliances than properties further inland. If you're finding the problem recurs despite regular cleaning, it may be worth asking an engineer to check whether there's an underlying fault contributing to excess moisture retention inside the machine.

Questions About This Process

How often should I clean my washing machine?

A drum clean cycle should be run at least once a month, ideally at 90 degrees Celsius. The filter should be checked and cleared every three months. The door seal and detergent drawer should be wiped down every two to four weeks depending on how heavily you use the machine. If you wash at low temperatures regularly, increase the frequency of your hot drum cleans to compensate for the reduced bacteria-killing effect of cold washes.

Can I use bleach to clean my washing machine drum?

Some manufacturers permit bleach in very diluted amounts for drum cleaning, but it's not recommended as a routine method. Bleach can degrade rubber seals and gaskets over time, and it doesn't remove the limescale or detergent residue that contributes to long-term odour build-up. White vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, or a purpose-made washing machine cleaner, are typically safer and more effective for regular maintenance use.

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

If the smell persists after a thorough clean, the most likely causes are a blocked drain hose, stagnant water trapped in the pump or drum, or mould that has established itself deep inside the machine body and internal hoses. It can also be caused by continuing habits such as closing the door immediately after washing or consistently using low-temperature cycles. If cleaning doesn't resolve it, a diagnostic check by a qualified engineer is the sensible next step.