question for Mrs. Fixit

[Jo]

My washer got this terrible smell? Have washed it out with vinegar once and two times now with bleach plus doing two to four loads of wash a day.....I took out the middle parts and washed them. Been going on for a few weeks now. Thanks for any suggestions.

[Alice In TX/MO]

you may be getting sewer gas blow back. Check your vents. Check to make sure drain lines aren't partially clogged.

[Don Armstrong]

The drain-line suggestion is a good one.

Another thing that CAN cause that is if the pump for your washing machine stops working. Some machines will still expel water while they're spin-drying, but not get it all out. If you've got water sitting there and stagnating in the machine it can smell bad. A possible way to identify this is to get the drain line as low down as possible, and see if a significant amount of water (not just a hose full) runs out.

[uncle Will in In.]

Rose is likely right. Pull the washer drain hose out of the drain pipe and stuff the end of the pipe with a rag. Give the room plenty of time to air out. Then see if you still can smell the odor. If not, you have identified the cause. Then you will have a different problem to resolve.

[Jo]

Thanks everyone......