The washer and the dryer don’t smell when they are empty and dry, right? Do they smell once you’ve run a load and you open the washer to move the clothes to the dryer? Do the clothes smell at that point? When the dryer cycle finishes and you immediate the clothes out, they smell, right? Does the dryer drum smell at this point?

I’m wondering if you have moldy water coming into the washer (this happens with water lines for fridge icemakers) or like someone else said you have something in the dryer vent. When was the last time you changed the supply lines for the washer? Have you disconnect them and run the washer water into a bucket to see if the water smells? When was the last time you had the entire vent from the end of your dryer to the exterior of your house cleaned out?

If you put a brand new article of clothing or towel in the washer and then dryer by itself, does it smell after the first wash?

How old is the washer and did the smell exist as soon as the washer was installed or over time?

I’ve had this problem before. It turned out the dryer was the issue. We cleaned the inside with vinegar and removed all lint residue. Make sure your vents are cleaned too. It took several washes for the odor to be removed from clothing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Use a scoop of Oxiclean with every load (plus your detergent). This solved the problem for me.

Just coming here to say the same. I use it with every load as well. It gets rid of the biologics more than anything I know.

Doesn't baking soda work the same way as Oxiclean?

No. They’re both alkaline, but that doesn’t make them the same.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet dollars to donuts you are using way too much detergent and it's built up everywhere.

Nope, that is not the issue. I have been doing laundry for decades, and have always done it the same way using the same amount of detergent. I have never ever had this issue.

Actually though, that makes it more likely because washers use a lot less water now. So less soap is needed. Of course it’s hard to tell how much soap you’re using because they can change the dilution.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Use a scoop of Oxiclean with every load (plus your detergent). This solved the problem for me.

Just coming here to say the same. I use it with every load as well. It gets rid of the biologics more than anything I know.

Doesn't baking soda work the same way as Oxiclean?

Anonymous wrote:Use a scoop of Oxiclean with every load (plus your detergent). This solved the problem for me.

Just coming here to say the same. I use it with every load as well. It gets rid of the biologics more than anything I know.

Detergents stopped working because they took all the phosphates out of them. Phosphates are what kept the dirt/grease from simply reattaching to clothes and the washer. If you want really clean clothes, get a tub of trisodium phosphate at the hardware store and add about a 1/2 teaspoon to your wash. It would probably be good to run a clean cycle with a small amount, if nothing else.

And yes I know why they took phosphates out, and it was dumb — the tiny amount of phosphates in detergent are a drop in the bucket compared to other sources (agriculture, mostly) & not what causes water quality problems.

Use a scoop of Oxiclean with every load (plus your detergent). This solved the problem for me.

Anonymous wrote:Leave it open when you're done so the water doesn't mildew.

Nope. I could teach a course on how to keep your front loader clean and mildew free. I've had front loaders since 2004, I know how to use them and what to do with them when they're not in use. So, this is also not the cause of the issue I'm having.

Anonymous wrote:I bet dollars to donuts you are using way too much detergent and it's built up everywhere.

Nope, that is not the issue. I have been doing laundry for decades, and have always done it the same way using the same amount of detergent. I have never ever had this issue.

Leave it open when you're done so the water doesn't mildew.

Anonymous wrote:The best detergent for hard water is Tide powder. Not sure why but it cleans way better in hard water than anything else I’ve ever tried. We did cloth diapers and had stink and everyone kept telling me to strip them and do all these crazy things which never worked. I switched to Tide Original Powder and never had another issue. Also, you can add Calgon water softener to help. That makes a big difference too.

I used to agree with Tide but switched to Nellies and its 100x better.
Liquid detergent is too concentrated and people use WAY too much. I use 1T of Nellies for a normal load.

I bet dollars to donuts you are using way too much detergent and it's built up everywhere.

Anonymous wrote:The best detergent for hard water is Tide powder. Not sure why but it cleans way better in hard water than anything else I’ve ever tried. We did cloth diapers and had stink and everyone kept telling me to strip them and do all these crazy things which never worked. I switched to Tide Original Powder and never had another issue. Also, you can add Calgon water softener to help. That makes a big difference too.

Never heard of a water softener you can add to laundry. We use pods, totally willing to try powder though as this issue is continuing, no matter what I've tried. I've rewashed the same t-shirts 4 times and each time the smell remains. I've line dried, I've put them in the dryer - no difference.