Washing machine smells bad: how to clean it and keep it fresh
2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 3 October 2026
Run the empty machine on its hottest, longest programme, such as cottons at 90 degrees. Take out the detergent drawer and wash it in warm soapy water, wipe the rubber door seal and clean the filter. Afterwards, leave the door and the drawer open between washes so the inside can dry.
A musty smell from the washing machine, or laundry that comes out smelling worse than it went in, has an ordinary cause: moisture and leftover detergent inside the machine feed mould and bacteria. Washing only at low temperatures makes it worse, because nothing ever gets hot enough to clear them out.
If you rent, tell your landlord about problems with pipes or with appliances that belong to the flat before you try anything beyond these simple steps.
Step by step
Run a hot empty wash
With the drum empty, start the hottest and longest programme, for example cottons at 90 degrees. Many machines have a drum clean programme for this. The heat loosens the residue and kills most of what causes the smell.
Clean the detergent drawer
Pull the drawer out completely. Most have a small catch to press. Wash it in warm soapy water, scrub the corners and the softener compartment with an old toothbrush, rinse and let it dry. Wipe the slot it sits in, where black mould often hides.
Wipe the door seal
Pull back the folds of the rubber seal around the door. Remove hair, coins and fluff, and wipe the folds with a cloth and warm soapy water. Dry it afterwards.
Clean the filter
The filter is behind a small flap at the bottom front of most machines. Put a towel and a flat dish underneath, as some water runs out. Unscrew the filter slowly, remove lint, hair and small objects, rinse it and screw it back firmly. Your manual shows the exact place.
Use a machine cleaner if the smell stays
For a stubborn smell, run a hot empty wash with a washing machine cleaner from the shop, following the pack.
Leave the door open
After every wash, take the laundry out soon and leave the door and the detergent drawer ajar, so air can get in and the drum dries.
Use the right amount of detergent
Too much detergent and fabric softener leaves a film that bacteria live on. Dose by the pack for your water hardness and load. Do not overfill the drum either, because an overloaded wash does not rinse clean.
Good to know
Repeat the hot wash about once a month if you mostly wash at 30 or 40 degrees, and clean the drawer and filter monthly as well.
A smell of rotten eggs or sewage points to the drain hose or the waste pipe instead of the machine, which is a job for a plumber or your landlord.
A burning smell is different: switch the machine off, unplug it and call the service.
More about the home: how to get rid of bathroom mould and how to descale a kettle.
In short: Hot empty wash at 90 degrees, clean the drawer, wipe the door seal, clean the filter. Then leave the door open after each wash and do not overdose detergent.
- Beko: How to stop a washing machine from smelling
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