Why Does My Washing Machine Smell — And What Actually Gets Rid Of It For Good?

Clean the rubber door seal, pull out and scrub the detergent drawer, then unplug the machine and clear the drain filter. These three steps share one target: the biofilm thriving in damp, hidden spots rather than surface dirt in the drum.

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Pull a load of washing out and get a face full of stale water and mildew instead of fresh laundry. Running a hot wash on an empty cycle, the fix most people try first, rarely solves it because the problem isn’t the drum.

The real issue lies in the parts nobody thinks to clean: the rubber door seal, the detergent drawer, and the drain filter. These are the places where moisture, detergent residue, and bacteria collect into a biofilm that a service wash alone can’t shift. Once you know where to look and in what order, fixing it takes about thirty minutes and costs nothing more than a cloth and some white vinegar.

Here’s what to check and in what order — and when it’s actually time to ring someone.

Finding Where The Smell Lives

Before spending money on tablets or a call-out fee, work through these three areas. In most cases, the smell is coming from one of them.

Step 1: The Rubber Seal

The door seal is the primary culprit. It’s warm, it’s damp, and it collects residue from every wash — especially if you use liquid detergent or wash at low temperatures. Pull the seal back and run your fingers along the underside. If you find a layer of grey or black gunk, that’s biofilm: a slimy colony of bacteria and mould feeding on trapped moisture and detergent.

Wipe it out with a cloth wrung out in warm water with a squirt of washing-up liquid. For the stubborn bits, use a cotton bud or an old toothbrush. You don’t need anything fancy; a dedicated cleaner earns its place here mainly when the build-up is heavy, but most of the time, hot water and washing-up liquid does the job.

Step 2: The Detergent Drawer

The drawer looks clean from the front. Pull it out fully and you’ll usually find a different story: detergent residue at the bottom, crumbs, and sometimes a slimy film on the plastic.

Most drawers release by pressing the tab inside the fabric softener compartment and pulling firmly. Rinse it under a hot tap and scrub with an old brush. The channel behind it — the bit the drawer slides into — gets forgotten completely and is often where a lot of the smell lives. Give that a wipe too.

Step 3: The Drain Filter

The filter is behind a small panel at the bottom front of the machine, usually on the right. This is where coins, hair, grit and sludge collect over time — and it is frequently the source of a persistent musty smell even when everything else looks clean.

Unplug the machine first. Put a shallow tray or some old towels underneath — there will be water. Twist the filter cover off (it may be stiff) and let the water drain out before removing the filter itself. What you find in there ranges from mildly surprising to genuinely unpleasant. A build-up of lint, hair, and grey sludge is normal for a machine that’s been running for a year or two without anyone looking inside.

Clean it under the tap, screw everything back firmly, and run a short rinse cycle to flush any remaining debris through the drain.

Three steps, under thirty minutes, no products needed. If the smell was mild, this is usually all it takes.

Why Biofilm Builds Up In Hidden Spots

Most people assume the drum is dirty when a machine smells. It’s the obvious candidate — clothes go in, water moves around, grime must build up. But the drum is self-draining. After every cycle, any standing water drains away and the drum dries out between loads. That’s not where the problem lives.

The smell comes from biofilm: a stable community of bacteria and mould that clings to surfaces and feeds on the residues a wash cycle leaves behind. Low-temperature washes at 30°C or 40°C don’t reach high enough heat to dissolve the fats and oils from detergent and skin contact. Over time, these residues accumulate in the coolest, dampest parts of the machine — the door seal and detergent drawer, not the drum.

Manufacturer guidance from Beko confirms the issue starts when moisture, residue and warmth combine in the rubber seal and detergent drawer. The problem is biofilm in these areas and sometimes in drain hoses — all places where water can sit and where surfaces don’t dry quickly between cycles.

A hot service wash at 60°C or above helps. It reaches temperatures that disrupt bacterial growth and dissolves some of the lipid residues feeding the biofilm. But a service wash on its own can’t physically remove what’s already stuck in the seal crease or at the bottom of the detergent drawer. The distinction matters: heat helps, but it doesn’t replace the need to wipe the seal and clean the drawer by hand.

The drum gets clean because it’s designed to. The seal and drawer are the parts that get overlooked — and that’s where the smell is coming from.

When Cleaning Isn’t Enough

Once you’ve cleaned the seal, drawer and filter, most smells resolve. But not always. Here’s how to judge what’s happening in your kitchen.

If the machine is used lightly and the smell is mild: Leaving the door and drawer open between cycles is genuinely the most effective ongoing step. It stops moisture from building up in the first place and breaks the warm, damp conditions the biofilm needs. Beko’s care guidance recommends keeping the door ajar and cleaning the seal, drawer and filter as part of routine maintenance. It’s not a fix for existing biofilm, but it’s the best prevention.

If the machine is used daily or the smell keeps returning: The issue is likely a cycle of low-temperature washes and liquid detergent building up faster than it can be cleaned. Running a 60°C service wash every few weeks, combined with the three-step routine above, is what actually interrupts the cycle long-term. One hot wash on its own doesn’t replace the seal and drawer clean — both are needed.

If the smell is genuinely foul — sewage-like, not just musty: That points to a blockage or stagnation in the internal drain hose or pump. This is the one case where cleaning the seal and drawer won’t touch it. Fixing it requires pulling the machine out, accessing the drain hose, and flushing it through — a high-effort job and not something to attempt yourself if you’re not comfortable. A plumber or appliance engineer is the right call here, and the call-out fee is worth it to avoid water damage if the hose is partially blocked and slowly leaking into the floor.

When to stop: persistent leaks around the filter housing, a burning smell during the wash cycle, or error codes that return after the filter has been cleaned and refitted — those mean an engineer, not more cleaning.

Considering Cleaning Products

Short answer: probably not for a one-off fix, but a branded tablet earns its place for ongoing maintenance.

Several products are available for washing machine maintenance. Dr. Beckmann Service-it (paid link) is a powder you run on an empty 60°C cycle. It is sold for freshening the drum and reducing musty odours, and it works best on a machine that has already been reasonably well maintained. It’s easy to use and reasonable for routine maintenance — though a single sachet is not the cheapest option, and a stubborn smell may need a second run.

View Dr. Beckmann Service-it on Amazon → (paid link)

Vamoosh 6-in-1 (paid link) gets attention for its hair-dissolving formulation, which appeals to households with pets or long hair. It is aimed at dissolving hair and general build-up in the drum and seals. The catch is the scent: a strongly perfumed or chemical product can linger in the machine for a few washes afterwards, so check the label and ventilate.

See Vamoosh 6-in-1 on Amazon → (paid link)

Calgon 4-in-1 (paid link) is different in purpose: it’s a water softener tablet that also targets limescale and mild odour, dosed into every wash rather than run as a dedicated clean. In hard-water areas — and large parts of the UK have genuinely hard water — a softener tablet is meant to reduce scale on the heating element and help keep the machine smelling cleaner.

See Calgon 4-in-1 on Amazon → (paid link)

For light maintenance and smell prevention, running white vinegar on a 60°C empty cycle works. It’s not as targeted as a branded tablet and won’t shift heavy biofilm, but for a machine that’s otherwise clean, it reduces residue build-up at low cost. Bicarbonate of soda sprinkled in the drum before a hot wash is a common alternative odour neutraliser.

Proprietary cleaners are most useful as ongoing maintenance, not a rescue for a machine that’s been neglected for a year. If you clean the seal, drawer and filter first, a branded tablet helps keep it fresh between cleans. Skip the clean and rely on tablets instead, and you’re paying for a product to do what your hands should have done.

Common Questions Answered

Can I use bleach to clean my washing machine?

You can, but I’d avoid it. While bleach kills mould effectively, it may degrade rubber seals over time and potentially damage plastic components. If the seal has heavy black mould, a dedicated mould remover designed for appliance seals is a better choice, or use white vinegar diluted with water and applied with a cloth, rinsed off afterwards — generally gentler on the rubber than bleach for mild to moderate mould.

Why does my washing machine smell like sewage?

This is different from a musty smell and points to a blockage in the drain hose or pump, not the seal or drawer. It can also mean the drain isn’t venting properly, which traps gas in the pipework. If cleaning the filter and running a hot wash doesn’t shift it, the issue is likely deeper in the plumbing — call an engineer rather than trying to fix it yourself.

Is it safe to leave the washing machine door open?

Yes, and it’s the single most effective ongoing prevention step. The machine needs to dry out between cycles to stop biofilm establishing in the seal. Leave both the door and the detergent drawer open. If you have pets or small children, prop the door open just enough for air to circulate — it doesn’t need to be wide.

Do I need to use cleaning tablets every wash?

No. Once a month is more than enough if you’re cleaning the seal and drawer regularly. Using one every few weeks as a belt-and-braces approach is fine — but it’s not necessary and adds cost for minimal benefit. For most households, a 60°C service wash every four to six weeks, combined with the three-step routine, is sufficient maintenance.

Quick Reference Table

Getting It Sorted

The smell is almost certainly in the seal, the drawer, or the filter — not the drum. Clean those three parts first, in the order above, before spending money on anything else.

The three-step routine typically shows results within a week if you’re also leaving the door open between cycles. If the smell persists beyond that window, particularly if it’s sewage-like rather than musty, the issue is likely deeper in the drain plumbing and needs professional attention.

For targeted follow-up guidance, check these specific topics:

• How to Clean a Washing Machine Properly: Drawer, Seal, Filter and Drum
• Washing Machine Smells Like Sewage: Drain Trap, Filter or Blocked Vent?

For a quick reference to everything in this guide — the three-step routine, the cleaning order, and the maintenance frequency — grab the free checklist. It’s a one-page reminder you can stick on the inside of a cupboard door and check against every few months.

Now you know where the smell is actually coming from — Get the Free Appliance Care Checklist to sort it in under thirty minutes.

Related Guides

• How to Clean the Rubber Door Seal and Get Rid of Black Mould
• Do Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets Work, Or Is A Hot Wash Enough?
• Why Do My Clothes Smell After Washing? (Not The Machine, The Laundry)

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Quick answers:

• Why Does My Washing Machine Smell — And What Actually Gets Rid Of It For Good?: Questions Answered

Sources & Further Reading

1. Beko
2. Which?

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General guidance only, verify details with a qualified professional or official source.