Left Picture: View of rubber gasket from outside washing machine.
Right Picture: View of inside rubber gasket showing mold and mildew deposits.
If you own a high efficiency front load washing machine then you have probably been very pleased with the fact that these washing machines 1) clean your clothing better with less water, 2) make your clothes come out of the washing machine dryer (due to a high speed final spin cycle, which allows for less drying time), and 3) save time and money due to their energy saving features.
One thing you may not be happy about is the fact that these washing machines can and will cause your laundry area as well as your clothes to have a mold or mildew type smell. Also, you might notice that occasionally you can get a dark mark on one or more of your laundry items.
The odor and mark are both caused by the rubber gasket that is located immediately inside the front door of the machine. As you can see in the pictures above, the inner lining of the gasket is manufactured in such a way that water can collect at the bottom of the gasket causing the water to sit there between loads. Wet rubber can mark clothing on its way into and out of the machine. Couple that with the fact that the area inside the gasket gets no light, is damp, and warm, and you have a perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew spores to form and grow.
Manufacturers of these washers suggest that you always leave the door slightly ajar to allow air in. They also sell or recommend using a machine cleaning solution or small tablets that you can use in a wash cycle every two to three weeks to help clean the inside of the gasket. While doing these two things may help, they do not totally remove the mold, odor, or prevent the occasional marking of clothing.
Here is how to fix these problems: Clean the inside of the gasket thoroughly using our EATOILS™ SUPERFRESH™ Certified Green Cleaning Solution. Mix at 4 ounces to a gallon of warm water and clean the inside of the gasket using a small soft bristled brush and a rag. 1) Spray liberally inside the gasket with the diluted SUPERFRESH™ solution, 2) lightly scrub the gasket with a soft bristled brush, 3) let it sit for about 10-15 minutes, 4) and wipe with a damp rag. You will be amazed at the amount of mold and mildew that you will remove. At this point the mold and mildew will be eliminated and removed from the gasket along with the odor. After thoroughly cleaning the gasket, spray some more of the SUPERFRESH™ solution inside the whole circumference of the gasket and machine and allow to air dry.
Once you are done cleaning the gasket, you can spray any clothing or towels that may have absorbed the odor. Using your spray bottle, mist the clothing or towel items just until lightly damp and this will remove any residual odor. Remember the SUPERFRESH™ is Certified Green and will not harm you or your clothing. After treating the clothing or towels you may choose to launder again but this is not necessary.
To keep the mold, mildew, and odor from returning, spray some of the EATOILS™ SUPERFRESH™ diluted at 2 ounces per gallon of water inside the gasket every 1-2 weeks and continue to keep the door slightly open when the machine is not in use, per manufacturer instructions.
Here is what one client wrote to our distributor in Texas who provides the product and cleaning service to his clients, "Thanks for making my washer not so stinky! Your odor removal product ROCKS!!!! (and it's green...yea for me!)" - Mrs. C. Wheeler, Splendora, Tx.
EATOILS™ SUPERFRESH™ is an excellent cleaning and deodorizing product for hard surfaces like kitchen, garbage areas & bins, bathroom, tile and grout, pet litter & pet areas, - try EATOILS™ SUPER CARPET-FRESH™ for carpeting and upholstery(spot cleaning, pre-spray and full extraction cleaning), clothing(laundry pre-treat, spot removal & deodorizing), and fabric cleaning challenges. SUPERFRESH™ will also remove most odors on contact - even SKUNK odor!
For more information about our EATOILS™ SUPERFRESH™ Certified Green Cleaning product, it’s many uses, as well as all of our other Certified Green Cleaning products, please feel free to call us toll free at 866 621 8244 Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00 Eastern time and visit us at our website.
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One of our clients called us as a result of reading this post and advised that they are having a different problem with their high efficiency washer - it is a 'top opening' model and it is causing odors as the outer tub is holding on to a residual amount of fluid after each wash and it is giving off an odor. The odor lasts for days and just won't seem to go away.
ReplyDeleteAfter confirming that there was no blockage in the line or problems with the function of the washer,we suggested using our SUPERFLOW(TM) drain opener product in the washer to help remove the residual materials that may be partially blocking the drain and causing the fluid to sit in the tank and cause odors. Once they have tried this we will let you know how it worked.
Are any of you having similar problems?
We welcome your comments or solutions.
Upon further investigation we discovered that this is a problem that the Whirlpool top load machine is having in particular. The manufacturer suggests that you run the 'Clean Washer' cycle with their product, Affresh(TM) or 1 cup of liquid chlorine bleach.
DeleteWe suggested the client use 1 cup of our SUPERFLOW(TM)as it will remove the odors and clean any organic materials out of the secondary tub without hurting any of the washing machine components.
Hi Everyone,
ReplyDeleteHere is the response from our topload client:
"Mr. Charles Robinson,
I had the letter put out by Whirlpool. I also used their Affresh product and it did work on the
odor, but the odor always came back immediately and it is very expensive.
Yesterday I sprayed the inside of the tub with SUPERFRESH through the tub holes.
As of today I have no odor in the machine. This is the best the washer has smelled in a long time. I will continue to use the SUPERFRESH as I did.
Thank you for your help.
Debra Gray"
We are so glad that our product helped. We welcome your comments and experiences with our products in everyday and special cleaning challenge situations.
CR