I am like lvl 1 noob when it comes to washing machines or washing powders/liquids. I just put the powder directly ontop of my clothes close the lid and push some buttons to start wash. Occasionally I take out those inner side filters that collect lint and clean them out. But not much else.
I don't run any bleach, presoak, softeners or even hot water.
You suggest I do a clean of the washing machine with some bleach first?
Yeah 100%. Bleach would be best. Just dump some in at the beginning of a normal wash cycle with no clothes. If you're worried about any residual bleach on your next load, feel free to run a quick wash after just to make sure.
If that doesn't help, you could look into checking/replacing the drain hose. It could be too far gone and should be super cheap to replace, depending on what brand of washer you have.
edit: I just remembered another thing could be the drain pump. It might not be clogged but there could be a bit of crap in there that could be causing the smell as well. But that's a bit more extensive.
This post was edited by KevlarKondom on Dec 30 2025 11:44pm