How to Fix a Front Load Washer So That It Does Not Smell with Washer Fan

Understand what causes the smell to begin with. It is multiple types of mold (including black mold) growing in the internal drain hose inside your washer where you can’t see it.

Understand why it grows there. Search "mold growth" and you will see that the biggest problem is high humidity (over 60%). This chart shows you at what relative humidity mold starts to grow. It starts at around 55% and by the time you get to 70% the chance of mold growth is close to 100%. Because it starts growing at about 55% we highly recommend you keep your relative humidity (RH) of your laundry area under 50% at all times. A dehumidifier is the best way to lower your RH.

Understand that cleaning your washer and leaving the door open will never solve the problem. They will just help with the odor for a little while. This picture is of the internal drain hose inside your washer where the black mold starts to grow. The internal drain hose should look milk-jug clear, unless it is a grey hose. Where the pipe looks dark is the black mold inside the pipe. Most internal drain hoses are ribbed pipes and once the mold starts to grow it is very difficult to clean it out. When you just occasionally use special cleaners you are not solving what caused the mold to start growing to start with. This is why a washer fan is so important in permanently eliminating washer odor.

In order to stop the mold from growing, you have to remove at least one of the 4 components to mold growth. In this case you need to lower the humidity level inside your washer drum below 50%. You can do this with a washer fan. You can purchase one online; just search the internet for "washer fan". You can install it yourself in seconds and there are videos on the website showing you how to do it. You can permanently fix the problem rather than covering it up.

Once you have installed your washer fan, just simply leave the door slightly open when you are not running your washer. This allows the air being pushed into the drum to be exhausted out the front. As air exhausts out the front, it brings high RH with it and thereby lowers the humidity level inside the drum.

Make sure to not use too much laundry detergent. Using too much soap only feeds the mold and can also wear out your washer prematurely. This image is the backside of the inner drum of a Whirlpool Duet washer that is about 5 years old. When you use too much soap (especially dry granular soap) it builds up over time and keeps parts of the washer wet continually. This leads to premature failure of your machine.