To use Smelly Washer Cleaner:
Most users find adding 1 level cap to a hot setting and allowing the washer to complete will remove odor. More extreme cases may need to do a long soak or “cleaning” cycle. If the washer doesn’t have a “clean” or “soak” cycle pause the washer and allow it to soak.
If odor persists or returns: Add 1-2 caps (tbsp) of Smelly Washer or Smelly Towel Cleaner either directly into the tub or through the detergent dispenser (even liquid dispensers) with a full load of white towels or laundry. The added bulk of the laundry will raise the water level to include the splash area. Intermittent pausing to soak and restarting will give the cleaner time to dissolve the mold, bacteria and residue.
To clean your dishwasher with Smelly Washer: Split a level cap of cleaner between both dispensers and the floor of the unit. Start a hot cycle and allow it to finish. More extreme cases may need to reapply and/or allow the unit to soak.
To use Smelly Towel Cleaner:
To initially remove odor from your towels and clothing use a level cap of Smelly Towel in place of detergent. More extreme cases will need to do a 2 hour soak. Smelly Towel Cleaner also makes a great detergent booster. Just add a 1/2 tsp to your regular detergent to really enhance colors! It won’t hurt to use Smelly Towel Cleaner with every load but it isn’t cost effective. If odor returns washing habits should be changed.
Other uses: Smelly Washer Cleaner can be added to hot water in a spray bottle to clean or sanitize your rubber door gasket. Stains impregnated into the gasket may take repeated appliaction and/or vigorous scrubbing to lessen or remove. It can also be used to naturally clean showers, bathtubs, hot tubs, canvas, window trim, etc. by applying with a spray bottle.
I read about your Smelly Washer product in the Fixit Column of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. I got my order from you in an about two days and used on my smelly towels. Just like magic the ugly odor has gone.
I have just placed my second order aand only wish you offered a larger size. The product has completely eliminated the foul smell in our laundry room when a plumber service call cost me nearly $100 with no improvement with with our Maytag front loaded washer. Now all is well and the room and the towels all smell great. Thank you and good luck with your invention.
(Mrs Meyers sold to S.C. Johnson you know!)
I would like to know if this will be just as effective on top loaders?
Hi Barb.
Smelly Washer products can be safely used on any front loading or top loading, he or regular clothes washer.
Thanks, Paul
Thank you, thank you…..I guess I’ll keep my Bosch front load washer. Everything is working like it should.
Hi Josie / You’re welcome! Remember to change your detergent habits and the odor won’t return!
Hi!
I had a Maytag Neptune that developed mold, but no smell.
Now I have a brand new LG…and want to avoid mold etc.
How can I best use this product proactively?
Hi Robi/ Use just a teaspoon in a hot wash or soak cycle monthly to remove any accumulated residue. Your detergent/softener/water temperature habits are most important for keeping mold growth away.
How do I clean the mold off the rubber seal in my front loading washer? ‘
Dawn/ Mix a tsp to a tbsp of Smelly Washer in a spray bottle and spray the affected areas liberally then allow it to soak for a long period (even overnight). Wipe the mold off in the morning. Mold stains impregnated into the gasket may take repeated applications and/or vigorous scrubbing.
My washer iteself doesn’t seem to have a smell, it is the towels that smell when they get wet (i.e. when I dry off after a shower or the kitchen towels are used to dry hands more than a few times). Will smelly washer help with that? We have well water and a water softener (dual filter). Thanks!
Kate/ You have just the start of a mold problem in your washer. The mold spores are being transferred from the washer to your towels. You notice the problem there first because they are wet when used which activates the mold spores and because they’re used in close proximity to the face.
The washer should be cleaned before removing the odor from the towels. Smelly Washer Cleaner will clean both of them - Guaranteed!
The smell of my towels was getting so bad that I didn’t want to use them anymore. In fact, the smell was kind of making me gag. I didn’t understand why this was happening to my towels but I had never had a front loader before. A friend of mine gave me the name of Smelly Washer and I bought a bottle of it. I just used smelly washer in my front loader and then washed a bunch of towels, following the directions on the bottle. That nasty odor in my towels is FINALLY gone and my towels smell the way they’re supposed to after being washed. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I highly recommend Smelly Washer!
Hi JT/
You’re very welcome! Remember to change your washing habits so you don’t have to buy more Smelly Washer!
Good morning, I was wondering how to go about using it in a washer that only fills with water above the clothes line and will drain if you leave it to soak? I do have a soak cycle, but I believe it only adds like 15 minutes to the wash cycle. Do I just run the normal cycle repeatedly? I see sometimes it takes more than 1 soak, so I’m wondering how many times I’d have to run on a normal cycle. Thanks.
Dawn/ If you are able to open the door to allow a longer soak, unplug the washer or even shut off the circuit breaker to stop the washer from draining it will make a world of difference. This would only be necessary for more extreme cases. The number of cleanings or cycles would depend upon how old the washer is and your washing habits.
I am at a loss. The laundry room itself smells like a locker room, but the clothes smell great and I can’t see any mold or mildew in the front load washer? I have tried smelly washer but I have only been able to run it through a cycle - I can’t soak it because this particular washer drains automatically when you turn off the washer. I will try what you suggest above by unplugging it. I do have a question that maybe you can answer. When the washer’s off, and I put my hand inside and rotate the drum manually, I hear water sloshing inside. Is this normal? Should there be water between the drum and the machine? Could this be the cause of the odor? Thank you for your very valuable website and product!
i have a top loading washer i have always used liquid detergent. i got smelly washer in crystal form can i still use it somehow?
It took several attempts, but I was able to get this product to work for me. The key was to add additional hot water as noted on the detailed instructions on this website. (instructions on the bottle are a bit too vague)
My one question relates to proper detergent use. You say I should use “a fraction” of the detergent quantity recommended by the detergent manufacturer. Specifically how much should I be use? Is there a preference of detergent type (i.e. powder, liquid, any specific chemicals)? Is it a good idea to add cleaners such as Simple Green, which claim to reduce the amount of laundry detergent needed? Thank you.
Is this septic friendly? I’ll be using this for my front load washer and it’s only 2 yrs old.
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My washer and towels smelled so bad..I wanted to get rid of them! After 5 night soaks adding extra water- finally all the mold is gone!!! the smell is gone YAY! Just keep using smellywasher it will get that nasty smell!!
Thanks again!:)
remember the tips mentioned on this blog site your product is the best out there for this mold mildew issue. However, will using your product for a lengthy period of time, will it eliminate the issue over time or do we all have to keep using it,,forever?
College dorms many have front loaders, various users, no one cleans front loaders in this environment..I inspect my sons dorm units, mold/mildew of rubber gasket and soap dispenser fill with crud.
He does his clothes off campus now.
Note Smelly Washer marketing Dept:
You may want to promote your product to the large and small universities who have laundry facilities on site for students in the dorms as their on site maint. folks Im sure cannot not keep up with this issue.
I have a front end loader and do not have a “soak” cycle. How do I soak overnite with your product? At what point do I “stop” my washer to do this?
I recommend this product 1000%. I have a top load washer and it is like NEW nowe!! My towels are 6 years old and are like new again. I filled the washer and put one cap in and let it sit over night and finished the wash cycle the next morning. I did the same with my towels. Awesome product so happy I tried it… you wont be disappointed.
Just thought I’d say thanks. I had a really bad mold problem on my clothes after moving house and taking them out of storage, after trying vinegar etc. and failing I found your product online and it REALLY worked.
Hi Joe,
Good deal! Please spread the word! We are now competing against corporate manufacturers and need all the help we can get!
Thanks, Paul Flynn
In a response to an earlier post you stated “Your detergent/softener/water temperature habits are most important for keeping mold growth away.”
Can you please detail what the best detergent/softener/water temperature habits should be
Ren,
Use no more than 1 tbsp of detergent unless washing very soiled articles. Don’t use fabric softener. Dryer sheets or dryer balls are better options. Using mainly cold water for washing is fine but makes preventative maintenance important. A hot wash or soak as the last cycle on wash day will help dissolve odor-causing residue.