Washer smelling like rotten eggs!!!

I have been doing the wash now for about a month. The washing machine has a rotten egg/stagnant smell. Sometimes the cloths have the smell when they come out of it. The hand towels are the worse. When you get them wet when using them they REEK!!!

We do not have sulfur water here so that is not it.

I have started running a load of whites several times each week just so I bleach the heck out of the load. (wife complains that the entire house smells like bleach). I was thinking that the water was going bad as it does not have any chlorine like public water does. I have had livestock waterers just about gag you when they sit used for any length of time.

Any ideas of what it could be??? and maybe a cure??? I am about at the point of getting rid of the washing machine.

front loader? needs to be run a cycle empty with baking soda. wife says she dumps a abundant amount in ours, dump it right in the tub. otherwise they sell a cleaner specific to the job in the laundry aisle.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Just the washing machine or can you smell it in the hot water too?
Might have to replace the anode in the water heater if the latter.

We have found certain fabric softners that should smell good actually make clothes smell like cat urine. Also they are making the soap so weak it is also no account. I like adding lemon scented ammonia to everday loads and use a abundant amount of Tide soap.

I will go with the water heater anode or maybe the new guy doing the wash isn't getting the clothes in the dryer as soon as the wash machine is finished. It is also pretty well known that the front load washers do develop a smell. They sell a product for that and it is often displayed on top of the new machines when they sell them. Is this in the new to you house?

UNFORTUNATELY, washers are sexist and a mystery to most of us MEN...

<img src = "http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/27Grainfield/WasherWoman_zps4040c309.jpg">

My mothers towels reek like that, or at least they did. she has Alzheimers and as she got worse her towels stink! Now she seldom does the laundry and I have taken control of most house hold tasks. One thing I did was take away her liquid softener and liquid soap. she would open the washer and glug gobs of both in each load. Its been months but her towels seldom smell. At one point it was so bad I snuck a few home and my wife and I washed with bleach, ammonia, etc and the smell remained. I honestly think it was build up of downy. Not to say that's your issue, just a tip.

I too would say the anode rod in the hot water heater is the culprit. Could be the pump system in the washer is holding the smell through the wash cycle. I'm wondering if the water from any faucet (hot side) smells like rotten eggs, or when you take water from the hot side, put it in a pan and boil it, does the smell come to the water?If so, My bet would be the water heaters anode rod is gone. JMO LOU.

My dad has said more than once. When he was growing up and when the water use to start smelling bad or tasting bad the walls of the water well needed to be cleaned. What they cleaned them with I have no idea but I will ask him.

My son had that problem. Called in a guy to check it out and all he did was take one wiff. He told them that the water heater was set too low and bacteria was going inside. He said turn the heater as high as it would go for 24 hours and then after that keep it above 140. Haven't had a problem since.

If it is a front load you have to use a cleaner in them..
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Are you leaving the wet clothes in there long (Overnight)before drying them?

First off, drain a few buckets of water out of your water heater. It may not help the smell, but since the smell is probably coming from the water heater there will be lots of crap in the tank that needs to be flushed out. The black stuff will be what's left of your water heater anode after it reacts with minerals in the water.

Next thing is to shock your well. This is a project best done when everyone will be out of the house for the day. Assuming you have a submersible pump, take the cover off the wellhead and dump a large jug of Clorox or swimming pool chlorine down the well. Then run your garden hose until you smell chlorine. Run the garden hose into the well for a minute or two, washing the inside of the pipe. Then run each of your outside faucets and hydrants until you smell chlorine. If you have a water softener, switch it to bypass. Run all the cold water taps in the house until you smell chlorine. Then turn off the water heater and start running the hot water taps until the chlorinated water comes out of them as well.

Once you have your plumbing full of chlorinated water, leave the house for a few hours. When you return, switch your water softener off bypass and run all the taps until you've flushed out all the the chlorinated water. You'll probably want to remove the aerators from the faucets so they don't plug up. You will be amazed at the crap that comes out of your faucets, and you shouldn't have to worry about the rotten egg smell for several months. Not to mention you'll kill whatever bacteria is living in your well water.

JD Seller"; I suggest a bottle of 'Washer Magic' in your machine. If a front loader, they get gunky around the seals. Take your hand and run it down in the crevices after taking out a wash load and you will see. May require a couple treatments. ALSO, as others pointed out, the water heater; as you stated the waterer had a foul odor.

If you have a front loader they need to be run through a cleaning cycle and always leave the door open so it can dry. Hal

I took the anode rod out of my hot water heater. Cut the rod off and put the plug back in. Solved my problem.

There is a product,I think made by Tide, on the market that deodorizes your washing machine.You put it in and run a cycle.SWMBO uses it as we had that problem though not quite as bad as you describe.

HTH

Vito

Any chance of the smell coming through the drain lines - maybe a trap that is getting sucked empty?

RUN IT EMPTY WITH A GOOD SHOT OF CLOROX. MY ENTIRE WATER SUPPLY WOULD DO THAT. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY THE TEST SAID IT WAS IRON BACTERIA.BOUGHT A CAN OF SWIMMING POOL CLORINE & DUMPED IN THE WELL .YOU GOT TO REALLY FLUSH THE SYSTEM OUT THOUGH.NO SMELL FOR OVER A YEAR.

When we got our new washer the salesman told us to go back to using powdered detergent. He said the liquid detergents cause a build up over time like clogged arteries.

We have the same problem. Even the shower can just about gag you when it's bad. I have to treat my well almost monthly with bleach. Also put a new rod in your water heater as said. I just buy the cheapest and most pure bleach I can, bout 4 gal usually, pour it in the well and let it sit for a couple hours. Then run the water, running all the faucets including the washer til it quits smelling like bleach. Make sure you run all the taps including the hot water so you get the bleach everywhere.

The gasket on front loaders hold water and stink.

Try to track down were it's coming from. As others have said check the water heater. Turn it up 1st. If that doesn't work CHANGE the anode to a different type. The sacrificial anode is designed to protect the tank from rusting out. Removing it shortens the life of the water heater.

If it's coming from the well shocking with chlorine is a short term fix. I installed a chemical feed pump injecting diluted household bleach into the well. Every time the water pump runs the feed pump runs adding a small amount of chlorine. You test with a swimming pool test kit.

JDseller,


Some models have a filter/catch basin that collects particles. Yours may need to be cleaned.

D.

That's easy.
Run a tubful of water full, with a good dose of
Cascade dishwasher detergent.
That stuff will cut any gunk. Even works good for a degreaser on the hands. (don't get any on your favorite shirt, though, it will eat a hole)
good luck
k

As others have said it could be the anode in the water heater, well needs to be shocked, or not drying the clothes as soon as the washer is done. Or it could be a combination of things.
We had a similar problem with towels stinking. My wife found a recipe for detergent that cured the problem. She mixed 20 Mule Team Borax, grated Dove bar soap, and something else, maybe baking soda. The towels don't stink and the whites are brighter.

Do you have a filter or water heater that is bypassed and closed on the inlet but not the outlet? if so it will have anaerobic bacteria growing and a little bit of water coming into the stream from the outlet.

It is probably hydrogen sulphide, chlorinate your well. There are bacteria that convert lime to this.

Bingo.

Dean

Try a load using just cold water.

Thanks for the ideas Guys. Here are some addition facts.

1) I put the cloths right into the dryer. I have had cloths mildew from setting wet before, years ago.

2) The well is fine. I just had the water tested a few weeks ago for the second time in the last six months. Had the well shock treated before we moved in. All the test come back good just hard.

3) This well is only 8-10 years old. It has really good water flow and quality. It is 180 feet deep. Steel casing.

3) The hot water is fine at the faucets and tub. So I don't think the water heater anode is the issue.

4) I drained the hot water tank a few weeks ago and it was clean.

5) Top load washer. 3-4 years old.

We do use liquid detergent and softener. So I am going to get some of the "Washer Magic" and see if the helps. If not then the lemon ammonia. If I still have the smell I will replace the washer. I am not going to put up with the laundry smelling like crap.

My top loading washer can get a funky smell once or twice a year. The problem seems to be on the outside of the drum or on the wash tub. The symptoms seem the same as JDSeller, funky smell and it gets really bad when things get wet again, like a towel or a tshirt.

To fix things, I fill the washer with water, full load. Then I add a couple scoops of Oxiclean. While the washer is agitating, I use a hose and add more water untill it covers the agitator and fills to the top of the tub. I leave the lid open so when the wash cycle is over the machine just stops and holds the water in the tub. I let that sit for most of the day. When you come back, you will see wonderful things floating on the surface, ya its sick. Skim that out with paper towels, if you dont, when you finish the cycle those chunks are hard to rince out of the machine, its easier to just skim them out when you see them.

After skimming the chunks, reset the machine so it goes from the beginning again and goes through an agitation cycle. After it sits for a while, repeat the skimming process. Keep repeating as many times as needed untill you cant skim any more chunks.

After thats done, close the lid and let the machine finish a full cycle. Then start a new cycle and again over fill it with a hose. Leave the lid open so it stops after the wash cycle and look for any floating gunk or anything in the water. If its clean, you are almost done. If its still got gunk in it, start over with oxiclean. If the water is clear, stuff a screwdriver in the tab that stops the machine from running with the lid open and move the knob to drain or rince. When the maching is almost empty of water, start running the hose in the machine. They usually start spinning when they are almost empty and thats goos because the hose water you are running in the machine is spraying all around the tub and (hopefully) getting everything all rinced out and clean.

To finish everything off, I run a load with the washer empty and just bleach in it. I usually over fill that load too and if I have time, let it soak a while.

Its a long process, dont take short cuts or it wont get clean and you will end up doing it all again soon because things will start stinking soon. And while its a long process, all day at least, your time spent is only 20 or 30 minutes, the rest of the time is letting things soak or letting the washer do its thing (refill, agitate etc.). Its not hard to to do this in between other projects around the house, just make sure all the other wash is done so you are not tempted to hurry the process.

I have had people tell me that over filling the machine is a good way to wreck it or wash out the grease and a ton of other made up problems. I really dont care about those claims, the machine was heading out the door anyway, when clothes stink comming out of the wash, the machine is clearly broken so I didnt have anything to lose. The machine is almost 20 years old now, still works fine... I think the problem is a mold growing in between the tub and basket, where a person cant get to it and clean things so thats why I over fill it, to get the scum ring under water. I have not heard the liquid detergent thing like was mentioned so I may try something different. I havent heard the Cascade cleaning thing either so I might give that a whirl also, thanks for the tips guys.

Google: Hydrogen Sulfide in Domestic Water. Have some explanations and tips also.

I remember H2S being a hot topic in Chemistry class. Just something for kids to play with in class and keep the class interesting.

Anode depletion could be the problem also as stated. 3 community wells service our area and the average depth is 1800'. The water is highly alkaline and the alkali eats up the anodes in about 7 years along with the rest of the HW heater.....just put it in your budget if you have one. A pan under the heater is a must. Matters not the quality of the heater but I don't pay more than $300 for an LP gas and always glass lined with plastic inserts on the in/out tank connectors that usually come installed in the heater. If they have fancy ones I know not about that.

On removing the anode, I tried that once. Don't know what they used for thread sealer but that sucker didn't budge.

We no longer use hot water for washing (bypassed the heater in the laundry room) and use cheap liquid from Dollar General. Even in the "Texas" winters the clothes come out nice and clean. Sometimes Oxi clean or a pre cleaner spray is used on grease spots. Do add cheap softener from DG also. Works for us.

Mark