subject: The Importance Of Machine Maintenance [print this page] What an interesting irony it is when the equipment that is supposed to clean and get rid of the stinky smell in dirty clothes is exactly worse than the dirty clothes themselves! For people who have been relegated this kind of household chore, theyd certainly know how nasty it can be. And since it is unwise to replace the smelly washing machine with a brand-new one, the best thing to do is to understand what causes the problem, how to prevent it and how to get rid of the mildew build-up in the washing machine.
We do understand that water in an enclosed area without being drained for a long period of time will give rise to an unpleasant mildew odor. To resolve this, of course, one needs to drain the standing water and dry off the area. This goes the same with stinky washers. Part of the reason for having the musty odor is because the tub is not properly drained during the spin cycle, leaving excess water standing at the bottom of the washer.
With the culprit being rightfully identified, we may now proceed to spotting the causes of poor drainage in washing machines. Three of the more common causes are overloaded washing machine, unevenly distributed clothes, and infrequently used front-loading washers.
Overloaded washers do not operate as efficiently as those that are loaded to an optimum level. The strenuous excess clothing baggage puts a strain on the tub especially during the spin cycle, which prevents the washer from properly reaching its normal spin speed. With the speed compromised, the water from the washing machine is contained in the tub and is prevented from completely drained. Unless spotted, this standing water will remain in the washer and consequently will result to having a mildew washing machine.
When the typical spin cycle begins to bang on the washer exterior, it is a telltale sign that the clothes are not evenly distributed. As with the overloaded machine, this also results to excess water thereby contributing to the mildew smell clothing of the washed clothes. The front-loading washers, on the other hand, often lock the moisture inside when the door is sealed right away. This moisture will smell in the long run, especially if the equipment is not used frequently.
Towels smell mildew because the washing machine is not well-maintained. To prevent such a problem, what needs to be done is to reduce the size of the clothes load, make sure that the load is evenly distributed in the tub, and leave the door slightly open after the washing cycle in front-loading washers.
