How about cleaning (with a cloth) around the front seal? That may be what stinks.

You may also consider leaving the door ajar when not using the washer for longer periods of time.

Since you didn't say what it smells like, I'm assuming it smells moldy, musty or rotten stinky-drainy, since that is the most common complaint.

This is usually associated with a build-up of bio-film which is the substrate for a mildew infestation.

To cure the problem you need to clean the whole machine with a strong cleaner, and the hottest water you can provide. It is usually recommended that you do an extended, hot wash with some dishwasher powder (Cascade Complete). Obviously this is without any clothes in it, though adding some cotton rags can help. If this was my machine, I would follow that with another wash with hot water and a stiffish dose of Clorox bleach (assuming it is not forbidden in your machine).

Of course you should also clean the gaskets and seals around the door, using hot water, bleach and a brush if necessary to remove any crud or slime you find there.

Then let the machine dry out by keeping the door open.

To maintain a clean machine, always keep the door unlatched, if not actually open (I would keep it open for a long time after the clean up to really get it dried out); wash with the hottest water you can use for your stuff and consider whether you are using the correct detergent. As a class, liquid detergents are sometimes blamed for build-ups, but all detergents, if used in excess can be trouble makers. Personally I find powders much better in Fl's, but I know others routinely use liquids with no problems.

And if this takes care of your problem, consider doing a routine clean-the-machine procedure on a regular schedule to keep things under control.

HTH,

Molly~

The major source of musty smells in washers is biofilm formation
(mildew, mold, agglomerated bacteria). This requires conditions like
dampness and the presence of nutrients (like soap or softener residue).
Biofilm can form in any washing machine if it does not dry out properly,
if almost all washing is on cold or lukewarm temperatures, if too little
or too much or the wrong kind of detergent is used, etc. If you've been
doing very hot loads regularly, or using chlorine bleach, this
shouldn't have been a problem. (You son't say what kind of machine you have,
unfortunately on machines without internal heaters it is hard or impossible
to get the water as hot as it should be for this.)

So, to prevent biofilm formation one should keep the machine dry (door
open betwen loads, wiping hidden damp areas like folds in the gasket),
prevent nutrient buildup (proper type and dose of detergent/softener,
occasional prophylactic cleansing washes was described below), kill any
potential living contaminants with regular hot or sanitizing loads
and/or use of chlorine bleach, and so on. If you do all these things
religiously, there will almost certainly be no problem. Most people take
none or just a few of these steps, and still have no problem. However,
there are no guarantees in life.

Now, to recover from the problem you've got:

(1) You can clean the gasket with chlorine bleach, or bleach+dish soap,
though it might stay stained grey. Make sure you get in the crevices, eg
the lip between the gasket and the drum, and let the bleach sit for a
minute or two. The gasket should be wiped dry after you're done with
the machine for the day.

(2) Check water outflow trap points like the lint trap, to see if
sludge is building up there

(3) Do a 'cleansing' load, which means wash a few rags on the hottest
setting ('sanitary' or equivalent, if you have an onboard heater)
using Cascade Complete (or similar strong enzymatic dishwashing
soap) instead of laundry detergent. It wouldn't hurt to fillow this with
a load at a more normal temperature, but with chlorine bleach (added in
the wash cycle).

It might take several cleansing washes before the machine is sparkling,
don't do them all at once but try every few days until the machine seems
pristine to you.

Finally, on some machines (notably the older Maytag Neptunes, but
evidently some Kenmore/Whirlpool models as well, if a couple of recent
threads are correct) the biofilm buildup takes place in places beyond
the reach of this cleansing practice. In such cases, you might need to do a machine stripdown...but try the methods above first.

Good luck! - DR

Do you happen to use TIde?

Oops, looks like between the time I read the original question and time I hit the 'post' button, Molly managed to beat me to it. Serves me right for wandering off to have a snack in the middle of typing something! - DR

i will clean the gaskets today and do a 'cascade' wash. Applemac, yes i do use tide, - its the only one we are not allergic to!

Thought so. On another forum everyone who had the same problem as you washed their laundry with Tide. I had the same problem once and I also was using Tide.

Applemac - did you change from Tide? i have cleaned the gaskets and they were clean. I have just put some cascade in and have set it on a hot wash with extra rinse. will let you know the outcome

Some models have a "Tub Clean" cycle just for this. You put bleach in the Bleach Compartment, and run this cycle.

Yes I had to switch to another detergent and slowly the smell went away.

If your family has allergy problems I would reccomend trying All Free and Clear Small and Mighty HE. That is what my family uses, it is the only detergent we can use. I tried the Tide Free when it first came out and could not use it. As far as I know, this All formula is only available in liquid. Hope you get your machine all fixed up.

the machine still smells, but not quite as bad. i did put through a hot was with white vinegar too, i will do this every couple of days and hopefully this will resolve the problem. thanks for your help

Great advice, all.

My Frigidaire FL started to smell. Mildewy damp kind of smell. I left the unit open all night, and it is much better. I may also run a hot cycle with a some socks, and throw in some bleach. Just to be sure it is cleaned out.

Thanks again.

If you decide to leave the door open between cycles, you'd be wise to also be sure to turn off the water supply to the machine. This is a good idea, anyway, but doubly so if the door is open!

Go to smellywasher.com and read what they say about washer smells. There product might help you plus you get enough to do it several times. Worth a shot if nothing else is working.