Washing Machine Smells Like Rotten Eggs? Here’s Why


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Washing Machine Smells Like Rotten Eggs :::SOLVED::: My Washing Machine Smells Like Rotten Eggs! How Do I Get RID Of It?

In this washing machine smells help article:

  • If your washing machine smells like rotten eggs, this is what you should do to fix it.
  • If you want to know WHY does my washing machine smell like rotten eggs, the answer is below.
  • How to fix a washing machine that smells like eggs
  • If your laundry is soured, read: how to get mildew smell out of clothes.
  • If you have a smelly front loader washing machine, this is your solution.
  • If your clean laundry stinks, read this help article.

So your washing machine smells like rotten eggs or sewage?

A rotten egg smell coming from a top load or front load washing machine is a very common problem with a simple fix.

Let’s talk about WHY your washing machine smells like rotten eggs or sewage, how to get RID of that smell – and how to prevent a smelly washing machine from coming back.

Smelly Washing Machine? If your washer smells like sewage, mold or rotten eggs - or your laundry room has a mildewy musty smell, here's how to fix a smelly washing machine the easy way

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WHY Your Washer Smells

If your washing machine smells like rotten eggs or sewage you’re probably frustrated trying to figure out WHY it stinks.

That mold-like smell from your washer is definitely not your imagination!

A lot of people who deal with the rotten egg smell in their washing machine think that it’s because of something specific they’ve washed (or wash often, such as really dirty work clothes or workout clothes).

However, this is not the case.

While that probably didn’t help anything, it’s not the real reason for that stinky washing machine.

An easily fixable build-up of residue is why your washing machine smells like rotten eggs – see SOLUTION below. All that gunk is stuck in your washing machine and is causing that sulfur, sour, moldy, rotten egg sewage smell. If your high-efficiency washer smells like sewer, here’s how to fix it.

Then you mix that gross-ness with lack of air circulation and everything STINKS like stagnant sewer water – yuck!

Washer smells like eggs? Or your high-efficiency washer smells like sewer - Here's how to fix a washing machine that smells like rotten eggs, sewerage or like vomit

A washing machine that smells like EGGS is caused by mold build up & lack of air circulation which is easy to fix (see the easy fix below).

Air circulation in a washing machine is critical for removing bacteria, mold spores, and other impurities that cause hydrogen sulfide gas to build up…

and that gas IS what’s causing that rotten egg smell from your washer.

If it’s your washing machine drain smells like rotten eggs, here is another easy fix down below that you really should try. A sulfur smell from washing machine is easy to fix, but you need to understand WHY it’s happening.

Why your washing machine smells:




✅ Quick Fix

Washing Machine Smells Like ROTTEN EGGS? Here's how to get rid of that rotten egg sewage odor in your washing machine - the EASY way


Now that we know WHY your washer stinks, let’s talk about the easiest smelly washing machine home remedy you can try.

Yes, this is how to FIX that rotten egg sewage smell in your washing machine right NOW…

And this fix usually gets rid of the smell right away.

The very FIRST thing I try when my washing machine starts to smell stinky, mildewy and like rotten eggs – and my laundry smells sour after washing – is to wash my washing machine.

Yes, it sounds counter-intuitive, but your washing machine DOES need to be cleaned.

It’s very simple to do, too!

Pour a couple cups of bleach in your washer drum and run it totally empty on the hottest water setting your machine has.

Many newer washing machines have a “Tub Clean” or a “Sanitary” cycle – if yours does, use that.

As soon as the washing machine is finished running that cycle, open it up and let it dry out completely!

For a more thorough clean, use one of these washing machine cleaners and odor removers below:

 Oh Yuk Washing Machine Cleaner for All WashersSee This Probiotic Washer Cleaner & DeodorizerSee This Washing Machine Triple CleanerSee This Washing Machine Cleaner DescalerSee This Washer Magic Machine Cleaner, Remove Odors and BuildupSee This Washing Machine Cleaner, Heavy-Duty Deep Clean & DeodorizeSee This

 

If washing your washing machine doesn’t work (i.e. it still has a smell of rotten eggs), then you should thoroughly inspect the rubber seals (also called a ‘bellow”) and rubber gaskets.

Mold can grow in all KINDS of places inside your washing machine, so make sure to check and clean each of these places to get to the root of the stink.

Heck, I’ve actually found a long, lost baby sock stuck behind a rubber seal of my washing machine door!

No telling HOW long that little sock was stuck there… growing mold… and stinking up my washing machine AND causing my entire laundry room to have a sewer smell – yuck!

Crazy, right? But it happens – more often that you’d think.

If you still can’t find the source of the washing machine smell, hang tight because we haven’t tried everything yet.

Next, get in there and check the drain hose, drain plug or drain areas for your washer for any gunk, goo, debris, mold, items or mildew.

You’ve got to clean it all out and neutralize that smell!

Front Loader Washing Machines

Front loading washing machine can be a bit more tricky to fix that rotten egg smell.

Here is a quick video from Consumer Reports that shows how to FIND the source of the smell – and how to get rid of it.



How to Prevent the Smell:

Once you get rid of that gross stinky sewer-like smell coming from your washing machine, it’s time to be sure it does NOT come back.

Here are some tips to PREVENT your washing machine from stinking again in the future:

Regularly clean your washing machine with vinegar and water, using a cleaning solution of 1:10.

Make sure to remove all traces of laundry soap, debris and other gunk from your washing machine at least once a month. You can either use a commercial cleaning product or just some vinegar to do so.

Me? I run the bleach in an empty tub on tub clean hot cycle trick about once a month – that works best for me.

Some people use baking soda, but that has never worked well for me at all.

This laundry soda works much MUCH better than baking soda – definitely worth a try.


If you’re not comfortable using vinegar, baking soda, or bleach on your washing machine, you can spray a diluted solution of lemon juice and water around the rubber seal of your washing machine and leave it for an hour.

Not the best solution, but it might help.

Best Washing Machine Cleaner

I also LOVE this washing machine cleaner!

It’s fairly inexpensive and it smells SO good!

In fact, the whole house smells amazing after I use it – so fresh and clean!

Just empty a pack of this in your washing machine and run it on hot.

(nothing else in the load, just the cleaner)

Highly recommended!


Above all, especially if you have a top loader washing machine – leave the lid OPEN after every load and when not in use.

Water trapped in your constantly wet washing machine with no air ventilation equals… mold.

And mold leads to STINK.



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Washing machine smells like sewage & rotten eggs - tried everything. Here's how to remove rotten egg smells from your washing machine whether top load or front load washer

 Oh Yuk Washing Machine Cleaner for All WashersSee This Probiotic Washer Cleaner & DeodorizerSee This Washing Machine Triple CleanerSee This Washing Machine Cleaner DescalerSee This Washer Magic Machine Cleaner, Remove Odors and BuildupSee This Washing Machine Cleaner, Heavy-Duty Deep Clean & DeodorizeSee This

 

Hi! I'm Jen, but everyone calls me MommaJen, I'm the head cook and chief bottle washer here (yes, I do EVERYTHING). To be all business-like: I am the founder and Chief Content Officer for OutInTheRealWorld.com.All posts are reviewed and updated personally by ME - if you have any questions, feel free to contact me here.
MommaJen
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