We had a similiar problem. It was mildew in the washer and in the fabrics. We ran two or three empty loads with some bleach added in, and we leave the door open so the drum dries.
The towels and clothes we hung out in bright sunlight. The UV rays kill the mildew.
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need to clean the bellow ( rubber around door). theres a tablet you can buy called "Affresh". It will help to remove the moldy smell. just throw it in washer and run through a regular wash cycle. no clothes, just the tablet. If there is a clean cycle on the machine then use that cycle. Whenever you're finished washing, you should leave the door open for about 20-30 minutes so unit can air out. Also you should wipe around the glass and bellow after each use.
If you don't leave the door open after each use you will get a musty smell and mold will build up in the bellows. also you need to wipe the bellows dry and the door glass dry as to not get a build up of soap residue on it which will eventually make the door leak. Also, only use one or two tablespoons of soap, not what the soap manufacturer says on the package.
Towel mildew odor is transferred from the washer to towels and clothes. The washer must be cleaned first. After cleaning the washer and towels washing habits must change to stop mold smell from returning.
Washing machine mold / mildew is caused by:
#1 cause is overuse of detergents. Detergent companies are notorious for instructing to use too much detergent. Especially with soft water or when using liquid detergent no more than 1 tbsp of any detergent should be used.
#2 most common cause is using fabric softener because it's dispensed in the rinse cycle and will coat the inside of the outer tub with residue that is a food source for mold to grow.
#3 using only cold water for washing is fine but makes preventative maintenance very important. A weekly hot soak will dissolve odor-causing residue from inside your washer.
#4 not using the washer. If the clothes washer isn't used very often maintenance is especially important. If leaving for a vacation it's a good idea to clean your washer. Do a search to "remove washer odor" to read just how big the problem is. There are all natural washer cleaners that will also remove mildew odor from towels and clothing after the washer has been cleaned.
First, clean your washer with one of the front load washer cleaners on the market. (Affresh, washer magic, smellywasher cleaner, whirlaway hot tub cleaner, or Tide front load washer cleaner) Use the longest, hottest cycle your washer has, with no clothes.
Second, rewash the smelly clothes with the heavy wash cycle and a second rinse option, using no soap or fabric softener. This will remove the soap and/or fabric softener build up in the clothes which is causing the smell. Third, begin using one to no more than two tablespoons of HE soap per load, and not more than 1 teaspoon full of fabric softener if you use it. This is because top load washers used up to 45 gallons of water per load, and your front load machine is only using about 12 gallons total. If you are washing a load of bath towels (which were only used to dry off your clean body, not wipe up the floor or something like that) they are not really dirty,...... for washing "clean" towels, don't use any soap, and of course never use fabric softener on towels.
Same problem with my front loader. You have to make sure to clean out the rubber trap in the front regularly. it seems to collect alot of hair and plug the drain hole. also it helps to leave the door open when you finish washing to further reduce the stagnant water smell. Use fabric softener for the towels!
washers and dryers dont make smells themselves its a problem with something u might be putting in it. if u tend to add alot more detergent then usual to your towels then they never completely rinse the water out and will have a mildew smell
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