Strong mildew smell in washer is making cloths & towels smell bad, how do you get rid of the problem?

If it is draining down and spinning the clothes dry then all of the water is draining out. There is only about a 1/2 in space under the tub. There is a balance ring around the top of the tube that holds water. That may be the sound you are hearing? Try washing a load without anything in it on hot and use a box of baking soda. See if that will help with the smell. My washer leaves a mildew smell sometimes. I started running an extra rinse cycle on it. And that helped. I think it was my water.

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.

Towel mildew smell is being transferred from the washer. The washer must be cleaned first. The problem is not "brand specific" all clothes washers have mold growth to a certain degree. Bleach or vinegar will kill the mold inside your washer but won't remove it or the residue it grows on thereby making the situation worse because it leaves a "base" for more detergent to collect on and more mold will grow.

Washing machine mold / mildew odor 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.

Go out and buy a box of "AFFRESH". Run it according to the directions.

Hello billpmm,

You are not alone with this problem. Seems that that everyone of the front loader washers exhibit similar characteristics .. the short story is that in order for a washing machine to be a front loader, they need to be water tight .. being water tight, they are also air tight and herein lies the problem.. any water left over from a wash cycle will sit in gaskets , nooks and crannies and eventually develop mold or mildew.. here is a link to product you may find that solves your problem
http://www.smellywasher.com/

or.. you can use the AFRESH tablets sold in Home Depot and other home improvement stores.. in either case.. these products will help rid that musty mold out of your washer..

are you using liquid detergent? if so, change to powder. liquid detergent used for a long period causes a smell.
try putting on the hottest wash with no clothes in to get rid of the smell

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.

Meoser,
I've been selling the only available all natural washing machine and towel mold and mildew remover online at smellywasher.com since 2006.
It's now also available at Ace, Tru Value, Hardware Hank and Do It Best hardware stores. One bottle provides 24 treatments and guarantees to remove mold, mildew, or any odor from your washer. After the washer is cleaned it also safely and easily gets rid of the mildew smell from any towel or clothing that the odor has transferred to.
The dark, moist environment of your clothes washer is the perfect place for mold and bacteria to grow. See: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5408971n
We can't change that environment but we can stop the food source for them to grow buy reducing the amount of detergent used and stopping fabric softener use. Go to the blog page at smellywasher.com to read advice on the cause of and cure for washing machine and towel odor.

Unfortunately, when mold and mildew impregnate the rubber door boots on these models, it's nearly impossible to get it to go away. I would recommend replacing the door boot and follow these diligent preventive measures to keep the problem from coming back: 1. Check the area in and around the door boot after each wash for lost articles of clothing like underwear and socks. Also, clean out any lint or debris that collects under the boot. You might want to think about using a mesh garment bag for small items in the future. 2. Wipe the area periodically with a towel to get rid of the accumulation of soap deposits and dirt. This means wiping BEHIND the door boot where it meets the wash tub as well. I recommend waiting until you get ready to do a load of towels. Clean the area with a towel, then throw it directly in the wash. 3. Leave the door OPEN between washes to allow the door boot to air dry. Due to the nature of these door seals, they seal air tight and create an environment for mildew and mold to grow. 4. Run the washer with no load on the hottest cycle you have with nothing but bleach about once a week to keep bacteria to a minimum, and to flush the drain lines and pump. The door boot costs about $80 to replace, but it may be your only solution to getting rid of the smell and bacteria. Let me know if you decide to replace it. I can give you some pointers.

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