Washing machines will ‘stop smelling’ if people change 1 setting

People have been told to consider changing one setting on their washing machine if they notice it is starting to smell. DIY content creator Fraz (@Fixitwithfraz) claims that homeowners could eliminate “smelly” scents coming from their washing machines by making a few changes.

He said: “Your washing machine stinks after only two years because of this button, the quick wash. Everyone’s using the quick wash for everything these days.

“A cold quick wash will not break down bacteria, detergent and body oils. It’s going to get built up in the seal, in the drawer, in the drum, and it’s going to stink.”

Most modern appliances have a ‘quick wash’ setting that takes no more than an hour – but often less. It might be called something else on your machine, like a rapid, fast or quick wash.

These programmes are intended to clean lightly soiled clothes. It saves time and energy by washing items in cooler water and at higher spin speeds.

As they are short and often use lower temperatures, they are less effective at removing heavy stains or intense odours compared to longer, regular cycles. A quick wash feature is ideal for small loads (typically loads under 2kg), so most daily loads will be too much for this setting to handle effectively from the beginning.

Fraz said: “On top of that, you’re overloading and overdosing your machine. You’re not going to get a good wash out of it anyway, and you’re just going to leave behind loads of detergent that’s just going to go smelly.”

This can be easily fixed by switching to another function of the washing machine that some rarely use. Fraz suggested that homeowners need to be running a hot wash that’s 60 degrees or above, “ideally at least once a week”.

He claims this will help to “break down and melt away” any lingering detergent. He added: “The high temperatures are gonna kill the bacteria. I’m not saying don’t use the quick cycle, but if it’s the only cycle that you’re using, you’re setting yourself up for a smelly disaster.”

In other washing machine news, people might also be able to banish some bad smells by bringing in an item typically kept in the bathroom. According to an appliance expert, washing machine owners are being told to add around 100ml of mouthwash directly into the drum before running a hot cycle to help tackle lingering odours caused by bacteria and mould build-up.

The unusual cleaning trick was shared by appliance expert Michael White, Head of Buying and Marketing at Marks Electrical, who said the antibacterial ingredients found in mouthwash can help freshen up washing machines and reduce the bacteria responsible for unpleasant smells. Michael said: “Pour around 100ml of mouthwash directly into the drum before running a hot cycle.

“When this is complete, load the machine, add your detergent and choose your cycle as normal. Adding mouthwash every two to three weeks can help keep the drum fresh and reduce odours.”

It doesn’t need to be an expensive kind, and can cost as little as 20p per clean depending on the mouthwash used. For example, Aldi sells a 500ml bottle of mouthwash for 89p (less than 18p per 100ml).