Washing Machine - Smelly rubber parts

[alpesh26]

I've got a mouldy smell coming from my washing machine when it hasnt been used for a couple of weeks. I always leave the machine door open, take out the soap drawer, dry off the main seal and water inlet (the bit above the soap drawer). It's had plenty of hot washes, washed with bleach, washed with vinegar and used various machine cleaners. The smell goes for a bit then comes back a couple of weeks later.

I opened up the machine and there is a rubber part which goes from the detergent drawer to the drum, this is the main cause of the smell. There is also some air hoses which also stink. I was able to clear one of the air hoses as it got blocked with some gunk somehow (was minging!!) but the smell remains in the rubber parts. For context, I bought the machine used and it had sat in the shop for a while with the door and soap drawer closed.

What are my options to clear the smell from the rubber parts? I've left them soaking in a mild bleach and boiling water solution overnight but this did nothing.

Would prefer not to buy new parts as Miele parts are overpriced and it might be a case of better the devil you know with used parts. Also, aside from the smell there is nothing wrong with them - no holes or leaks.

Also, there is this plastic part which goes from the base of the drum to the drain pump and its covered in what looks like mortar (pic attached). I can probably scrape this off but what is this stuff? Limescale and soap?

TIA

 

[flameport]

Probably limescale, which will also explain why the small returns. Bleach will remove the smell, but that limescale is porous and will absorb anything that its in contact with.

If it's that bad on one component, it's likely to be in plenty of other places.

Soak the parts in limescale remover overnight.

 

[alpesh26]

I've ordered some soda crystals which should come tomorrow. Will soak the parts in that overnight.

Theres some dried on soap (looks like limescale but it has a frgrance) on the rubber parts, I dont want to scrape it with anything metal to avoid puncturing the rubber, is there anything I can use to "melt" the residue? Or is it just limescale that has picked up the smell?

 

[jj4091]

My door seal went black & gave off a horrible smell which no amount of cleaning would remove. New door seal solved the problem & I now, like you, dry it off after every use. Been ok for months

 

[flameport]

soda crystals

Soda crystals will not remove limescale.
You need an acid, such as limescale remover, vinegar, etc.

 

[Wayners]

Start using calgon to stop the mould, smell and lime build up.
Also If the pump is starting to slow with age or filter is blocked, that will cause machine to smell as not pumping out properly.

Run cleaning cycle which you may need to look up how to do.

 

[alpesh26]

Soda crystals will not remove limescale.
You need an acid, such as limescale remover, vinegar, etc.

Got some white vinegar and soaked that plastic part in it and it’s already started to come loose when agitated with a brush. I thought it was soap build up because it smelt of detergent but clearly not.

I’ve left the hoses in the vinegar solution but will remove them shortly as I don’t want to leave them in vinegar too long.

Will soak the air/vent hoses in the soda crystals once they’re here as they won’t get touched with water during a hot wash with the soda crystals.

Hopefully it will clear the mould stench

 

[alpesh26]

Start using calgon to stop the mould, smell and lime build up.
Also If the pump is starting to slow with age or filter is blocked, that will cause machine to smell as not pumping out properly.

Run cleaning cycle which you may need to look up how to do.

Filter is clear and the pump seems to be ok although it is 10 years old so could be slowing down a bit.

The vent hoses were blocked a bit so that could have been causing issues with draining but I didn’t have any drainage faults on the machine.

I’ve run the cleaning cycle many times - it clears the smell for a few days then it’s back again. The “Miele specific” cleaner did help for a bit longer but the smell came back not too long after.

Will look to use Calgon once the smell from the rubber parts is gone

 

[DiyNutJob]

Are you sure the smell is coming from the machine, and not from the kitchen p-trap the machine is connected to? Fabric softener is a major food source for microbes. The microbes then produce smell. Undiluted bleach is what I use for killing stuff. Never found a need for anything else.

 

[alpesh26]

Defo not the sink waste and the machine smelt mouldy after disconnection from the waste.

I don’t use fabric softener and only powdered laundry soap.

Agree on bleach sorting drain smells but this seems to be coming from the rubber components of the machine

 

[DiyNutJob]

In that case immerse rubber parts in undiluted bleach for upto a weak. Nothing biological will survive that. I did that with a washing machine door seal to kill the black mould. It largely worked and the rubber was unaffected.

 

[Wayners]

Reading what your saying and pump being 10 years old I think that maybe the trouble. Not enough force pumping water causes build up of crud that smells.

 

[foxhole]

Defo not the sink waste and the machine smelt mouldy after disconnection from the waste.

I don’t use fabric softener and only powdered laundry soap.

Agree on bleach sorting drain smells but this seems to be coming from the rubber components of the machine

Powered soap is very poor at dissolving during a wash, it’s recommended to dissolve it warm water in a jug before use in washing machine.An old machine can easily have a kilo or more of congealed soap in the base of the drum, even boil wash will struggle dissolve large deposits.
Seals should be wiped after each wash, often overlooked.

 

[DiyNutJob]

Powered soap is very poor at dissolving during a wash, it’s recommended to dissolve it warm water in a jug before use in washing machine.An old machine can easily have a kilo or more of congealed soap in the base of the drum, even boil wash will struggle dissolve large deposits.
Seals should be wiped after each wash, often overlooked.

I don't have this problem. I only use powder with a 30 year old bosch at 30C. The door seal goes black mouldy like they all do, but could be bleached up. Smell is a problem at another house where they don't use powder. The smell bubbles up from the kitchen p-trap. I told them to bleach the p-trap.

 

[foxhole]

I don't have this problem. I only use powder with a 30 year old bosch at 30C. The door seal goes black mouldy like they all do, but could be bleached up. Smell is a problem at another house where they don't use powder. The smell bubbles up from the kitchen p-trap. I told them to bleach the p-trap.

You won’t know you’ve got a problem until the deposits break free and block your pump.