What’s Causing A Burning Smell In Your Washing Machine?

If you notice a burning smell in your washing machine, the cause could be any number of things. Regardless, this is one smell you shouldn’t ignore. It’s important to quickly diagnose the problem and find the solution. Read More…

Posted under How to Choose Your Washing Machine, How to Repair Your Appliances, How to Save Money on Appliance Repair

This post was written by smellywasher on September 11, 2009

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How To Extend The Life Of Your New Washing Machine

A washing machine is an everyday household essential. Foods, clothes, and shelter are a human’s necessities. Clean clothes? Even better. But as you may have already learned through experience or read about through others’ woes, washing machines can be a finicky lot. So here are a few tips to help you extend the life of your new washing machine. Read More…

Posted under How to Choose Your Washing Machine, How to Clean Your Appliances, How to Repair Your Appliances

This post was written by smellywasher on September 4, 2009

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What Causes Washing Machine Odor and Towel Mildew Smell?

There are 4 reasons for washing machine odor and stinky towels.

  1. The main cause of front load or top load stink is the overuse of detergents.  Generally, we’re only removing sweat and perfume from our clothing so it’s necessary to use very minimal amounts.  This is especially important if using liquid detergent or if there is a water softener in the home.  With a water softener present use less than 1 tablespoon of detergent unless washing soiled dishrags, diapers,etc.  Municipally supplied water may be treated before it gets to your home.  The best way to know is to either have your water tested for hardness or test it yourself with test strips available at hardware or appliance parts stores.  Even without soft water using much less detergent is necessary.
  2. Running a close second is fabric softener use.  We recommend switching to dryer sheets.  Keep in mind that dryer sheets can also be overused and cause towels to be less absorbent and to retain odor.  The sheets can be cut into halves or thirds and can even be reused.  Dryer balls are another option.  There is another article on this blog page discussing the merits and demerits of them.
  3. Read More…

    Posted under How to Get Rid of Foul Odor, How to Get Rid of Mildew Smell from Towels and Clothing, How to Remove Fungus Odor With Smellywasher Cleaner, How to Repair Your Appliances, Smelly Washer Cleaner

    This post was written by smellywasher on November 30, 2008

Refrigerator Maintenance Article

In order for the refrigeration process to work efficiently (and at all )the condenser must be able to dissipate heat. If it can’t the heat travels back to the compressor and will blow an overload and a start relay (a $150 to $250 fix). The condenser fan pulls hot air  from the condenser and compressor area to cool them and blows it across the evaporator tray to evaporate the water in the defrost tray.  Read More…

Posted under How to Repair Your Appliances, How to Repair Your Refrigerator

This post was written by smellywasher on June 5, 2007