The washer stinks. we leave door open. when you reach under seal the outside of drum covered with yukky stuff (brown)

I fixed the bad odor problem once and for all!
This problem is caused by mold and mildew growing in a large ventilation hose that runs from the top of the wash drum to a large vent hole in back of the machine.

To correct this problem you can buy a kit from http://washerfan.com/ or do the cheap fix like I did.
Step One: Find the vent grille on the upper left corner of the machine. Remove the machine top, only a couple small screws hold it on.
Step two: Remove the hose clamps that hold the hose to the drum and grille then snap out the plastic grille.
Step three: The grille is convex so I used a belt sander to make it flat then I took a computer case fan that was the same size as the grill and hot glued it to the plastic grille. I wired it to an old 12 Volt phone charger (12V 500 Ma) and made it blow air INTO the vent.
Step Four: Put everything back together and enjoy a stink free washer because the mold can no longer grow in that hose.

Note! You must bleach, clean and scrub that crud out of that large vent hose and it is some kind of gross! If you're allergic to mold please wear respiratory protection. My fan has been blowing air into the washer 24/7 for six months and I have seen those case fans run non stop for years. It it dies just snap the hot glue beads and put another fan on it. Total cost for the entire fix, about $10.00

Also note that you have to leave the door open a little bit for the air that blows in the back to blow out the front door.

First I would have posted this in the washer section not the vacuum section. That being said:

This is normal for a maytag Neptune. There is a liquid filled balance ring on the Neptune washer drum. That is the sloshing you are hearing. The smell is from the water trapped between the door seal and drum. You can wipe down this seal with an old cotton towel or sock and then throw it in with your next load. Also, just leave your door open a crack after your loads are done and the water will evaporate and not sit and get moldy.

Griffin is correct but, I took it one step further and removed the front cover and rubber gasket and used a long thin brush after spraying white vinegar with a spray bottle and cleaned all the **** from around the drum. I use white vinegar with clothes once in a while to keep the drum free of built up soap and softner.Its a little work but trust me when you see all the stuff on the drum you will understand why the machine stinks. I also leave my soap tray door open all the time to allow air inside.

hi my trick is .................... WHITE VINAGER ...YES VINAGER ... right get 5 ltrs of white not brown or your cloths will STINK :))) now wip some around seal .... tip 2 ltrs into drum ...and rest into powder capartment .... leave for 5 min ...then put on boil wash ...DONT PUT ANY THING ELS IN ..IE CLOTHS OR POWDER.. it normally gose .. wash through x2 times with powder ect b4 any cloths go in . bsc appliances bristol 07779933829 postal service too.

Here's what I recommend when asked:
Wipe the seal down liberally with a 50/50 bleach water solution. Pour the remainder into the tob, and add one cup of straight bleach. Fill the dispenser cups with bleach. Run the hottest, longest cycle with the hottest rinse cycle (for us, it is the "sanitary cycle"). After this cycle runs, run a normal cycle to flush out any remaining bleach residue. Here's the important part: leave the door open between loads. This allows the washer to dry out, preventing the formation of the mold, which causes the smelly odors. If you begin to see mold again, wipe it down with a disinfectant solution and continue to leave the door open.
Best regards, --W/D--

The brown stains are likely coming from the felt drum seal. The OEM adhesive is tar based - and after time and use - breaks down.

You'll need a new felt seal - and the adhesive that is used should be silicone based... eliminating the brown streaks.


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Remove the agitator and check the shaft seal underneath the plastic drive block at the top of the shaft. Move the shaft in different directions to check the condition of the top bearing. If none or very slight, replace the seal at the top of the shaft supporting post. Clean any grease that is outside of the seal when you are done. Be sure to not damage the seal surface on the shaft when removing/replacing the seal and pre-grease the new seal's inner lip before installing.

do the clothes stink too? or just the washer? if you have a crawl space check the washer drain it could be draining under the house...and vapors coming up through line......

I had a similar problem with odor. I ran the washer on hot with a few cups of vingear in the detergent, bleach, and fabric softener trays and it helped a lot. Also, be sure to leave the door cracked open when you remove wet clothes, so the inside of the washer can air dry.