I am having the same problems most Frigidaire front loaders owners have...the bellows have mold.....the smell is bad. I keep the door open. I wrote your site about a year ago, and was told to use clorox (I believe), but forgot what to do and how to do it. Please help me again!!!

Odors related to front loader washers is a common problem. The following link gives some pointers on things you may try to minimize odors and to keep them reoccurring:

http://www.fixya.com/support/r3608512-getting_rid_front_loader_mildew_odor

Many of these tips are mentioned in the owner's manual of these washers. The most important factors inlcude:

1. Leaving the door open when not in use.
2. Checking for small garments that end up in the door bellow area.
3. Using HE detergent only.
4. Checking the drain pump reservoir for debris.

These simple factors will not only minimize odors, but will keep them from coming back. I personally own one of these front loaders and have never had an odor problem in the 9 years I've owned it by following this regiment.

If you have your doubts or have questions, please post back and let me know. I do hope you find this information helpful.

There's usually about a gallon of residual water in the lower portion of the wash tub, drain line and pump between wash loads. This is NORMAL. If you are in the habit of leaving the door closed between washes, this water can become stagnant. If you are experiencing sour odors from the washer, the following link can give you some pointers on things to try to help keep the smell from coming back:

http://www.fixya.com/support/r3608512-getting_rid_front_loader_mildew_odor

Odors can also be caused by using the wrong type of detergent, causing soap scum build up, and from small articles of clothing caught in the rubber folds of the door bellow, or in the drain lines. Read through the link provided and let me know if you still have problems. I personally own a front loader and have followed this regiment for 9 years now with no odor or mildew problems. I hope this helps you.

Front loaders are known for building up mold and the smell.
It’s caused by using liquid detergent which is made from animal fat. Use powder. And use the minimum amount.
It’s caused by using fabric softener. Dilute it 50/50 with water.
It’s caused by the water remaining in the tub between washes. Leave the door open to allow it to dry. .
Pull the rubber door seal back and clean the mold off .

Front loaders are known for building up mold and the smell.
It’s caused by using liquid detergent which is made from animal fat. Use powder. And use the minimum amount.
It’s caused by using fabric softener. Dilute it 50/50 with water.
It’s caused by the water remaining in the tub between washes. Leave the door open to allow it to dry. .
Pull the rubber door seal back and clean the mold off .

The first thing to do is to CHECK IN AND AROUND THE RUBBER DOOR BOOT (called a bellow) for small articles of clothing (like socks and underwear) that may have gotten lodged in behind the rubber. Pull the rubber back where it meets the wash tub and look behind it. It is common for small items to get stuck here, become forgotten and start to mildew. You should check this area after each wash and clean it periodically to get rid of the formation of soap scum, mold, and mildew. HINT: When you get ready to wash a load of towels, take a dirty towel and clean the door boot thoroughly (including the areas behind the rubber). Immediately place the towel in the wash and run it on a sanitary cycle. This way you eliminate the need for cleaning rags.

PERIODICALLY RUN THE WASHER ON A CLEANING CYCLE. Place the washer on the hottest setting you have (usually a Sanitary cycle) with nothing but bleach in the wash tub. Some newer models actually have a "Clean Cycle" available now just for this purpose. This helps keep the wash tub, drain lines and pump sanitized.

CHECK AND CLEAN THE DRAIN PUMP FILTER. Accumulations of debris in the drain pump filter can also cause odors. HINT: If you own a shop vac, pull the drain hose from the standpipe at the wall and pull a vacuum on the line. This will drain any residual water left in the tub, pump and drain lines BEFORE you remove the drain pump cover. This will prevent a messy clean up later.

LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN IF POSSIBLE. When not in use, leave the door open to allow the tub to air out and to keep mold and mildew from forming on the door bellow. I know this may not be desirable in some households with small children. If too much mildew forms on the rubber and it cannot be removed, replacement of the bellow may be required.

NOTE: This problem is common with front loader style washing machines. The doors on these machines have an air tight/water tight seal that is great for sealing the washer during the wash cycle, but can be terrible for collecting small garments and for not allowing the tub to properly air out when not in use. Following these simple preventive measures can go a long way towards preventing harmful mold and mildew, and towards extending the life of the door bellow and pump.



Thanks for using FixYa - a 4 THUMBS rating is appreciated for answering your FREE question.$%&

have you cleaned the main waste pipe as this surpisingly enough gathers a lot of gunk and in warm weather makes it smell,i say this cus we expeirieced this and i replaced rather than cleaned the waste pipe,worth a try it worked for me,rgds paul

If you are using a high efficiency front loader than you suffer from the same symptoms that these front loaders typically have. The infamous bad smell and mold.. This is quite common because the front loaders actually seal the wash tub area with a water proof gasket around the door and left closed, the leftover water that gasket will get musty and if left untreated, may develop mold. Home Depot sells AFFRESH tablets that you cycle thru the qwasher about once a month and that usually does the trick.. The less desirable method is to wipe the gasket area with a towel or equivalent and leave the washer door open or partially open to air dry. That's been my experience.. Hope that helps !

You can either wipe the Bellows down after each load or replace it and gget anouther 1.5 years out of the new oneThis is a problem that is wide spread

Have you tried using detergent HE (High Efficientcy) for front loaders? I had this problem and changed over to HE Detergent (Tide) and it solved my problem. Good Luck

John 3:16