Smelly Dryer?

Updated on May 05, 2008
S. asks from Denver, CO
8 answers

My dryer has recently taken on a weird odor! I wash our clothes and throw them into the dryer with a dryer sheet and they come out with a stinky smell. I have cleaned out the inside of the dryer and the smell went away; this was about a month ago. Now the strange smell has returned. What is this and how can I prevent this from happening again?

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E.R.

answers from Denver on

I would make sure your dryer vent tube is totally clear. They can get blocked. Maybe something like a bird/animal nest blocked it and it smells funny from that? I have heard of washers getting a moldy smell from leaving the door shut after a load of wash, but not a smelly dryer. Did you try googling 'smelly dryer' to see if you can find an explanation? Good luck! Let us know if you solve the problem!

I just googled smelly dryer, and this came up:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2006091219083...

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H.

answers from Provo on

I had a friend who just recently found she had a mold problem in her dryer that was causing all kinds of health problems in her family. As everyone else has already said have it checked. Good luck :)

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S.M.

answers from Fort Collins on

Sounds like everyone has given you pretty good advice, but I want to stress make sure you get it looked at asap and maybe don't use it till you do because dryers are one of the top ways to burn your house down if they arnt properly maintained! Also if you use propane or gas to run your dryer propane smells rotten, you want to rule out a gas leak for sure! :)
Good Luck and let us know what happens :)

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K.D.

answers from Denver on

It sounds like maybe you have a family whose taken up residence in your line somewhere. Even if you have a cover over the exit part fromm the house, some animals can still get in around that. I'm not sure how you check that and clean it out, but I know my F-I-L thinks it's an easy job and has done it for us. Vacuuming out the lint areas might also help. Also, you can take the drum out and see if there's somethingin the dryer itself. Again, I don't know how to do that, we had a guy who did it to move our dryer in to a tight room once. Hope maybe this helps. Sorry I can't be more specific.

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J.C.

answers from Boise on

Is this a front-loading washer? If so, there's an article at http://www.consumersearch.com/www/house_and_home/washing-... that says:

Although all experts say front loading washing machines are more efficient and do a better job cleaning clothing than top loaders, front loaders haven't been the most reliable. Partly because they represent relatively new technology for the consumer market, they have a learning curve. Because of their design, they require more daily attention. For example, we've ready many reports that front loaders can develop a mildew smell caused by the water that can remain standing in the gasket and other washer parts after a cycle. Users say that owners can wipe away water after cycles. There's actually now a product on the market to address this problem. Affresh washer cleaner tablets (*est. $7 for three tablets), developed by Whirlpool, are supposed to combat mildew and odors in high-efficiency washers. However, owners posting to online forums say that dishwasher detergent also works well. Others suggest leaving the washer door cracked open after loads, so any remaining water can evaporate.

We had this happen in our front loading washer. When we moved and looked for another washer, the salesperson said it was because the washer sealed so tightly. We used Affresh and it worked well.

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C.B.

answers from Denver on

Are your cloths getting clean? If they are not, that could be causing the smell also. So check the smell of your clothes before you place them in the dryer.
C. B

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D.K.

answers from Denver on

Make sure it isn't a burning smell. Make sure you clean down with one of those special brushes down where the lint collector is. I would run a wet rag with lemon juice and vinager in it if it is cleaned everywhere else.
Also if you live in Colorado, there is a great home maint. plan called Blue Ribbon Warranty I got when I bought my home. It is $35 a month and covers all repairs on appliances, AC units, Furnace and even plumbing issues. It is so worth it as I have had to have my washing machine repaired, my furnace and so forth and it was all fixed without paying anything other then the $35! :)

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K.P.

answers from Boise on

I once had a weird smell in my laundry room that was almost sewer water smelly. I figured out that it was the material that my daughter's P.J.s were made out of. You could have a totally different problem, but sometimes new clothes made in other countries have a really bad smell that takes a lot of washing to get rid of. Just a thought to maybe pinpoint the cause of the smell. Good luck making your house smell nice again.

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