Alright, so picture this. My washing machine started smelling like a swamp creature took a bath in it. Seriously, musty as hell. I figured, okay, time to clean that bad boy. Everyone says you gotta do it regularly. Saw some YouTube videos about DIY vinegar and baking soda jobs, but honestly? Looked messy and kinda sus. Plus, my last DIY... let's not talk about that. Got glue stuck in places glue should never be. So I thought, screw it, maybe just pay someone this time.

Started hunting online. Typed in stuff like "washing machine cleaning near me cheap" and "best price washer cleaning service". Man, results were all over the place. Prices jumping up and down like crazy. Felt like trying to buy concert tickets during a server crash.

Decided to actually compare three different ones. Made a crappy little list on a napkin:

• The Big App Option: Found on one of those popular home service apps everyone uses. Ad said $X for a "basic internal clean". Sounded simple.
• The Local Cleaner Guy: Saw his flyer pinned to the community board at the crappy laundromat down the street. His handwritten note claimed "Deep clean special $Y". Figured local might be cheaper?
• The Fancy Appliance Company: Got a coupon flyer in the mail from the place that sold me my dryer years ago. Offering a "Premium Washer Hygiene Service" for a whopping $Z. Way more, but maybe fancier?

Called them all up. The Big App guy? Seemed like he was reading off a script, super fast. Barely let me ask questions. Said they just run cleaner tabs through a cycle. Felt kinda... cheap and quick? The Local Guy actually answered his phone on the third ring, chewing something. Sounded gruff but knew his stuff. Explained he disconnects the fill hoses, scrubs the drum and door gasket real good, checks the drain filter - the whole nine yards. Takes about an hour. The Fancy Company lady? Very polite, very professional. Said their "certified techs" do a deep internal scrub, sanitize everything, and run diagnostics. Takes two hours minimum. Felt like calling a doctor for your washer.

Wrote down the prices:

• Big App Basic Blast: Cheap. Like, cheap-cheap.
• Local Guy Deep Dive: About 2.5x the cost of the app guy.
• Fancy Full Health Check: Blew the other two out of the water. Like, car payment level.

Okay, time to choose. Went super cheap with the Big App option first. Young dude showed up, popped two tablets into the drum, ran a hot empty cycle with bleach setting for good measure? Seemed weird. Took maybe 30 minutes total. Drum looked a bit cleaner right after, less slime. Smell wasn't gone though. Like, still faintly swampy underneath the fake lemon scent they used. Felt incomplete. Sorta what I expected.

Two weeks later, smell creeping back strong. Called the Local Guy. He rolled up in his beat-up van full of gear. Looked exactly like his phone voice sounded. Put down towels, dragged the machine out partly (which was scary!), unscrewed panels I didn't even know existed. Used actual brushes, scrapers, some foamy cleaner that smelled industrial (but not swampy!), stuck a little camera thing near the pump to check? Worked his ass off. Took solid 75 minutes. Had the drum looking factory new inside the door seal, filter housing? Nasty. But he cleaned out all the gross gunk trapped in there – lint, soap scum, coins (!!?), bits of a black sock I mourned. That weird smell? Gone. Totally gone. Felt way more thorough.

Fancy Company service? Skipped it. My wallet cried just thinking about it. Honestly, the Local Guy’s deep clean felt solid. The app option? Too basic, like pouring perfume on a problem. So here’s the real talk breakdown:

• Want super cheap and fast? The app cleaner might work for minor maintenance. Don’t expect miracles.
• Got actual gunk, bad smells? Spending more for the Local Guy (or similar hands-on service) is completely worth it. Gets stuff done right.
• Super premium service? Unless you got cash to burn or a super fancy machine under warranty requiring it? Probably overkill for most.

Bottom line? Don't just chase the cheapest tag. Know what mess you got, understand what the service actually does, and be willing to pay a bit more for the guy who actually gets his hands dirty inside the beast, not just pops a pill in it. Lesson learned. Now my laundry smells like... nothing. Which is weirdly great.