So my washing machine started stinking like a swamp last week. Yeah, totally gross. Thought I fixed it with one of those store-bought cleaning tabs. Popped one in, ran the hottest cycle, felt proud.

Opened that lid next morning and WHAM! Smelled even worse than before. Like sour milk mixed with wet dog hair. Seriously? How?! Felt like I wasted money and made things worse.

Panic Google & Mom Wisdom

Grabbed my phone right there beside the stinky machine. Typed like a madman: "Washer smells TERRIBLE after cleaning?!" Turns out tons of people get this crap. Read five articles while breathing through my shirt.

Then I called my mom. Duh. She laughed and said: "Those tabs? Sometimes they just loosen the gunk but don't flush it out. You need WATER." Felt dumb.

Operation De-Stink Begins

First mission: Unclog the stupid filter thing. Always ignored it before. Twisted off that little plastic panel at the bottom front. Water EXPLODED everywhere. Bucket saved the floor. Pulled out this slimy, hairy plug of nastiness. Nearly puked.

Next up: The rubber seal around the door. Peeked inside - mold city. Like fuzzy black spots everywhere. Used an old toothbrush and vinegar. Scrubbed till my arm hurt. Black gunk kept coming out. Disgusting.

Vinegar Showdown & Magic Trick

Filled the bleach dispenser with white vinegar. NOT bleach - that's important! Ran the longest, hottest cycle. Whole kitchen smelled like pickles. Way better than rotting cheese.

But the REAL trick? Threw two CLEAN bath towels into the drum after the vinegar cycle. Ran another hot wash with just towels. Why? Articles said towels scrub the drum walls while spinning. Pulled them out damp - no smell! Left the door wide open overnight.

Victory Scent?

Next morning: Hesitant sniff... nothing! No stank! Just smelled like... nothing. Perfect. Felt like a wizard.

What actually worked:

• Finding that gross filter trap and cleaning it FOR REAL
• Brushing that nasty rubber seal with vinegar
• Vinegar-only HOT wash (no soap, nothing else)
• Drum-scrubbing with old towels afterward
• LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN after every single wash

So yeah. Those fancy cleaning tabs? Sometimes make it worse. Vinegar, elbow grease, and remembering the damn filter? Magic. Smells like clean laundry should now.