Man, I was so done with that nasty smell coming from my dishwasher and washing machine. Every time I opened 'em, it hit me like a wet sock to the face - seriously gross. Like, I ran a cycle the other day and my plates came out smelling worse than before? Nope. That’s when I knew I had to get serious.

My First Attempt (Yeah, I Failed)

Grabbed some random cleaner I had under the sink – the cheap powder stuff. Just dumped it in both machines like a dummy and hit "start." Sat there watching soap bubbles swirl like it was magic. Spoiler: it wasn’t. Smell came back STRONGER. Like a sour milk factory exploded in there. Total waste of time.

Getting Schooled at the Store

Felt dumb, so I drove to the store. Asked the guy in the cleaning aisle straight up: "What kills that rotten egg funk FOR REAL?" He pointed me to two specific cleaners – one purple bottle for dishwashers, one foaming spray can for the washer. Told me three brutal truths:

• Dishwasher arms? Gotta scrub every hole or the crud chokes 'em.
• Washing machine rubber seal? If it’s not cracked, that goo’s trapped weeks of grossness.
• Cheap cleaners? They lie. They make steam, not clean.

Felt like an idiot, but okay. Bought both.

Operation De-Funk Begins

Got home and nearly cried pulling the dishwasher bottom rack out. Slimy brown gunk crusted around the filter?! Grabbed an old toothbrush (sorry, never using it again) and went to war. Scooped out chunks. Scrubbed every. Single. Hole. in the spray arms. Smelled like a swamp. Nearly puked.

Pour in the whole purple bottle. Ran hottest cycle possible – took forever. After, cracked it open… silence. No smell? Sniffed deep. Nothing. Miracle.

Washing Machine War

Flipped open the washer lid and attacked that rubber seal groove. That foaming spray? Lifesaver. Sprayed SO MUCH that white foam swallowed the whole drum. Shoved paper towels under the seal and – gag – wiped out BLACK sludge. Actual horror movie stuff.

Then I learned the dumbest rule: leave the lid open. Seriously? All these years slamming it shut? Yeah. Traps moisture. Let it dry for hours.

Victory Dance

Next morning ran empty cycles on both with just water. No smells. Actually smelled…clean? Like fresh air? Used ’em both yesterday. Clothes came out fresh. Plates? Zero odor. That nasty funk’s GONE.

Lesson learned: don’t cut corners. Get the right gear, scrub like you mean it, and leave the washer lid cracked. Works every time. Good luck.