Mold in washers in rented condos

The worst washer stench I ever encountered was in a Speed Queen front loader I purchased from a thrift store in Indiana some years back.

The owner of the thrift store had advertised he purchased large lot of them. He had about 24 or 25 of them lined up in two back to back rows. I asked him where they came from and he said he purchased them from a military academy, I believe he said it was in Michigan, but not sure. Apparently the Government must change them out, in mass, on a regular interval.

I wanted to pick a good one out without bearing noise, so he gave me a long extensive cored and turned me loose, he stayed far away and the other end of the store while I tested them. I can see why.

As I opened the first one, the stench just hit me in the face. I can't quite describe it, except to say it was one of the worst, most nauseating and revolting smells I have ever encountered. It wasn't really a mold smell but more of the the odor of a well used, and ultra ripe, sweaty/dirty gym sock smell, multiplied by 100.

If I remember correctly the machines were approximately a 2006 model and I was there in 2015, so these Speed Queens had washed cadet guys dirty socks and sweaty underwear for 9 or 10 years. After doing calisthenics, and marching several miles a day in the hot sun, their sweat soaked garments didn't didn't smell like a bed of roses.

I didn't see mold in the outer tubs, but they quite likely had it one the inner tub which may have contributed to the olfactory experience.

Trying to pick one out was difficult as I was trying to hold my breath while looking in the tubs. After plugging a few of them in I selected one.

Upon getting it home, it stunk my kitchen/laundry area up every time I opened the machine's door. It took multiple runs of hot water, detergent and large amounts of bleach to reduce knock down the horrid odor to an acceptable level.

I took the door apart (surprised it was made of cheap lightweight waffled plastic) and did find mold and gunk on the inside of the door panels. Difficult to clean off of the many waffled edges. I don't think this contributed to the odor which emanating from the tub, though. Over time the stench did lessen and finally disappeared.

I can't imagine what those guys clothes must have smelled like after being washed in those machines. The odor was so over-powering it must have transferred to their clothes. Their parents and girlfriends much have wondered why they stunk so bad.


Forum Topics & Rules Manuals & Literature	New users Click-here to sign-up

Post# 1127113 8/28/2021 at 18:27 (964 days old) by Seeitrun2006 (Commerce, GA)
Checkrate/Likes Last week my wife and I stayed in a condo in North Myrtle beach, SC (7 days). There was an older (1990’s) front load washer (photo attached) in the condo. My sister in laws (gay couple) went with us. One of them washed clothes every single day. The middle of the week I started having real bad allergies with migraine headaches. Looked in washer it was solid black with mold. I don’t understand why these condo owners will not maintain their appliances!!! I’m afraid someone will eventually go into anaphylaxis shock from this mold problem. No sense in calling the rental office about it. They just blow me off like I have lost my mind!!! Back home getting over “ the attack of the washing machine mold”. View Full Size

Post# 1127115 , Reply# 1 8/28/2021 at 18:57 (964 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)
Checkrate/Likes A more common situation than not ...

Post# 1127120 , Reply# 2 8/28/2021 at 19:51 (964 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.))
Checkrate/Likes *Moldy condo washer:* There is little point complaining to management as by the time they are likely to do anything you will be gone. Best solution is go to the laundromat. WK78

Post# 1127121 , Reply# 3 8/28/2021 at 20:28 (964 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)
Checkrate/Likes There's no getting around it; h-axis washing machines are prone to growing mold and mildew if not allowed to air out between uses. Certain top loading washing machines suffer same disability (laundry product aisles in Japan are full of washing machine "cleaner" and "disinfectant" products. Issue is exerbated if washing machine is in a warm and moist climate. Again Japan during summer, well as many other parts of world where climate is warm and moist either all year or certain seasons have issues with mold in washing machines. What likely happened in this instance renters closed machine port hole after using machine. Worse machine was left closed up during periods when not in use and or unit was vacant (between rentals). Am surprised you didn't notice machine had a whiff before first using.

Post# 1127150 , Reply# 4 8/29/2021 at 06:20 (963 days old) by Seeitrun2006 (Commerce, GA)
Checkrate/Likes *Smell before using* My sister in law used the washer long before I noticed it. She didn’t say anything about it smelling it. The little tiny closet it sits in with matching dryer on top would not allow the door to stay open. It is located in a little “one butt”kitchen”. I don’t see how they got it in there. Considering the age of the set it looked like they have had excessive wear and tear over the years. Some of the writing on the control panel has worn off. This happened in a cabin we rented back in April. Samsung front load stacked that was probably 2 years old which had the same mold problem. And of course my body reacted with clogged sinuses and migraines until we left. It does not make for an enjoyable vacation to say the least!!!

Post# 1127153 , Reply# 5 8/29/2021 at 07:46 (963 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)
Checkrate/Likes 1 well it is one of the last things you would consider when going on vacation....but as we have all seen, it does happen.....kind of scary as now wondering about the rest of the place and how clean it really is....makes you wonder where the sheets/towels were washed, unless you have to supply your own... now that you are aware of such conditions, it may not be a bad idea for future trips to take along Lysol Spray, and maybe some bleach or washing machine cleaner, just in case....even a heavy dose of dishwasher detergent and a hot wash can remove a lot of muck in a machine..... happy trails!

Post# 1127171 , Reply# 6 8/29/2021 at 11:34 (963 days old) by Pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada)
Checkrate/Likes *best advice i can give* I would suggest giving feed back to your travel agent if you used your travel agent to book your vacation

Post# 1127175 , Reply# 7 8/29/2021 at 11:56 (963 days old) by Seeitrun2006 (Commerce, GA)
Checkrate/Likes *Our own sheets* We took our bedding this time. We threw their stuff in the closet. Thanks everyone for all the advice!!! Peace out and stay well!!! Blessings to all, David

Post# 1127235 , Reply# 8 8/30/2021 at 09:30 (962 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )
Checkrate/Likes *stench* The worst washer stench I ever encountered was in a Speed Queen front loader I purchased from a thrift store in Indiana some years back. The owner of the thrift store had advertised he purchased large lot of them. He had about 24 or 25 of them lined up in two back to back rows. I asked him where they came from and he said he purchased them from a military academy, I believe he said it was in Michigan, but not sure. Apparently the Government must change them out, in mass, on a regular interval. I wanted to pick a good one out without bearing noise, so he gave me a long extensive cored and turned me loose, he stayed far away and the other end of the store while I tested them. I can see why. As I opened the first one, the stench just hit me in the face. I can't quite describe it, except to say it was one of the worst, most nauseating and revolting smells I have ever encountered. It wasn't really a mold smell but more of the the odor of a well used, and ultra ripe, sweaty/dirty gym sock smell, multiplied by 100. If I remember correctly the machines were approximately a 2006 model and I was there in 2015, so these Speed Queens had washed cadet guys dirty socks and sweaty underwear for 9 or 10 years. After doing calisthenics, and marching several miles a day in the hot sun, their sweat soaked garments didn't didn't smell like a bed of roses. I didn't see mold in the outer tubs, but they quite likely had it one the inner tub which may have contributed to the olfactory experience. Trying to pick one out was difficult as I was trying to hold my breath while looking in the tubs. After plugging a few of them in I selected one. Upon getting it home, it stunk my kitchen/laundry area up every time I opened the machine's door. It took multiple runs of hot water, detergent and large amounts of bleach to reduce knock down the horrid odor to an acceptable level. I took the door apart (surprised it was made of cheap lightweight waffled plastic) and did find mold and gunk on the inside of the door panels. Difficult to clean off of the many waffled edges. I don't think this contributed to the odor which emanating from the tub, though. Over time the stench did lessen and finally disappeared. I can't imagine what those guys clothes must have smelled like after being washed in those machines. The odor was so over-powering it must have transferred to their clothes. Their parents and girlfriends much have wondered why they stunk so bad.

Post# 1127242 , Reply# 9 8/30/2021 at 11:33 (962 days old) by lakewebsterkid (Dayton, Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Same here* We rented a condo in Florida with the same machine. The door was closed upon entering the condo. Supposedly sat unoccupied for a few weeks. There was a little mildew on the gasket. I sprayed some bleach clean up on it, wiped the machine out well, and ran a hot wash with bleach before washing any clothes in it. It was fine after.