Most likely causes
- Residue in the door gasket folds. Lint, hair, and soap stay damp between loads.
- Too much detergent, or non-HE detergent. The extra suds leave film everywhere.
- Door kept closed between loads. Moisture has nowhere to go.
- Debris in the drain pump filter. Standing water and lint start to smell.
- Slow drain leaving dirty water in the sump.
Try this before you book
- Wipe out the gasket folds, including the drain holes at the bottom.
- Pull the detergent drawer completely and scrub the drawer and its cavity.
- Clean the drain pump filter (bottom front panel).
- Run the washer's clean cycle, or a hot cycle with a washer-cleaning tablet.
- Leave the door and drawer cracked open after every load.
When it takes a repair
- Drain pump filter or sump clog clearing
- Door gasket replacement (moldy or torn)
- Drain pump replacement
Fix it or replace it?
A smell alone is never a reason to replace a washer. If the gasket has black mold that won't scrub out or a tear, replacing just the gasket makes the machine feel new again.
From John's notes: Humid Dallas summers make this worse in laundry rooms without much airflow. A cracked door and a small fan in the room do more than any product you can buy.
Smell won't go away? Book a washer inspection with TrueFix Appliance Repair Dallas.