Descaling the machine - and smelly laundry becomesfresh again
Bacteria, which are often the cause of bad-smelling laundry, love limescale deposits. Use machine descaler more often, adding it to the drum or detergent compartment. This also protects the appliance from wear and tear.
Hang up laundry straight away
If laundry is left wet in the drum for a long time, it automatically starts to smell. Modern machines have a timer function so that the laundry is ready on time at the end of the day, for example. So take a look at the manual for your machine.
Clean the drum - and avoid smelly laundry
Check: Is there any detergent residue, fluff or hair stuck in the drum? Unfortunately, we often forget this: The rubber seals are a wonderful breeding ground for bacteria, which then causebad-smelling laundry. Clean them every few washes. Simply wipe them out with a damp cloth.
Additional cleaner
If you still have the feeling that the inside of the machine smells after cleaning the drum, you can run a special hygiene cleaner through the machine every two to three months (available from Dr. Beckmann, for example, approx. 3 euros, drugstore). The agent kills germs, removes detergent residues and thus helps to prevent smelly laundry.
High temperature against smelly laundry
Washing laundry at 30 degrees is environmentally friendly - but unfortunately low temperatures also allow bacteria, viruses and fungi to multiply. Run the machine regularly at 60 degrees. Underwear, kitchen cloths and towels in particular should be washed at high temperatures.
Leave the washing machine open
Bacteria multiply particularly well in damp conditions. Therefore, leave the drum door open after every wash cycle so that the interior can dry properly. The same applies to the detergent compartment. It is also best to wipe dry a little with kitchen paper - and remove any powder residue. This way you can avoid bad-smelling laundry in the machine.
Fragrant help
Fabric softeners provide additional freshness, which help against smelly laundry and also make the fibers cozy. Alternatives are laundry fragrances, dryer sheets or closet fresheners.