Is It Safe To Wash Clothes In Moldy Washing Machine Provided The Clothes Do Not Come Out With a Smell?
I have a washing machine which continually builds up mold and despite all the recommended procedures(bleach, vinegar, chemicals, service washes, long washes etc) I am unable to remove the problem.
I notice that despite the presence of continually retruning mold on the rubber, it is only my towels that keep coming out smelling of mold. many of the thin fabric clothes do not smell of mold. However I am assuming that whatever I am putting in there is getting washed in dirty water(likely moldy).
My question is, is it safe to continue to wash clothes in this machine and use the clothes provided they do not smell of anything after I take them out? I have been using the thin fabrics without noticing any ill affects. I can just hand wash my towels. At least this way I can still use the machine(it is only 2 years old) without having to buy a new one.
Thanks
Solution Summary
AI-generated from this discussion
This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.
Recurring mould in washing machine; safety of washing non-smelly clothes not confirmed
- The problem
- A 2-year-old washing machine continually develops black mould on the door rubber. The owner had already tried bleach, vinegar, chemicals, service washes and long washes without curing it. Towels were coming out smelling mouldy, while thinner fabrics often did not smell after washing. The question was whether it was safe to keep using clothes washed in the machine if they did not smell.
- Likely cause
- The accepted reply said black mould is not normal and that something is allowing it to grow. A probable explanation suggested in the discussion was detergent/soap contributing to mould, but this was only one member’s opinion and was not confirmed.
- What fixed it
- The accepted advice was to identify and address the underlying cause of the mould, because replacing the door seal or even the machine might only lead to the same issue returning. No definite assurance was given that washing and using non-smelly clothes was safe. Exact repair action was not confirmed.
- Checks to try
- Black mould visible on the rubber door seal area
- Towels continued to smell of mould after washing
- Thin fabrics often had no noticeable smell after washing
- Bleach, vinegar, chemicals, service washes and long washes had already been tried
Safety: No definite safety clearance was given for continued use of clothes washed in the affected machine. Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
4 Answers
It's a shame it's in such a state after only 2 years. The chances are that even if you had the door seal replaced or bought a new washing machine it would happen again within 2 years unless you found what was causing it. Black mould isn't normal so it shouldn't be there and something is allowing it to grow. It sounds like you've done some research on the problem but if you haven't already read my article it might help - what causes mould and grease on washing machine?
I would have thought if you can't see or smell anything on those items they may not be having much contact with the mould although there must be some contact on some level even if it's through the water.
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But do you think it is safe to use those clothes provided I do not notice any ill affects.
Thanks
I was saying probably, but I'm not able to say definitely sorry. Best thing is to try and get rid of the problem.
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I think the biggest problem is the soap. I've noticed how some produce mould while others don't. Since shifting over to Surf I haven't seen any mould plus I think it's biological. I also don't put in the amount they recommend, usually about half and the clothes still come out clean and smelling nice.
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