Domakihub Clean a Smelly Washing Machine Drum in 5 Steps
Banish the musty odour for good and get clothes that actually smell clean.
Reviewed by Domakihub cleaning pros · 2026-06-23 · 4 min read
A washing machine that smells worse than the laundry it cleans is one of the most common complaints in Greek homes, holiday rentals, and hotel housekeeping rooms — and high humidity only makes the problem faster to develop. The video above walks through the core technique, and the steps below give you the full process, room by room, so every part of the machine gets attention. Follow this routine once a month and your drum will stay genuinely fresh, even in a coastal property that rarely gets a cold, dry day.
Why Greek Homes Are Especially Prone to Drum Odour
In a hot, humid climate, the interior of a front-loading washing machine never fully dries between cycles. Moisture trapped inside the rubber door seal, the detergent drawer, and the drum itself creates ideal conditions for mould and mildew — the exact organisms behind that classic damp, sour smell.
Modern low-temperature detergent pods and 30°C eco cycles compound the problem. They are excellent for fabrics and electricity bills, but they do not reach the temperature needed to flush away the greasy biofilm that builds up on drum walls and the pump filter over time. Periodic hot-cycle maintenance is the fix.
What You Need Before You Start
You do not need specialist cleaning products. White vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, and a standard descaling tablet (the kind sold in every Greek supermarket for coffee machines) are all you need for a thorough clean. Keep a small bowl, an old toothbrush, and a few cloths handy as well.
If your machine is in a rental property, do this clean between guest stays whenever you notice the slightest musty hint — guests notice smells immediately, and a bad review citing laundry odour is entirely avoidable with twenty minutes of work.
How to Clean a Smelly Washing Machine Drum
- 1
Clean the rubber door seal first
Pull back the rubber gasket around the door opening and wipe out everything hiding in its folds — lint, hair, and the dark mould patches that form in Greek humidity. Dampen a cloth with a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water, push it into every fold, and scrub with an old toothbrush. For stubborn black spots, apply a small amount of bicarbonate of soda paste, leave it for five minutes, then wipe clean. Dry the seal thoroughly before closing the door.
- 2
Remove and soak the detergent drawer
Pull the drawer out completely — most models release with a press of a small tab at the back — and soak it in hot water with a splash of white vinegar for fifteen minutes. Use a toothbrush to scrub away the thick, waxy detergent residue and any mould from the fabric-softener compartment. Rinse, dry, and reinstall. While the drawer is out, shine a torch into the recess and wipe the inside with a damp cloth.
- 3
Clear and rinse the pump filter
The pump filter sits behind a small panel at the base of the machine, usually on the front right. Place a shallow tray and a towel underneath before you unscrew it — a surprising amount of water will drain out. Pull out any lint, coins, or debris (a shockingly common find in hotel laundry), rinse the filter under a running tap, screw it back firmly, and close the panel. A blocked filter reduces drainage and keeps stale water sitting inside the drum.
- 4
Run a hot maintenance cycle with descaler
Place a descaling tablet or 200 ml of white vinegar directly into the drum (not the drawer), set the machine to its hottest cycle — 60°C or 90°C if available — and run it empty. The heat and acid break down limescale and the greasy biofilm on the drum walls that lower-temperature cycles leave behind. If your machine has a dedicated drum-clean programme, use that; otherwise a cotton cycle at maximum temperature achieves the same result.
- 5
Leave the door and drawer open between washes
Once the machine is clean, keep it that way with one simple habit: always leave the door ajar and the detergent drawer slightly open after every cycle. In Greece's warm climate, a closed drum becomes humid within hours and mould returns quickly. In a holiday rental or hotel, brief guests or cleaning staff on this rule — it takes five seconds and halves how often a deep clean is needed.
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FAQ
- How often should I clean a washing machine in a Greek holiday rental?
- Run the full five-step routine every month during the high season, and at the very minimum between every change of guests if you notice any odour. The combination of high humidity, heavy use, and guests who use whatever detergent pods they pack means rental machines accumulate biofilm faster than a lightly-used home machine.
- Can I use bleach instead of white vinegar to clean the drum?
- Yes, but use it separately and sparingly. A small amount of non-splash liquid bleach added to the drum during a hot empty cycle will kill mould effectively. Never mix bleach with vinegar — together they produce chlorine gas. Vinegar is gentler on rubber seals over time and is the safer routine choice; keep bleach for cases where you can see visible black mould that vinegar does not shift.
- My clothes still smell after washing even though the drum looks clean. Why?
- The most common culprits are a partially blocked pump filter (which allows stale water to linger), a detergent drawer that has never been fully cleaned, or a habit of washing everything at 30°C. Try increasing the wash temperature for one load, clear the filter, and if the problem persists, check whether you are using too much detergent — excess soap residue in the drum feeds the bacteria that cause the smell.