--- title: "Laundry Drum Smelling Musty: Door Boot, Drain Filter and Detergent: Causes and Fixes" description: "A laundry drum smelling musty gives off a damp, sour or mildew odor when the door opens, and passes it on to clean clothes, towels and the laundry room itself." url: "https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/laundry-drum-smelling-musty/" --- # Laundry Drum Smelling Musty: Door Boot, Drain Filter and Detergent A laundry drum smelling musty gives off a damp, sour or mildew odor when the door opens, and passes it on to clean clothes, towels and the laundry room itself. ## What it usually means. A washing machine that smells is growing something, and it is almost always living in the places that stay wet between loads. On a front-loader, the folds of the rubber door boot hold water, lint and softener; the detergent drawer and the channel behind it keep a gray film; the drain pump filter at the bottom front holds standing water, hair and pocket debris; and the outside of the drum, which you never see, collects scum. On a top-loader the same film forms under the agitator or impeller and around the tub. Cooler wash settings, small doses of detergent used wrongly, too much softener and a door shut tight between loads all help it grow. The smell is a sign of upkeep that has slipped, not of a broken machine. The fix is to clean each hidden wet spot: the boot folded back and cleaned, the drawer taken out and washed, the drain filter opened and cleared, and the tub clean cycle run with a cleaner the maker allows. After that, habits keep it away: the right dose of high-efficiency detergent, a hot cycle now and then, the door and drawer left slightly open to dry. If the smell is of sewage, the drain standpipe or its trap may be the source, which is a plumber's job; a pump that no longer drains is a repair for the sister washer repair site. The 6 causes, cheapest first Answer these first 01 Is the smell musty and sour, or like sewage from the drain? 02 Are there black spots or slime in the folds of the door boot or in the detergent drawer? 03 When was the drain filter at the bottom front last opened, if ever? 04 Is the door kept shut between loads, and which detergent and softener are used? 05 Is there standing water left in the drum or the filter after a cycle? ## Check these before you book. Laundry drum smelling musty: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything. 01 Fold back the door boot and look for black spots, lint and slime in its folds. 02 Take out the detergent drawer and look behind it for film and mold. 03 Open the drain filter over a pan with towels ready, clear it, and note what was inside. ### Also worth checking - Run the tub clean cycle, or a hot cycle with a cleaner the maker allows, with the drum empty. - Leave the door and the drawer slightly open after the cycle, and sniff again the next day. ### How soon does it need a visit? A musty drum is not urgent. Clean what you can reach this week, and book a visit if the smell returns quickly, if water stays in the drum after a cycle, or if the boot is torn. ## The causes, cheapest first. 6 things laundry drum smelling musty: door boot, drain filter and detergent turns out to be, from door kept shut between loads to drain pump failing or a drain trap drying out. [The cost guide](https://appliancemaintenance.center/cost/) 1. 01 no service ### Door kept shut between loads A closed door holds damp air in the drum and boot, which is what mildew needs. Leave the door and the detergent drawer slightly open after each load, where children and pets cannot climb in. No service: check it yourself 2. 02 no service ### Too much detergent or softener Extra suds and softener leave a waxy film on the boot and the drum. Use high-efficiency detergent at the dose on the label, and run a hot cycle with a tub cleaner now and then. No service: check it yourself 3. 03 low ### Mildew in the door boot and drawer The folds of the boot and the channel behind the drawer grow black spots and slime. Both are cleaned by hand, and the tub clean cycle is run with a cleaner the maker allows. [Fixed by drum seal and drain filter cleaning](https://appliancemaintenance.center/services/drum-seal-and-drain-filter-cleaning/) [On a laundry machine](https://appliancemaintenance.center/types/laundry-maintenance/) 4. 04 low ### Drain filter holding standing water Debris in the pump filter keeps a small pool of water trapped there between loads. The filter is opened over a pan and cleared. [Fixed by drum seal and drain filter cleaning](https://appliancemaintenance.center/services/drum-seal-and-drain-filter-cleaning/) [On a laundry machine](https://appliancemaintenance.center/types/laundry-maintenance/) 5. 05 moderate ### Boot torn or perished A boot that is torn, cracked or permanently stained holds water where it cannot be cleaned. It is replaced with the right part for the model. [Fixed by door seal check and replacement](https://appliancemaintenance.center/services/door-seal-check-and-replacement/) [On a laundry machine](https://appliancemaintenance.center/types/laundry-maintenance/) 6. 06 varies ### Drain pump failing or a drain trap drying out Water left in the drum after a cycle points to a pump or drain that has failed, a repair for the sister washer repair site. A sewage smell from the standpipe is usually its trap, which is a plumber's job. [Book a diagnostic visit](https://appliancemaintenance.center/services/diagnostic-visit/) ## What else it could be. Most often confused with door seal not holding: gaps, tears and doors that drift open, then laundry taking two cycles to dry: the lint path is usually why. [All problems](https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/) Codes that come with it - [`Sterile Tub alert` ASKO · Reminders, not failures](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/asko-sterile-tub-alert/) - [`E17` Bosch · Filters](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/bosch-e17/) - [`Lint cLn` Fisher & Paykel · Filters](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/fisher-and-paykel-dryer-lint-cln/) - [`18` GE Profile · Water, fill and drain](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/ge-profile-washer-code-18/) - [`353` GE Profile · Vents and airflow](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/ge-profile-dryer-code-353/) - [`tCL` LG · Reminders, not failures](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/lg-washer-tcl/) [8 more codes, by make](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/) Also related - [**Appliance Maintenance Code or Reminder Light: Filter, Descale, Vent Check** 8 causes](https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/appliance-maintenance-code/) ### Door Seal Not Holding: Gaps, Tears and Doors That Drift Open 6 causes ### Laundry Taking Two Cycles to Dry: The Lint Path Is Usually Why 6 causes Fire, gas, water or wiring risk ### Supply Hose Leaking or Bulging Behind an Appliance: Shut the Water Off 6 causes ## The makes it happens on. 35 makes on this site; laundry drum smelling musty: door boot, drain filter and detergent can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 35 brands](https://appliancemaintenance.center/brands/) ## Laundry Drum Smelling Musty: Door Boot, Drain Filter and Detergent, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. [All service areas](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/) [Tampa Bay](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/tampa-bay/) FL · 31 areas - [Hyde Park](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/tampa-bay/hyde-park/) - [Davis Islands](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/tampa-bay/davis-islands/) - [Palma Ceia](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/tampa-bay/palma-ceia/) - [Westchase](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/tampa-bay/westchase/) - [Carrollwood](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/tampa-bay/carrollwood/) - [Belleair](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/tampa-bay/belleair/) - [St. Pete Beach](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/tampa-bay/st-pete-beach/) - [Palm Harbor](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/tampa-bay/palm-harbor/) [Orlando](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/orlando/) FL · 30 areas - [Winter Park](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/orlando/winter-park/) - [Windermere](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/orlando/windermere/) - [Dr. Phillips](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/orlando/dr-phillips/) - [Bay Hill](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/orlando/bay-hill/) - [Lake Nona](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/orlando/lake-nona/) - [Heathrow](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/orlando/heathrow/) - [Celebration](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/orlando/celebration/) [Miami / South Florida](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/) FL · 47 areas - [Brickell](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/brickell/) - [Coconut Grove](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/coconut-grove/) - [Coral Gables](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/coral-gables/) - [Pinecrest](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/pinecrest/) - [Key Biscayne](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/key-biscayne/) - [Aventura](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/aventura/) - [Sunny Isles Beach](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/sunny-isles-beach/) - [Bal Harbour](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/bal-harbour/) - [Miami Beach](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/miami-beach/) - [Golden Beach](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/golden-beach/) - [Weston](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/weston/) - [Boca Raton](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/boca-raton/) - [Palm Beach](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/south-florida/palm-beach/) [New York Metro](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/) NY · 75 areas - [Upper East Side](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/upper-east-side/) - [Upper West Side](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/upper-west-side/) - [Tribeca](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/tribeca/) - [SoHo](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/soho/) - [Greenwich Village](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/greenwich-village/) - [Battery Park City](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/battery-park-city/) - [Brooklyn Heights](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/brooklyn-heights/) - [Park Slope](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/park-slope/) - [DUMBO](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/dumbo/) - [Forest Hills](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/forest-hills/) - [Great Neck](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/great-neck/) - [Southampton](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/southampton/) - [Scarsdale](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/new-york/scarsdale/) [Houston](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/) TX · 36 areas - [River Oaks](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/river-oaks/) - [Memorial](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/memorial/) - [Tanglewood](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/tanglewood/) - [Greater Heights](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/greater-heights/) - [Kingwood](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/kingwood/) - [Bellaire](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/bellaire/) - [Bunker Hill Village](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/bunker-hill-village/) - [Piney Point Village](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/piney-point-village/) - [Hunters Creek Village](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/hunters-creek-village/) - [Sugar Land](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/sugar-land/) - [Cinco Ranch](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/cinco-ranch/) - [The Woodlands](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/the-woodlands/) - [West University](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/houston/west-university/) [Chicago](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/) IL · 50 areas - [Lincoln Park](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/lincoln-park/) - [Near North Side](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/near-north-side/) - [West Loop / Near West Side](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/west-loop-near-west-side/) - [Wilmette](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/wilmette/) - [Winnetka](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/winnetka/) - [Glencoe](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/glencoe/) - [River Forest](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/river-forest/) - [Oak Park](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/oak-park/) - [Hinsdale](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/hinsdale/) - [Lake Forest](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/lake-forest/) - [Highland Park](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/highland-park/) - [Gold Coast](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/gold-coast/) - [Lakeview](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/chicagoland/lakeview/) [Los Angeles](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/) CA · 95 areas - [Beverly Hills](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/beverly-hills/) - [Bel Air](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/bel-air/) - [Holmby Hills](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/holmby-hills/) - [Brentwood](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/brentwood/) - [Pacific Palisades](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/pacific-palisades/) - [Santa Monica](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/santa-monica/) - [Hancock Park](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/hancock-park/) - [Studio City](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/studio-city/) - [Calabasas](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/calabasas/) - [Manhattan Beach](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/manhattan-beach/) - [Palos Verdes Estates](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/palos-verdes-estates/) - [Pasadena](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/pasadena/) - [San Marino](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/san-marino/) - [Malibu](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/los-angeles/malibu/) [San Diego](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/san-diego/) CA · 31 areas - [La Jolla](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/san-diego/la-jolla/) - [Carmel Valley](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/san-diego/carmel-valley/) - [Point Loma](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/san-diego/point-loma/) - [Del Mar](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/san-diego/del-mar/) - [Rancho Santa Fe](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/san-diego/rancho-santa-fe/) - [Coronado](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/san-diego/coronado/) - [Encinitas](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/san-diego/encinitas/) - [Solana Beach](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/san-diego/solana-beach/) [San Francisco Bay Area](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/) CA · 74 areas - [Pacific Heights](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/pacific-heights/) - [Presidio Heights](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/presidio-heights/) - [Russian Hill](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/russian-hill/) - [Noe Valley](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/noe-valley/) - [Sea Cliff](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/sea-cliff/) - [Hillsborough](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/hillsborough/) - [Atherton](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/atherton/) - [Woodside](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/woodside/) - [Palo Alto](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/palo-alto/) - [Los Altos Hills](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/los-altos-hills/) - [Tiburon](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/tiburon/) - [Piedmont](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/piedmont/) - [Marina](https://appliancemaintenance.center/locations/bay-area/marina/) For the heart of your home. ## Questions about laundry drum smelling musty: door boot, drain filter and detergent. ### How often should the tub clean cycle be run? Many makers suggest about once a month, and some machines remind you after a set number of washes. Run it with the drum empty and the cleaner the manual names. ### Is bleach safe for cleaning the door boot? Many makers allow a diluted bleach solution on the boot and in the tub clean cycle; others name their own cleaner. Never mix bleach with vinegar or other cleaners, and follow the care chapter of your model. ### Why do clean towels smell sour when they come out? They pick up the smell from the film in the boot, the drum and the drain filter. Cleaning those and using the right dose of detergent usually cures it. ### Does a top-loader get musty too? Yes, but in less visible places: under the agitator or impeller and on the outer tub. A regular tub clean cycle and leaving the lid open after washing keep it away. --- **[Read on the site: Laundry Drum Smelling Musty: Door Boot, Drain Filter and Detergent: Causes and Fixes](https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/laundry-drum-smelling-musty/)** **[Book a visit with ApplianceMaintenance.center](https://appliancemaintenance.center/schedule/)**