Our Maytag front loading washer has been a constant source aggravation for us due to the exact same problems you describe. If your is under warranty or extended warranty - call NOW. Otherwise, you're going to have to go above and beyond maintaining this washers. Anyway - to your question:
If you pay attention to the washer during a run, you might notice that the high speed spin cycle after the rinse isn't functioning. When you open the door, you find the clothes are soaking wet. This happens because of a lousy design on the latch - which Maytag calls a "wax motor". There's wax in the mechanism and that's where it gets the name. What happens to them is the dampness invades the mechanism and eventually causes components on the control board which is located behind the operator panel to fail. Maytag's fix is a two step process: 1) replace the wax motor and 2) replace the control board. This approach does indeed solve this problem but it will set you back several (or more) hundreds of dollars. I found that if you go to eBay and search for "neptune repair kit" you'll be returned a list of products that for a grand sum of about $35 will do the same thing that the Maytag fix does. Of course, you'll have to do the repairs yourself - but if you can solder electronic parts, isn't too difficult to do - just follow the directions and take your time. Once you've replaced the components on the control board and the wax motor, the washer should spin like it did before.
The moldy odor in this front loading washer and clothes is caused by the way the washer (and many others, too) are built. First and foremost, stop using regular detergent in it. You've got to use the types designated as "HE" (High Efficiency). They suds up a lot less, and due to the significantly less water our front loaders use, actually leave less soap residue (that is a large source of the mold and musty smell) behind the tub of our machines. I use only about 1/2 of the HE detergent recommended on the bottle and get very good results. Next, run a clothes-less wash consisting of bleach and HOT water only 1 X week. This should be the last load run. Third, always wipe dry the inside of the tub, detergent & softener dispensing areas, the gasket around the door - particularly the bottom, again, this is best after the last load is complete. Fourth, leave all doors open or slightly ajar to allow for air circulation.
To remove the existing mold smell from the machine, one or two initial treatments (followed by regular treatments) of a product called "Affresh" (or equal) as directed.
If you can do all this, you'll save a bunch of money on the repairs and aggravation due to the smell on your clothes - for a relatively small investment in your time and money. Next time, do what I'm going to do, buy a top loader.
I hope this helps & good luck!
Hi
The smell usually comes
when the washer is unable to drain water completely, you can run your washer at
its hottest temperature setting with 1 cup of vinegar inside the unit. After
this take off the bottom front panel and clean it completely, also clean the
drain hose and drain pump filter, the smell should disappear after doing all
this. Hope this helps...please post back for further assistance.
Daniel
Hi
Try using bleach with hot water, run a cycle with hot water and bleach. Or spray bleach +water mixture on the seal. Run a cleaning cycle with hot water and bleach or vinegar at least once a month to reduce the growth of mold in other parts of the washer. You can also try using 1/2 a cup of Washing Soda or 4 cups of baking soda Crystals and run the machine with no clothes in it. This would remove all the debris, lint & mold growth from the drain pump and drain filter. This would clean the mold from the door seal as well. Hope this helps... Please post back if you need more information.
Daniel
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