We have a mildew smell from our Bosch front load washing machine. I wanted to try dry HE detergent from Tide to see if that made a difference. Is it Okay to use dry detergent with this machine?

How to Remove Mold and Mildew from Front Load Washing Machines Today...

How to Remove Mold and Mildew from Front-Load Washing Machines

Front-load washing machines are notorious for collecting mold.
I've had my front-loading washing machine for about four years, and it has some great advantages - it's quiet, fast, uses less water and detergent, and gently tumbles (rather than yanking) my clothes. In general, I've been so pleased with it that I was shocked one day when I opened the door and was nearly knocked unconscious by a fetid blast of moldy-smelling air!
How could a machine that's so wonderful, suddenly turn so horribly smelly?

Gaskets hold moisture.
The answer is in the way the machine is designed. Front-loading washing machines have watertight, airtight doors that seal with a rubber gasket. That rubber seal traps moisture in the machine and also provides the perfect nooks and crannies for mold and mildew to grow.
Top-loading washing machines, on the other hand, have a rather loose fitting metal door that easily allows the tank to dry out between loads.
The problem isn't helped by our laundry preferences. High sudsing detergents and liquid fabric softeners leave behind residues and films that invite mold growth. Cold-water cycles and mild, eco-friendly detergents don't quite blast away residues like their environmentally-unfriendly counterparts.
So, to keep mold at bay, front-load washers need just a bit more maintenance than top-loading machines.

How to Get Rid of Mold and Smells in Top-Load Washers

If you've got a stinky front-load washing machine, here's how to get it smelling fresh again:

Cleaning gasket on washer.

• Clean Gasket: Use a rag or towel to clean the rubber door gasket on a front-loading washer with either hot soapy water or a spritz of mildew cleaner. Make sure to wipe underneath and around it as well. Be prepared for some slime and gunk, and possibly a stray sock or two!
• Clean Dispensers: Remove the detergent dispensers and give them a good scrubbing. If they don't come out, clean them as best you can, using a bottle or pipe cleaner to reach back into the crevices.
• Run Cleaning Cycle: Next, run an empty wash cycle on the longest, hottest water setting (or a tub-cleaning cycle, if you have it). Add one of the following directly to the wash tub:
  • 1 cup of bleach.
  • 1 cup of baking soda.
  • 1/2 cup of powdered enzymatic dishwasher detergent (such asCascade Complete).
  • A commercial residue-busting washer cleaner (such as Affresh orSmelly Washer).
  Commercial cleaning pellets.
  
• Repeat Cleaning Cycle: If the problem persists, repeat the cleaning cycle and consider trying a different additive. It might take several cycles to get the smell out.
• Professional Help: If you've tried every way to clean your front-load washer and it still smells, you may have mold growing back behind the drum, or possibly a clogged drain or filter. A qualified repair person can dismantle the machine and clean it for you, or you can unplug the machine and carefully explore and clean it yourself.

Preventative Maintenance

Once your machine is clean, follow these tips to keep it that way:

Allow washer tub to dry.

• Air It Out: If possible, leave the door of the front-load washer cracked open to allow it to dry thoroughly between cycles. However, you shouldn't do this if you have children or pets who could be tempted to climb (and possibly become trapped) inside the machine.
• Remove Loads Promptly: Be sure to remove wet clothes as soon as the cycle is finished. Set your washer to beep when it's done, so you don't forget.
• Choose Detergent Wisely: Choose low-sudsing detergents specifically made for high-efficiency (HE) machines. When possible, choose powder over liquid; liquid detergents are usually higher in suds.
Clean washer dispensers.

• Use Less Detergent: Read the labels and use no more than the amount recommended for each load. Experiment with using less detergent, until you find the minimum amount necessary (sometimes just a spoonful) to get your clothes clean.
• Avoid Fabric Softener: Liquid fabric softeners leave residue that contributes to mold in front-load washers. Instead, use dryer sheets or dryer balls to soften your clothes.
• Dry Gaskets: Use an old towel to wipe around and underneath the door gaskets and the inside of the door on front-loading washers. Ideally, you should so this after every cycle, but at the very least it needs a periodic wipe down to remove any water or mildew trapped in the folds.
• Use Bleach: About once a month, run a hot water bleach cycle. I usually take the opportunity to throw in work towels, fabric shower curtains, and muddy gardening clothes, along with that nasty gasket-cleaning towel.

Good Luck

The "MAX" line indicates how much liquid must be in the blue dispenser cup before it DISPENSES from the bottom of the cup.
This is a very, very frustrating mistake that gives owners much grief.
After three months of incorrect type of detergent or incorrect amount of the correct detergent used--musty odor begins to occur.

After more than two years--a significant amount of soap ****/curd has accumulated in the washer. Odor-causing bacteria flourishes on this build-up.
It is imperative to remove this slimy residue. Tide sells a product called
"TIDE WASHING MACHINE CLEANER" which is very effective.

Service manual and more can be found at this BLOG of mine

If you need further help, reach me via phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/dan_73bbd84fe1d95b61

There is a product specifically for this issue, called washing machine cleaner. It is different from laundry detergent. You need to run the cleaner through monthly, and your issue should resolve.
Newer machines allow client to drain the water, attempting to address this issue, but I think the cleaner is required, or you do not get the mildew smell resolved.
Doc

Hi,
Here is a tip that I wrote about front load washers and the smells that seem to go along with them....

Stop Washing Machine Smell, Mold, and Mildew
http://www.fixya.com/support/r3993813-stop_washing_machine_smell_mold_mildew

heatman101

USING NON BIOLOGICAL DETERGENTS AND LOW TEMP WASHES WILL EVENTUALLY LEAVE GUNK IN DRUM AND AROUND DOOR SEAL TRY USING BIO DETERGENT HOTTER COTTON WASHES AND THE OCCASIONAL 90 DEGREE WASH

Make sure that you are using high efficiency (he) detergent. Pour 2 cups of vinegar in the tub and fill the detergent tray with vinegar. Run it on the hottest, longest cycle. You can also use a Front load cleaner such as Afresh, made by Whirpool. I think that Tide makes one too. Vinegar is usually readily available. At the end of washing for the day, leave the door to the washer slightly open so that fresh air can get in and dry it out keeping moldy, milduey smell down. If it mildews, use a rag and bleach water to clean the boot seal. Hope this helps.

Why do you want to use a special detergent??? Tide works fine! You just need to use about 1/4-1/2 what is used in the American machines. Now if you really want some exceptional laundry detergent like we use in Europe, buy Persil (google it).

Hello billpmm,

You are not alone with this problem. Seems that that everyone of the front loader washers exhibit similar characteristics .. the short story is that in order for a washing machine to be a front loader, they need to be water tight .. being water tight, they are also air tight and herein lies the problem.. any water left over from a wash cycle will sit in gaskets , nooks and crannies and eventually develop mold or mildew.. here is a link to product you may find that solves your problem
http://www.smellywasher.com/

or.. you can use the AFRESH tablets sold in Home Depot and other home improvement stores.. in either case.. these products will help rid that musty mold out of your washer..

This video will show you how to change a door seal on this Bosch front loader washing machine
we have all bosch repairs in our channel

the problem is your door seal if you close the door after a wash then what happens is the water goes mouldy on the inside of the door seal what you need to do is replace the door seal you will never get rid of the smell without replacing it never close the door after a wash always leave it open to make sure its your seal the easy way is to look at the inner part of the seal and it will be mouldy only thing you can do