What Could This AWFUL Smell Be!?

Question

My mom, brother and I recently moved in with my mom's fiancee. Ever since we've been here there has been this DISCUSTING smell coming from the laundry room. When you leave the doors to the laundry room open this horrid smell fills the whole house and makes you gag. When we lift open the lid to the washing machine to put laundry in, the smell hits you like a ton of bricks, so we're guessing that's where it's coming from. Today however, the smell is worse than EVER! It smells like human feces or sulfur or something. We have tried everything to clear it up and it just won't go away! We've tried Vinager, Rid, pretty much anything you can think of. My mom's fiance says it's because of the "trap", im guessing on the washing machine. And we can even smell the smell outside. Like when we ran vinager through the pipes, we smelled it outside. Its like the ground is soaking it up or something. And I think it's making us sick. My moms fiance is the only one who hasnt been sick >>>>

and Im guessing its either bc he isnt here during the week because he lives and works in a different town during the week, or just becuase we all had some kind of cold or flu bug. Never the less, the smell is making us all want to puke and Id really like to know what is causing it, and/or how I can get rid of it! Thanks guys!

and Im guessing its either bc he isnt here during the week because he lives and works in a different town during the week, or just becuase we all had some kind of cold or flu bug. Never the less, the smell is making us all want to puke and Id really like to know what is causing it, and/or how I can get rid of it! Thanks guys!

Answer 1

I would think of a rat having been trapped in the washing machine and died there. Call a plumber to sort this out.

Answer 2

I'm assuming you ran the washer through its cycle with the vinegar, etc. in it? If not, try some bleach in the cycle and see if that does anything. Otherwise, I think you will have to have a plumber come in to look at it, especially if you are all getting sick from it. It will cost some money but if it's a health issue , I don't think you have a choice. Besides, how can you stand to live with that? Depending on what the plumber says, it's also possible you will just have to buy a new washer.

Good luck to you.

Answer 3

It could be from outside the machine. The smell could just seem like it is in the machine because smells like from under or around it could get trapped in the closed drum. We had this with a moldy wall plank behind the washer. We removed the plank and smell is gone. Seemed to be coming from inside the machine. Thought for a long time there was moldy or wet lint in the spot between the machine drum and its walls. It wasn't.

Is there a crawl space under the machine, under the house? maybe a dead animal is buried there?

Answer 4

i'm going to say some kinda of dead animal in the pipes. and since water goes down those pipes its def going to make it worse. ew. i've had the privlage of smelling wet dead animal that was cought in a drain... although it was just a little mouse... but it is the most horribly disgusting smell ever. the vingear or bleach might help for a few minutes but its probably never going to make the smell completely go away... i think it might be time to call a plumber. good luck.

Answer 5

Just a few thing's it could be and some thing's to help.A smell from washer or sink area ,the vent in the roof most likely need's to be cleared.a plumber need's to be call'ed.Flush the washer with vinagar,hot water,Next cycle use a bnox of baking soda.As one of the answer's said there could be a mouse dead under or in motor area of washer.Or anything else dead.That is a hard thing to get rid of.If your on a septic tank get it pumped out.Hope some of the suggestion's help you out.

Answer 6

Sounds like a dead animal - you need to call a plumber to get into the pipes behind or under the house.

Answer 7

sometimes sewer gases come up in homes.
pour scented bleach in all floor drains, and utility sink. follow with a bucket of hot water.
Don't forget to do the water or the bleach can hurt the pipes.
Catch basin needs to be cleaned in reg sewer system or if you have a septic, it's time to call and get emptied.

Answer 8

I would also move the dryer and change the air hose that leads
out side. Birds make nests in air vents very often. There could be some dead bird in there. Not to gross you out, just trying to help. GOOD LUCK.

Answer 9

Septic System needs to be drained...call a cesspool company and have them come and pump out the cesspool...this is standard maintenance and needs to be done at least yearly.

Answer 10

you do no longer opt to renowned what scent she became masking up... sort of a go between...(something of this answer has been censored to avert you from vomiting at my particularly gross imaginitive scent mixture...) It became so undesirable... I promise i'm going to on no account show what i became going to declare...