What could be causing the musty smell in my washer/dryer laundry room?

Question

I have checked for and found no water leaks from the washer or water supply lines.

Answer 1

Clean out the dryer Vent- ***I don't mean the filter screen***

That would be too easy to figure out. I mean the actual vent leading out side. most people never have these cleaned out. When I moved into my new rental house this was just the case. It was so clogged it was a fire hazard. There are tools at home depot you can use for this.

Answer 2

Check all over the room for sources of water leaks - under, behind machines, cupboards, etc. Do you store mops there?
Did you check all the waterlines? Any old [ mildewed ] clothes/rags?
If you still can't find anything, run the washer with a load of hot water and bleach [ no clothes ]. Wipe down the inside of the dryer with a disinfectant solotion, and check all the filters in both machines, and soak or wipe them down. Rinse thoroughly, and air before replacing them.
After everything is done, if it still smells musty, sniff the walls and floor. Did you have a flood? Did the people before you have one? Hopefully, you won't need to replace the drywall or flooring.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What could be causing the musty smell in my washer/dryer laundry room?

Answer 4

Check your sump pump or floor drain in your basement first. If they are okay, then check if you have a slow drain in the wash basin that your washer empties into. It could be mildew build up because the water can't empty fast enough down the drain, and collects in the washbasin.
Do you have a screen at the washbasin drain? Is it plugged partially by lint?
Do you have a piece of pantyhose leg secured around the hose that comes out of your washing machine that empties into your washbasin/sink? If you don't, you should. You would be amazed at how much lint and such gets trapped in it. After a couple of weeks, the pantyhose is full of the stuff. This could be causing blockage problems in your basin drain if you don't have something like this.
Also, it may be mold problems. Look for discoloration on the walls, or where the floor meets the wall.

Answer 5

Well if your washroom is cluttered it could be some dirty clothes lying in a corner or behind the washing machine. It would be moth balls or even mold. If you have ever had a leaky washing machine pipe the water along with the humidity of your laundry room could have created mold somewhere. Mold even forms on very old and wet clothes. It's usually black or dark green spots on your clothes. Check it out because mold can make you very sick! Mothballs can form from some old clothes lying around. Good Luck.

Answer 6

It's probably dryer lint in the exhaust. It gets wet each time a load is dried, and so it can support mold and mildew.

I recently read to use a bottle brush or a back scratcher, or a wire hanger bent to make a loop, to clean out the dryer hose. My dryer hose has a cleanout vent.

Answer 7

Mildew. Run bleach, an entire jug with the hottest water you got, through your washer without any clothes in it. Make sure you let it set in the wash mode for a good 30 minute soak before you let it run the course of the wash mode. Then run it through an empty cycle to rinse the bleach completely from your washer before using it to wash clothes.

Answer 8

Try leaving the lid to your washer open after using. It will dry out without the musty odor.

Answer 9

water may not be draining all the way from the drain pipe, and is standing causing the smell..pour some draino or other drain cleaner down the pipe where your water goes out..this will disolve any clogs and help the water to move on thru..you can also run a load of towels with 1 cup of white vinegar to rid the smell

Answer 10

Then if that was me, I would just get a new washer and dryer. It might be expensive, but it is better than being a stink bomb.