Scrud & Smells

There are a lot of ways to go about cleaning units that have bad smells, the easiest of which being to run a Clean Wash cycle with cleaning agents. If there is no Clean Wash cycle, then you’d want to run the longest cycle, with the hottest water, at the highest level. You can use a named brand washer cleaner, or you can try baking soda and vinegar.

Other times, the buildup is so bad that you’re going to need to disassemble and pressure wash the tub assembly.

Scrud Buildup

Scrud is a build-up of detergent, fabric softener, dirt, and body oils that can accumulate inside a washing machine – both top and front loaders. Over time, scrud forms a waxy, greasy layer on hard to access parts. It can cause foul odors, leave residue on clothes, and affect washing performance.

Scrud can occur due to many factors, such as overuse of fabric softener and detergent, low water washing, cold water washes, and infrequent hot cycles. As we previously discussed, when a customer is using cold water washes, oftentimes the detergent will not fully dissolve. And with Fabric Softeners, they contain waxy substances that don’t fully dissolve in water. So, when used excessively or not diluted properly, these residues cling to the washer’s inner surfaces.