A practical guide
Why your clean washing still smells of dog
It isn't your detergent. Here's what's going on inside the machine, and a twenty-minute monthly reset that sorts most of it out.
You take the towels out, bury your face in them, and there it is: that faint, slightly sour, wet-dog smell. Your black jumper comes out with fur on the sleeves, and the dog has never been anywhere near it. So you wash it again. And again.
You're not doing it wrong. In a home with a pet, the washing machine slowly fills up with the very things you're trying to wash out.
Why it happens
Your machine keeps a little of every wash
- The fur has to go somewhere. Hair rinsed off the dog's blanket gets caught in the folds of the door seal, the drawer and the filter, instead of going down the drain.
- Cool washes don't clear it. Which? points out that washing at low temperatures won't fully rid a machine of mould and bacteria, and most of us wash at 30 or 40°C to save energy.
- It never dries out. Close the door after a wash and the seal and drawer stay damp and dark, which is exactly what the smell needs.
The next wash picks a little of it back up. That's the fur on a jumper the dog never touched, and the smell that comes back two days after you thought you'd fixed it.
Not your fault
What you've probably tried already
None of these is daft. They just clean the clothes, not the machine the clothes come out of.
Washing it again
It rinses the load, not the machine. The fur and the gunk stay in the seal and the filter, ready for next time.
More detergent or softener
It feels logical, but product that doesn't rinse out can add to the build-up rather than shift it.
A splash of vinegar
It can help loosen hair from fabric in the wash. It won't reach what's packed into the seal folds or the filter.
Bleach on the seal
Which? warns that bleach can damage the rubber seal and the parts inside. Warm soapy water does the job more gently.
The monthly reset
Twenty minutes, once a month
Most of this costs nothing. Put a reminder in your phone for the first Sunday of the month.
Fur out first
Give the dog's blanket and throws a 10-minute no-heat tumble, or a quick sweep, before they go in. The fur lands in the lint trap or the bin, not the drum.
An empty hot wash
Run the machine empty at 60°C or above, or use its drum-clean programme. Which? suggests doing it once a month.
The door seal
Pull back the rubber folds and wipe them with a microfibre cloth and warm soapy water. Use an old toothbrush gently on stubborn bits.
Drawer and filter
Slide the drawer out and rinse it under the tap. Clear the filter at the bottom (towel on the floor first, a little water will come out).
Leave it open
After every wash, leave the door and the drawer ajar so everything can dry out.
Free
Want a reminder on the first Sunday of the month?
We'll email you the monthly reset checklist, then one short reminder a month so the smell doesn't build back up.
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Where Meoggy fits
Make the hot wash count.
To be straight with you: a hot empty wash on its own does a lot of the work, and Which? says you don't need special products for it. If you'd rather keep it free, the routine above is all you need.
Our Machine Tablets are for people who want that monthly wash to do a bit more without thinking about it: one effervescent tablet in the empty drum (not the drawer), run it hot or on the drum-clean programme, then give the seal a wipe.
Each tub holds 24 tablets. You can buy them on their own, or in the Whole Home Kit with the tools that stop the fur reaching the washing basket in the first place: the glove for your pet, the rake for the carpet and the sofa, the Fur Wiper for the bed and your coat, and a bag to keep it all together.
Check your machine's manual first: if it advises against drum cleaners, follow the manual.
£12.99 · 24 tablets per tub
Or get them in the Whole Home Kit, with the glove, the rake and the Fur Wiper · £64.99
30 days to try it at home
If your washing doesn't smell better, email us your order number and a photo and we'll refund you in full. No need to send anything back.
Sources: Which?, How to clean a smelly washing machine · Beko, How to clean your washing machine's door seals · Candy, How to remove pet hair from your laundry. Always follow your washing machine's manual. Keep the tablets out of reach of children and pets.