Front loading washer help needed

[KarenNC]

I've got a 5 yo Frigidaire front loading washer and need help on getting the smell of paint thinner out of it. My husband spilled a small container of paint thinner that he had been using to clean brushes after using latex primer. He mopped up the spill with some old towels, then evidently decided to wash them (and then leave them in the machine overnight afterwards). I got the towels out (and put them in a bag for later disposal), then ran 2 cycles of hot water and tide through the machine to try to get rid of any residue and the smell. My husband then, trying again to be helpful, ran another cycle of hot water, tide and borax. There's no visible residue, but the smell is still there (though it's a bit better).

 

Any ideas on what I can try to get rid of the smell without damaging the machine? My laundry is already piling up! I have sent an email to the manufacturer to see if they have suggestions. This sort of thing isn't covered in my owner's manual.

[MaMa2005]

Have you tried to run through some Affresh or some other front loading cleaning stuff? I think Tide makes some now. http://www.tide.com/en-US/product/tide-washing-machine-cleaner.jspx Here is the Affresh - http://www.affresh.com/#/home and one made by Clorox - http://www.clorox.com/products/clorox-washing-machine-cleaner/

[KarenNC]

Have you tried to run through some Affresh or some other front loading cleaning stuff? I think Tide makes some now. http://www.tide.com/en-US/product/tide-washing-machine-cleaner.jspx Here is the Affresh - http://www.affresh.com/#/home and one made by Clorox - http://www.clorox.com/products/clorox-washing-machine-cleaner/

 

I've got an email in to Frigidaire to see if this is okay given my situation. I tried calling them, but only got a phone number for a local service tech---they're closed now, so I'm going to call in the morning to see what they say.

[KristinaBreece]

I've got an email in to Frigidaire to see if this is okay given my situation. I tried calling them, but only got a phone number for a local service tech---they're closed now, so I'm going to call in the morning to see what they say.

 

Sorry... I have no advice re: the paint thinner, short of time. But that's all the "customer service" you ever get with Frigidaire.:glare:

[KarenNC]

I've gotten an email response from a company that makes a product called "Smelly Washer" and talked directly to a rep from Whirlpool (they make the Affresh). Both tell me that the products are safe to use in this situation and should resolve the problem. I think I will run out this evening and get one of the above (depends on which one is carried at something close by, though I think I will end up with Smelly Washer for longer term use). Just because it's a weird situation, I may wait until I've talked with someone at the appliance repair shop before actually using it though. I'm a bit paranoid about the possibility of toxic fumes. I even called poison control last night after I realized my husband had put borax in with the detergent. They said it should be fine since the washer had been run a couple of times without the towels.

[Momling]

We've got a similar problem with a kind of weird smell (described as turpentine/kerosene/ant killer/burnt rubber) coming from our laundry room. It turns out that it's some kind of tarry paint stuff that we'd painted on the other side of the laundry room (foundation wall) earlier this week that is coming through the laundry vent. Apparently, every time we turn on our dryer, the fumes get heated up more. The solution (according to my google research) is to ventilate and ventilate and ventilate even more.

 

Anyway, you might try cold water rather than hot water. And lots of ventilation until it goes away.

[MamaAkins]

Vinegar? Can you run the machine through the cycle with just vinegar (in place of soap)?