I just moved into a house built in 98 and I noticed an awful odor like rotting food in the laundry room when I use the washer machine. I'm worried that the people we bought the house from shoved something down the hole by the drain pipe. My clothes smell fine but the more I use the washer the more the smell spreads throughout the house. I smelt by the drain pipe but it doesn't have an odor coming out of it. How do I get rid of this smell?

Can you post a picture or drawing of that washer drain connection? I think it may be missing a needed trap.

:confused:

A couple factors to consider in this issue... I had the flooring torn up in the upstairs bathrooms and tile was put in; I reinstalled with the tall wax rings, and had an immediate problem with the same toilet that the previous owners had had issues with... woke up to water running off a downstairs fan. I tore open the ceiling and found that they'd used handy foam to try and seal around the discharge tube against the floor. While the downstairs ceiling was open and I had a clear view I pulled and reinstalled both toilets with Tile-rings (multi-gasketed system that protruded down into the discharge tube and also seals it against the interior walls) that took care of the leak, I tested all the upstairs plumbing with no issued. The shower in the same bathroom drains extremely slow, and no method of drain-unclogger even the crystal heat stuff has worked. The master bathroom toilet seems to exhibit the same issue.. yet that shower works fine, and the other toilet works fine. The sewage smell seems to be coming out of the small gap cut around where the fan box is, as I haven't reinstalled the fan yet. Also it is very strong half way up the stairs roughly where the floor and ceiling would meet. Why would the washer which is downstairs be pushing gases back up the pipes.. and more importantly how are they getting between the floors if the only existing leak (that I know if) has been fixed? ALSO, I'm on city water so this isn't a septic issue. I'm really getting concerned... and as this is my first house, I'm stressed. Sorry so long... its complex and I wanted all the factors to be there for a good diagnosis. THANKS.

Drain pipe picture