Hi,

I thought I had a mildew problem in my front loader, but have never in the 3 years I've owned it had this happen before. I cleaned according to mfg. directions with bleach and still have the mildew smell, so I started looking for another source. I noticed that the actual washer doesn't smell when you put your head inside it, it's the drain pipe that takes water from the washer out of the house. (washer is in 2nd floor) I got behind the washer and there is a hose that comes from the washer and goes down a drain pipe that is located in the wall behind the machine. When I pulled the hose that connects from the washer to the drain pipe, there was a gurgling sound, so there is water in there. I assumed that this pipe went straight down, but I realize that it probably has a trap like our sinks and tubs. Anyway, I got a strong whiff of mildew when I was back there. Is there a way to clean out the drain pipe? Is it likely clogged with degergent or something? The smell is mildewy, not sewer like or egg. We live in a dry climate (eastern Washington State, very arid) so I'm not suspecting mildew in the walls yet, just in the pipe. As far as I know, there is no water leaking, I can't find any swollen subfloor or moisture on the floor to indicate a leak, and we haven't had much rain all summer, so I don't think it's water from outside, I think it's a clog in the drain pipe, if that's possible.

Any ideas??

Thanks,

Stacey

Washer drain lines can collect lint and that stuff will rot smelling like mildew. Pour 4 cups of holdhold bleach into that drain pipe with your washer hose removed and allow to soak over night. Tomorrow use a funnel and dump a bucket of very hot water down the drain, all better

Ok, my husband took the hose out of the pipe and it was covered in gunk that smelled like mildew, and he cleaned it off and put it back. It smelled MUCH better for a day, and I thought the problem was solved, but it smells again, so I am going to try your bleach solution but wanted to check first about the pipes. We have pex tubing but I don't think there is any involved in this part of the plumbing, so it's just the black or white pvc? Pipes. Is it OK to put bleach down a pvc plumbing pipe? I grew up in an old house with copper pipes, so I'm never sure what the plastic ones can take.

Thanks!

Stacey

Bleach shouldn't hurt your plastic pipe, there should be water in that trap already, so putting some bleach in there shouldn't hurt it.
(bleach fumes can be strong, think safety)

If you do put bleach down it, and the smell comes back - then snaking that line, or removing the trap to clean it is your next step.

It would be nice if you could acess panle that stand pipe and trap so that you could get to it easier.

I agree with cyberheater's advice. Bleach will not hurt PVC orCPVC and is actually beneficial to keeping them clear and clean. Did your hubbie remember to dump the bucket of really hot water down the drain? That's what flushes to residue down, the bleach just breaks it up.

Thanks for the great answers, and I will talk to Hubbie about the access panel, I loved the idea. He wasn't here this am so I just dumped about 20 cups of hot water down the pipe with a big measuring cup. Hopefully that will work. We have a hose we could attach to our washroom sink, but the hubs put it away and only he knows where his "stuff" is, so maybe I will have to do this process over again when he's home. I will try the snaking as a next step and also work to get an access panel in there.

20 cups one cup at a time just doesn't have much force or scouring action, tell him to get a big bucket of very hot water and dump all at once