Though I wonder what effect a standard load with bleach would have when used in a load or if that’s simply what the article refers to as their disinfectant test.
It's almost as though people forget these are machines that require maintenance and cleaning.
2 months ago we discovered the boil wash. With some detergent containing bleach it stopped the smell, even if we leave the machine closed during the day.
I our case it's not we have forgotten but never discovered this function.
I suspect this was meant to reduce the fill water used in the subsequent load, but that's only sensible if you're doing laundry every day or two. If you go longer between washing sessions, it's just making clothes stinky. Perhaps it's backwash from water left in the discharge hose after the pump shuts off?
So for years, I just run the first cycle empty, hot, with a bunch of bleach. It wastes more water than this stupid measure could ever possibly save, but it keeps my clothes from being stinky.
That machine was just damaged in a flood so I'm shopping for a replacement as I write this, and I cannot for the life of me find this information in any reviews. Does it drain fully? How much water is left behind?
A friend pointed out that some machines have a little pigtail hose out the back with a manual drain valve on it, presumably meant to completely empty the machine before transport. Their theory is that I could put a solenoid valve on this and install my own tiny pump to finish draining the machine after a session, possibly a peristaltic pump which wouldn't be susceptible to backflow from the lift. But again, I can't find information in the reviews about whether any given new machine I might buy, has this little drain pigtail.
We switched from a front loading washer back to a top-loading one hoping we'd get results similar to the top-loading washers from our youth. But nope. Funky smells, poor distribution of detergent, clothes that don't fully clean.
As sibling comment says, get yourself a Speed Queen, made with commercial parts and still washes the good old fashioned way [0].
0: https://speedqueen.com/speed-queen-difference/#classic-clean
How I got rid of it.
1) do not use liquid detergents. powder only. My working theory is the medium used to make it gooey was sticking and giving the mold a good medium to live in.
2) do not use liquid fabric softeners. see #1. I use a fabric sheet on drying.
3) clean cycle once a month
4) washer tablet in with the wash clean cycle, I alternate with bleach every other month.
5) leave the door open between washes
6) drain out the water from the 'pigtail' once every 6 months, or whatever the documentation recommends. It is not just for when you move it. It is meant for the next step.
7) clean out the lint trap. Many have this just before the drain out and before the pump. That thing can get really gunked up. especially with liquid detergents/softners. I use the same schedule as the drain out.
#1 and #2 were the main sources for me. Took about 2-3 weeks before the smell was gone.
For my samsung I would say about a 1/4 gallon is left in the hoses.
If you're pouring bleach into your machine, it can erode the rubber seals. I use Dettol instead (I think it's called Lysol in the States), which seems to do the job.
7: I'm 99% sure none of my washers have ever had an integrated lint trap. I ziptie a mesh-sock trap onto the drain hose so it doesn't clog the washtub drain, and the amount of stuff it accumulates means that any machine-internal lint trap would've been clogged solid in the first few months. There's no mention of one in the manual, either.
I wonder if I didn't drain it upward into a washtub, but downward into a floor drain, if that would eliminate the water-left-in-hoses problem...
On mine it is a circular item that you can twist out. If I do it before draining water comes dumping out of that. So I drain then clean that thing. Bit of hot water and a bit of scrubbing.
I think washers may leave a bit of water in the "sump" so that the pump doesn't run dry. Running dry is typically not good for pumps. Shouldn't need to be a lot though.
Have you tried vinegar in the wash and wool dryer balls? I pre-wash with vinegar and add an extra rinse cycle. It's way better than fabric sheets and the balls also speed up the drying process.
And vinegar is a pretty good cleaning agent all by itself.
Sounds like is not draining properly, is it clogged up? Should use some vinegar on an empty cycle to descale the heater and all the drain holes.
Is it a top loader? If so double check to make sure you are really hearing left over washing water and not balancing water.
Most top loaders have a sealed hollow ring around the drum, usually near the top but sometimes at the bottom, that is partly filled with water or a saline solution. The liquid in the ring redistributes itself around the drum during spin cycles in a way that counters an off balance load in the drum which reduces vibration and noise.
If you spin the drum by hand the balancing liquid sloshes around and it can be quite noticeable on some washers. Next time you are at an appliance dealer try spinning the drums in some of the top loaders on display. It can sound like a surprisingly large amount of water.
i think this is partly because in the USA, washing machines run on 120VAC. Heating the water would draw a lot of current.
My current washer (Samsung) has: deep steam, allergen, and sanitize.