Why Your Washing Machine Smells Like Rubber (And How To Fix It)

From the dishwasher to the shower to the washing machine, there is something particularly upsetting about a bad smell coming from an appliance or fixture in your home that is meant to clean. Of course, some smells are to be expected, especially in the case of washing machines. Perhaps you don't know how often you should be cleaning your machine and skip some times, you wash something particularly stinky, or you accidentally leave a damp load of laundry inside the drum for too long. When something outside of the usual musty or detergent-heavy smells pops up, though, it can be even more concerning. One smell that can induce fear is that of rubber or burning rubber coming from the washing machine. 

If you open your washing machine and notice a rubber or burning rubber scent, there are a few possible causes. One is that it is merely the result of a new inlet hose or a small rubber item accidentally left in a clothing pocket. Alternatively, you may be dealing with a broken drive belt or a drive motor pulley issue. Regardless of the cause, you should pause your use of the machine until you are able to diagnose the cause and make any necessary repairs. Depending on which issue you determine to be the cause of the rubber odor, you may be able to fix the problem by yourself. However, in the event of a damaged component, you may need to call a professional to take a look at and fix your machine.

After discovering the smell and immediately stopping use of the machine, there are a couple of things to do to attempt to diagnose the problem. First, you can check the machine for debris. Small rubber items caught in the drum can cause burning rubber smells. Next, you can check your inlet hoses. These hoses can produce a burning rubber smell, especially if they are new. To test if they are the cause, start a washing machine cycle to fill the drum with hot water, but stop the machine before it starts to agitate and run the motor or pump. A burning rubber smell at this stage suggests that the cause is just the inlet hoses. If your inlet hoses are new, then this smell will fade away over time without any effort on your part. Similarly, the heating of new motor coils and the insulation material around the motor can also cause a burning rubber smell that should resolve itself within 10 to 20 cycles. These are the most typical causes, but there may be something worse happening.

If the issue is not the insert hose or an object, then a fairly likely cause for older machines is the drive belt. This belt deteriorates over time and can create a burning rubber smell. Faulty motor pulleys can also lead to overheating of the machine and its rubber components, generating a burning rubber scent. Unfortunately, if you suspect that one of these may be the issue, you may need a professional's help to fix your machine.

Although it may be possible for a skilled DIYer to fix issues with the drive belt or motor pulleys, these components can be quite difficult to access, making the process time-consuming and tough. While you might save some money in the short term, you risk potentially damaging your machine and making it unsafe for use. The best and safest solution is to call a repair technician, but you'll want to know how much it will cost to repair your washing machine. For a new belt, the total repair cost will likely be between $100 and $200. Motor pulley fixes, unfortunately, can cost quite a bit more. The average cost of a washing machine repair is between $100 and $400, but the average cost of a motor repair is between about $300 and $700. At the high end, the cost becomes similar to the prices of new machines.

With the high repair costs, you definitely want to check for the smaller, less consequential potential causes first. No matter what the cause of your rubber smell ends up being, your washer will likely benefit from the maintenance task that leaves your washing machine smelling good after every wash. If the scent bothers you in the meantime, try to open windows to ventilate the laundry room to help the scent disperse. For a machine with new parts causing the smell, try to ventilate the laundry space during and after the cycle to reduce the strength and lingering presence of the burning rubber scent.