How to Get Dog Smell Out of a Washer

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Things You'll Need

  • 3 cups white vinegar

  • 4 cups bleach

Image Credit: Janie Airey/Lifesize/Getty Images

The smell of wet dog can permeate a house. If your dog comes in from the backyard wet and dirty, you might wipe the dog down with towels before you let him back in the house. When you wash the dog's towels in the washer, however, you may find that it leaves a wet dog smell that not only can you not get out of the washer, but that has transferred to some of the clothes you washed in the washing machine after washing the dog towels. You can get the dog smell out of a washer with a couple different cleaning solutions.

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White Vinegar

Step 1

Pour 3 cups white vinegar into the washing machine.

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Step 2

Turn the washer on the rinse cycle.

Step 3

Leave the washer door open when finished to let the washing machine air out the vinegar smell. The odor should be minimal and will disappear after you wash the next load of clothes.

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Bleach

Step 1

Set the washer on a hot water setting, and let it fill with water until it is full.

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Step 2

Add 4 cups of bleach.

Step 3

Start the washer, and let it run halfway through the cycle.

Step 4

Unplug the washer, and let the bleach sit in it for three hours.

Step 5

Plug the washer back in, and run the remainder of the cycle.

Tip

To keep odors out of your washer, run an empty load once a month with 2 cups of bleach and hot water. Spray the inside of the washer with a regular cleaning spray once a week. Let the spray sit for a few minutes. Spray the washer again, and wipe it off.

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