Me and my green dryer

December 6, 2008 7:29 AM

The inside of my dryer is green! How can I clean it?

I just noticed that the inside of my dryer drum has a hint of green. Clothes come out smelling funny too. I tried cleaning it with soap and water and also an organic cleaner.. and it's not even making a dent in cleaning it up.
I typically wash and dry clothes pretty quickly, but there have been a few times that damp clothes were left in for a few days.
I do clean the lint trap after every use.

Is it beyond repair?

posted by czechmate to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

Have you tried bleach? It's a tried and true method for killing stuff, 'bleaching' out colors, and removing odor.

Unplug the dryer. Mix up a solution and use a sponge with a rough scrubby side. Keep the sponge damp, but not soaking so that you don't squeeze excess liquid into the dryer. Wipe out a couple of times with a water dampened towel.
posted by Science! at 8:08 AM on December 6, 2008

Are you sure it's not just stain from some new clothes? After awhile, my mother's driers always get blue streaks because we wear a lot of blue jeans.

Wouldn't cause things to smell, however. What does this funny smell smell like?
posted by sbutler at 8:28 AM on December 6, 2008

Just as an aside, don't use anything flammable to clean your dryer if you're planning to use it soon afterward - say, within a week. Dryer lint + flammable vapors + heat = bad times.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 9:11 AM on December 6, 2008

Try cleaning it out with a cloth and some white vinegar.
posted by mandal at 9:31 AM on December 6, 2008

I second bleach, but be careful... if you stick your head inside your dryer while working with a sponge full of bleach... you could pass out, or damage your nasal tissues from breathing too much in.

So hold your breath, and pull out every minute or so for some less deadly air.
posted by rokusan at 9:48 AM on December 6, 2008

A Magic Eraser might help with the color but probably not the smell.
posted by krikany at 10:02 AM on December 6, 2008

I agree, the color is probably due to green clothes being dried in there...My dryer is always blue due to jeans.

I suspect the smell is something unrelated to the green color.
posted by HuronBob at 10:17 AM on December 6, 2008

I think it might be beyond repair, the color could be baked into the dryer by now. I'd go with the vinegar route, don't bother rinsing. The vinegar smell goes away after it dries up.
posted by hooray at 10:24 AM on December 6, 2008