A Maytag MVW4505 that makes clean laundry smell sour has built up a layer of residue somewhere that stays damp. This 4.5 cubic foot top-loader has a power agitator with a 360-degree wash action and a Deep Fill option, and it washes vigorously, but the water is not enough to carry away soap and soil from every surface. The film collects under the rim of the lid, around the base of the agitator, in the detergent and softener dispensers and on the outer tub that you cannot see.
The checks in more detail
When the lid is closed and the room is warm, the damp residue grows mold and bacteria and the smell reaches your clothes. The cure is a thorough cleaning followed by changed habits. Run a hot cycle with a washer cleaner made for the purpose, following the label for the amount, with the washer empty and the Deep Fill option on so the water reaches high up the tub wall.
While it runs, wipe the underside of the lid, the top rim and the agitator base with a soft cloth and a mild cleaner, and take out any removable dispenser parts to wash them in warm water. Rinse them well. Do not combine cleaners, and keep bleach apart from any other product. Then deal with the cause. Measure the detergent and use the amount printed for the load size, because extra detergent leaves more film than it removes. Choose a high-efficiency detergent, which the machine's low default water level expects, and reduce fabric softener.
This model has two extra-rinse options; using one with heavy loads flushes the soap that a normal rinse leaves behind. Run a hot wash with towels now and then to flush the machine. Take wet clothes out promptly and leave the lid propped open, which lets the drum dry in a few hours. If the smell returns within a week and the machine is clean, check the drain hose for a loop that holds water and make sure no water remains in the tub after a cycle; if it does, call Maytag.
Differential
Likely causes of “Maytag MVW4505 top-load washer smells musty, sour or like mildew”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Detergent film under the lid and rim
What separates it A slimy layer or black specks
How to confirm Wipe with a mild cleaner
- 2
Soil trapped around the agitator base
What separates it The smell is strongest on opening the lid
How to confirm Clean the base area
- 3
Dirty dispensers
What separates it The smell comes from the drawer
How to confirm Remove and wash them
- 4
Too much detergent
What separates it Suds and a sticky tub
How to confirm Measure the dose
- 5
A closed, damp drum
What separates it The smell returns within days
How to confirm Leave the lid open
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the smell comes from the lid, the agitator base or the clothes
- How often the tub has been cleaned
- The detergent and softener used
- Whether an extra rinse is used on heavy loads
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedRun a hot cycle
ReversibleWith a washer cleaner.
Wipe lid, rim and agitator base
ReversibleBy hand.
Wash the dispensers
ReversibleIn warm water.
Cut the detergent
ReversibleUse the measured dose.
Use an extra rinse
ReversibleOn heavy loads.
Prop the lid open
ReversibleAfter each load.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Hidden surfaces
- The rim of the tub and the base of the agitator hold residue that a cycle alone does not reach, so wipe them by hand while the cleaner runs.
- The extra-rinse options
- The washer offers two extra rinses. A regular extra rinse on bulky loads clears soap that would otherwise dry onto the tub wall.
- Detergent dose
- Less is cleaner: the printed dose for the load size is a ceiling, not a starting point, and soft water needs even less.
- Softener
- Liquid softener adds film; dryer sheets or a splash of vinegar in the rinse, if the manual allows, avoid it.
- Drying
- An open lid dries the drum in a few hours and starves mold of the damp it needs.
- Maytag help
- Quote MVW4505 and the serial number, and say what you have already cleaned.
- Parts for this problem on the MVW4505 (RepairClinic, 2026-09-20)
- filter-pump, drain, part number W11568797, at $17.45; dispenser, part number W11205050, at $57.38; drain pump assembly, part number W11399437, at $142.40.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Do not combine washer cleaners
- !Keep children and pets away from cleaner fumes
- !Call Maytag if water remains in the tub after a cycle
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why do clean clothes smell?+
They were washed in a drum with residue.
Is the smell a fault?+
No; it is a residue problem.
Will a hot wash fix it?+
It helps, but wiping the hidden areas matters.
Does Maytag sell a cleaner?+
Yes, Affresh is the usual choice.
Can bleach alone do it?+
Not reliably; follow the manual.
Will it return?+
If you keep the lid shut and over-dose detergent, yes.