Lg thinkq 2 in 1 washer dryer smelly clothes — new apartment

Use only checks that match the exact appliance or system and its official guide.

1. Check 1

   Photograph the complete LG model and serial label, and record whether the appliance is one all-in-one drum or a stacked WashTower. For a front-load unit, check the label around the front panel behind the door; for a WashTower, check inside the washer and dryer doors. Keep the ThinQ app name separate from the model number.

   Expected result: A complete model and appliance layout are identified, or only “ThinQ 2-in-1” is available.

   Next step: Use the complete model's LG manual for any model-specific operation. Until it is known, limit the work to the external, symptom-level checks below and do not copy a button sequence from another LG combo.

   Stop if: Do not open panels, bypass a door lock, move a water-filled appliance, or order a model-specific part from the ThinQ name alone.

   Why this matters

   Why: LG lists multiple 2-in-1 and single-unit laundry products with different model numbers and controls. The current description is not enough to select a cycle, cleaner location, filter procedure, or exact drain instruction.

2. Check 2

   Run the odor split with no laundry in the drum: note whether the smell is strongest only during or after drying, whether the drain hose remains in the apartment drain, and whether the empty drum, door seal, or dispenser also smells. Do not start a cycle if there is smoke, a burning odor, a leak, or damaged electrical equipment.

   Expected result: The odor tracks drying with the drain hose connected, or it is present in the empty washer and its damp contact areas, or it is limited to clothing while the empty appliance smells normal.

   Next step: For a drying-linked odor, document the drain setup and follow the exact model's installation guidance; for a musty empty drum, continue with ventilation and model-appropriate tub cleaning; for clothing-only odor, review detergent, softener, load storage, and the apartment drain with the landlord or plumber as appropriate.

   Stop if: Do not deliberately expose yourself to strong sewer gas, run a drying cycle to reproduce a burning smell, or pour chemicals into the drain or washer to mask the odor.

   Why this matters

   Why: LG specifically associates a hose left in the drain during drying with possible sewer-gas rise. An odor in the empty drum or residue-bearing areas makes washer moisture or buildup more plausible; an odor limited to clothes does not prove an appliance fault.

3. Check 3

   With the appliance empty and off, ventilate the drum and dispenser. Remove laundry promptly after any completed cycle, leave the door open as the installation permits, and clean the accessible dispenser or drawer with lukewarm water and a soft brush if the exact model's design allows removal. Use only the recommended HE detergent amount and do not exceed the dispenser's MAX line.

   Expected result: The musty smell or visible residue is concentrated in the gasket, drum, or dispenser, or those areas are clean while only washed clothing smells.

   Next step: If residue is found, rinse and dry the accessible area, correct the documented detergent amount, and then use the exact model's tub-clean procedure. If the machine is clean but clothing still smells, keep the washer out of the diagnosis until the load and drain path are checked.

   Stop if: Do not scrape or remove a fixed gasket, reach behind the drum, or use an unapproved solvent or mixed cleaning solution.

   Why this matters

   Why: LG says trapped moisture, detergent residue, and excess detergent or softener can support odor-causing microbes or leave buildup. A clean empty machine shifts attention toward the load, product dosage, storage, or apartment drain rather than proving an internal washer failure.

4. Check 4

   After confirming the complete model, empty the drum and run only the documented Tub Clean cycle or the exact manual's equivalent with a dedicated washing-machine tub cleaner used at the package-recommended amount. If the model has no Tub Clean cycle, do not substitute a guessed cycle; find the model manual first.

   Expected result: The matching manual identifies a Tub Clean or equivalent, and the odor improves, or the cycle is absent, leaks, produces abnormal foam, or the odor remains.

   Next step: Ventilate and dry the appliance after the completed cycle. For an existing musty smell, LG's cleaning guidance allows repeated Tub Clean treatment on its stated schedule; if the odor persists after that model-appropriate path, arrange qualified service. For a leak or abnormal foam, stop the cycle and do not add more cleaner.

   Stop if: Never mix chlorine bleach, acidic cleaner, vinegar, detergent, or other chemicals in the drum or dispenser. Use one product only as its label and exact LG manual allow.

   Why this matters

   Why: LG's general guidance uses an empty drum and a dedicated cleaner, but it warns that excess cleaner or excessive bubbles can cause leaks and that controls vary by model. Improvement supports removable residue or microbial buildup, not a guarantee that hidden contamination or a drain problem is gone.

5. Check 5

   If the smell is linked to drying and the drain hose remains in the apartment drain, compare the setup with the complete model's installation instructions without pulling a hose that could spill water. Record whether the smell is also present at the standpipe or drain opening when the washer is not running, and report a suspected building-drain odor to the landlord or a qualified plumber.

   Expected result: The odor is confined to the drain path or appears only during drying, or the drain area smells normal while the empty appliance remains musty.

   Next step: Follow the exact installation manual and have the landlord or plumber correct a building drain or standpipe problem. If the drain setup is correct but the washer-dryer still smells after the documented cleaning path, arrange qualified LG appliance service.

   Stop if: Do not alter a shared apartment drain, remove plumbing traps, or continue drying when sewer gas, smoke, burning odor, or a leak creates an unsafe environment.

   Why this matters

   Why: The first pattern makes an installation or building-drain source more likely than a tub-cleaning failure; the second keeps appliance residue or inaccessible contamination in the differential. This observation does not identify a plumbing defect by itself.