If the machine smells bad and it's being properly maintained between cycles, then something could be wrong with the machine (not draining all the water, partially clogged with some gunk, including undissolved detergent). If the machine is not being cleaned at all and the smell comes on strong within only a day, there could be something wrong with the water. Machines also shouldn't leak under any circumstances.

With any front loader it's important to wipe down the rubber door seal when you're done your laundry for the day. The door should also be left open/ajar for at least a day or two after your last cycle to give it a chance to properly dry out.

Mildew and/or mold or that type of smell shouldn't appear in a single day if the machine was clean or free of those contaminants the day before. Does your mom's water have an unusually high amount of dissolved organics in it? Has she had the water tested? Is the detergent rinsing completely out of the clothes and machine? What kind/brand of detergent is she using?

Also many machines are not suitable for use with chlorine bleach and go so far as to warn against it in their manuals. You shouldn't need to take any extreme measures to keep the machine odor free. You might want to take a read over at the laundry forum on Gardenweb as they're the biggest appliance forum on the net that I know of - and especially because people are REALLY into this type of thing.

I've been seeing all these maintenance tips on the web since we discovered this problem, but the thing that we find curious is, as I said before, that we've had a front loader for years, never ever cleaned it like people are saying, and it always smelled just fine!

I can't explain that definitively, but a bunch of factors could be at play, including the water quality and detergents used, plus the relative dryness/humidity of the environment (the room/house).

The smell isn't caused by the machine itself, but the physical design of the machine can contribute by trapping more standing water - including in the seal for example.

Anyway, once the new machine is in, just follow the basic tips of wiping the seal and optionally the door, while leaving it open/ajar for a day or two at least. If the problem persists then you can start looking elsewhere.

Hahaha - leave a day or two? With our 6kg front loading washing machine we average 3 full loads a day, every day (family of 5) but sometimes it is used a lot more. Luckily we have a wide range of programmes, and the most useful are the 24 and 40 minute cycles with ultra high speed spin which leave the majority of clothes so dry a 30 minute tumble has them perfect for putting away.

My machine does get mildew around the rubber ring. I just clean it down with bleach and run an empty cycle with more bleach to clean it. There hasn't been any smell from the mildew, though.

Are there really people who close the washer lid after removing the clothes?

Um, yes. Why wouldn't I if it's never caused ill effects in the past? Like I said, the old front-loading washer never had any of these problems. I've used at least 5 different washers (three top-loading and one front) on a frequent basis in the past, and none of them had mildew issues, I didn't leave any of their doors open, and I never cleaned any of them out.

If it's a front-loader and you've got an inquisitive toddler in the house, then yes.

Really? How do they get out if you close the lid?