There’s no denying that washing machines are like our household best friends. It gives us convenience especially on our busy days where have to juggle every task. With a washing machine, all we need to do is put our laundry in, adjust and click some buttons and let it do the work for us. Despite this, washing machines also have its downsides. It isn't a do-it-all wonder machine since we could get our clothes damaged if we don't use it well. Clean clothes don't happen by accident.

When we tend to overlook our washing habits, it can lead to our clothes smelling like trash, which of course, can be very frustrating. Like everything else in our appliances, there are certain dos and don’ts that shall be considered to make sure that our laundry comes out fresh and clean, and not the opposite. Here are some common washing machine mishaps that some of us may have been accidentally doing:

Anything moist is likely to cause odor. Moisture can create a chemical reaction resulting in mildew or fungus. These micro byproducts are smelly and replicate itself in whatever surfaces it comes in contact with. When you pull out moist clothes and not dry it sufficiently, it's almost sure to smell one way or another.

Too many clothes in a tub with less water restrict the process from completely removing pollutants. Our clothes catch a lot of contaminants in the air – carbon deposits, dust, grime, spray, sweat and body soils, among many others. When we use the wrong water level, it fails to wash out the dirt. Instead, the soapy water acts like a paste that makes these pollutants stick more to the clothes, which makes your washing load go to waste.

Obviously, too little detergent is insufficient to soap all the clothes running in the tub. Less detergent means fewer chances of the pollutants being washed out from the fabrics. On the other hand, too much soap turns the unwashed residue into pollutants. Excessive unwashed detergents turn into grime. Either way, it causes the clothes to have a musty smell. Make sure that your laundry detergent is properly measured according to the amount of clothes in the tub.

Most often, the culprit for smelly clothes is the machine itself. When water mix with detergent and pollutants, it settles in small, unnoticed crevices of the machine. It resettles in the water once it gets wet during a new laundry session. Swirling with the clothes, it gets stuck to the fabrics and settles in your supposed newly-washed clothes. Make sure to clean the interior of your machine, as well.

Of course, these issues can be fixed if you do the exact opposite and do these:

Dry the clothes properly. If you don’t have a dryer, hang it dry under the sun or in a space where there's sufficient ventilation. Do not fold, store or use the clothes unless it is entirely dry.

Make sure that you have the correct water level. Even machines with automatic water level adjusters should be double-checked so you can ensure that all your garments are getting enough ratios of water and detergent.

Review the clothes to the detergent proportion in the instructions. Stick to the right detergent measurement and don't deviate as much as possible. You do not want clothes that are too sticky or too dirty because of soap, or the lack thereof.

Clean your washer regularly. Run it with water with a small amount of liquid bleach. Putting vinegar in the water during the maintenance run is also a good alternative, so the clothes won’t smell bad in the next use. This makes sure that your machine is properly sanitized and cleaned.

Avoid overloading the washing machine. Wash your clothes in smaller loads with more water and enough laundry detergent.

Consider using hot water in washing clothes in the laundry machine. It will better dilute the detergent and loosen the pollutants in the fabric than cold water.