stinky washing machine

our washing machine tub has started smelling like soured wet towels.
what can we do?

The tub should move a bit. Pull it to one side and clean lint and soap from around the outside of the drum. Pull it in different directions so that you can clean all sides. Pour Clorox on it. Put a substantial amount of Clorox in the drum - a half-gallon or so, then run a full load with an empty machine.

Barring that, you could call an appliance repairman to remove the top and sides of the washer case so that you can clean better.

Run some vinegar in the rinse cycle. Afterwards, be sure to leave the lid open for a few hours after every wash.

Put the water level on the highest setting, add 1/8 cup of fabric softner, add 2 cups of bleach, place on the longest wash setting and turn it on.

Let it run for 5 min. and shut off and let it sit 1 hr.

Turn it back on and let it go through the rest of the cycle.

Is it a front- or top-loader? We have to leave the door on our fancy front loader open a couple of inches or it starts to stink. I hear it's a common problem.

With the front load we have there is a rubber like skirt that goes around the font of the drum. We have to clean it out about once a week with a rag and leave the door open a bit or it an stink.

I don’t like the soap dispensers on the front loader because of cleaning out it out once a week but that’s a design issue.