Dr. Stacey-Ann Baugh

We bought our new front loading washing machine about 2 years ago. In the past year I have begun to notice a musty odor coming from the machine. I have a strong sense of smell so I am always smelling things that nobody else is smelling so I ignored it. Eventually I begun to notice that the towels in the house also had a musty smell. I thought that maybe they were not fully dry and then when I folded them damp it was creating that smell. We would run the dryer cycle 2 sometimes 3 times and nothing seemed to make the towels smell fresh. Now you can smell the musty smell just by walking into the laundry room.

Imagine my horror when I saw on the news yesterday that these front-loaders appear to have a problem with mold. The woman doing the story was experiencing the same problems we have and she found that there is mold under the rubber around the door of the machine and behind the soap dispenser.

Sure enough, when we checked ours there was mold in all the places she had indicated. How gross is this! I am washing the mold INTO my clothes.

The woman indicated that she wipes the machine down after every wash with bleach and then leaves the door open until it is completely dry. What is the point of a washing machine that requires more cleaning maintenance than the clothes I am trying to wash?

We did all the recommendations and it still smells.

I have been reading more about it today and this is an extremely common problem.

Other suggestions to remove the smell include:

• Dismantle the entire washer and clean the drum regularly
• Cleaning the machine with special cleaners sold at home improvement stores
• Run the washer empty with bleach
• Use only HE detergents
• Use only powder detergents and no liquid fabric softeners
• Run the washer with boiling water and vinegar

I work with mostly first-time homebuyers who are not familiar with the process of buying a home and who may be confused about how much money they may need to be able to buy.

DOWN PAYMENT - The minimum down-payment is usually 3.5% of the purchase price. However, this can range from as little as 0% to as much as 20% of the price depending on the type of loan. There are some programs available that assist with down-payment. The Down Payment on your DREAM program in PG County is an example of a down-payment assistance program for first-time home buyers purchasing a vacant foreclosure in the County.

CLOSING COSTS - Closing costs are the costs associated with purchasing the home, acquiring the mortgage, purchasing title insurance, as well as any state or city taxes involved. These costs vary by location and depending on your mortgage arrangements but usually run between 3% and 6% of the purchase price. Sometimes arrangements can be made to have the seller assist the buyer with some or all of the closing costs.

EARNEST MONEY DEPOSIT - This deposit is submitted with the offer. The deposit is held in escrow and credited towards the buyer's down payment and/or closing costs. However, this check is cashed following acceptance of the offer. The seller may be entitled to the deposit if the buyer defaults on the contract. This deposit is usually a minimum of 1% of the purchase price and the amount may need to be increased in competitive situations.

HOME INSPECTION - This is paid for by the buyer at the time of inspection. The costs involved vary depending on the size and purchase price of the home but cost approximately $250-$500.

TERMITE INSPECTION - Many mortgages require a termite inspection. This can either be billed to the closing company and paid at the settlement table or paid for up front. The costs range from $35-$55.

OTHER INSPECTIONS - Any additional inspections that the buyer is interested in having done are paid for by the buyer. These may include radon inspections which can cost between $125 and $200, mold inspections, well water tests, septic system evaluations, chimney inspections, and anything else the buyer is interested in investigating prior to committing to purchase the home.

APPRAISAL - A few lenders will have the appraisal paid for at closing. However, many lenders will have the buyers pay for this up-front. That way if something goes wrong with the contract the lender is not stuck with the cost of the appraisal. This can vary in cost from approximately $350-$550.

If you are interested in learning more about purchasing a home or for more information about the down-payment assistance programs available in Prince George's County, MD don't hesitate to contact me.