1. Probably not enough traffic or interest for one but you’re free to make one if you like. I wouldn’t mind having a comm for it.
2. This is covered by your rent/strata fees. Put it to them in an email that multiple machines have a notable foul odour and require sanitising, filter clearing and general maintenance. If you’re renting and the property manager doesn’t action your request, email them 1-2 two more times before escalating it to the relevant government body. Here we can even get electricians/plumbing done and have the bill reimbursed by the property manager/owner if they take too long.
3. Personally, don’t increase your labour/expenses to subsidise things other people are responsible for. If you’re getting this because of issue 2, get the property manager to sort it, it’s literally why you pay rent/strata fees. (See end).
4. No idea here so have a lame “wool wash?”

Landlords must:

• Maintain the tenant’s home in a good state of repair and fit for habitation and at the landlord’s expense comply with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards.

https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/consumers/renting-a-home/i-am-renting/landlord-tenant-responsibilities

Canada seems similar to Aus in so far as there should some decent government resources to find your rights and obligations as a tenant and how to escalate an issue should you get an arsehole property manager that doesn’t do their job.

Why does lemmy not have a laundry dedicated forum?

Because you haven't made one yet. ;)

Mind you, for a topic like that, I'd expect it to take a good amount of effort to make it "active".

Maybe we need a How To Adult... oh look !adulting@lemmy.world

When I lived in a place with shared laundry space I tried for a year to basically focus one machine that I tried to care about secretly so it didn't get over used when people noticed it was better. Started off very gross, I tried a few different store bought items meant to clean your washer which helped a little and I'd empty out the dryer lint. It just sucked was very gross.

After a year I went to a Laundromat and just used there. Much better. Look for places with an attendant or employee working. Best advice I can give you.

As for the wool, idk man check YouTube?

It's because people don't do "whites" anymore.

1. Run a load of white clothing and use bleach and hot water

2. Put clothes in dryer

3. Wipe the inside of the washer, takes 10 seconds

You have now cleaned a washing machine....

You can skip #3 and save 10 seconds, the hot bleach water will kill whatever is making that smell. But depending on how bad it is, you may want to do that a couple days in a row. Don't do a normal load after, let it sit for a while.

The stuff that smells bad is stuff growing where water sits, so you want that bleach water to sit there and not be flushed out. One cycle will probably do it tho if it sits long enough.

Go to a laundromat and use their machines or a wash/dry/fold service.

Alternative:

If you’re truly desperate to get away from public machines you can get standalone mini-washing machines that take up little room, and just hang-dry clothing on a collapsible clothes dryer. The washing machine can be sold to recoup some of the costs when you move. At $5-$8 wash load and 25¢/5 min dryer a load around me 20 loads would pay for a mini-machine. You can do laundry at your convenience, at home, and for cheaper as the machine sorta pays for itself in saved $.

If you can't wait for your landlord to fix it for now. Why not just look for a coin laundry shop in the neighborhood?

I don't know much about it, but if I was in your shoes I'd question what those compact electric ones are like. Apparently you can get them as cheap as $160 and they don't all need water lines, like you can take a pitcher and fill some from the top, then empty the water in a toilet or such. Maybe they are junk, but maybe not 🤷. Things like this: portable mini washer

I have a foot powered washing machine that is good for small loads but now that I have a house and my own machines I only use it for camping.

Why does lemmy not have a laundry dedicated forum? How have lemmy been a thing for this long with no laundry dedicated forum?

Because you haven't created one

The washers probably stink because people leave the lids down all the time.

I've also never seen a filter on a washing machine, so...

Let's think about this - it fills with treated water - water that's drinkable. Then detergent is added. Clothes get washed, dirty water drained, fresh water used to rinse, twice.

What purpose would a filter serve other than to be a maintenance item?

When I need to soak some things outside of the washing machine, I just use a mop bucket. Lately that soaking has been whites in oxyclean to get them looking more white again. Oxyclean (or any similar non-brand name oxygen based agent) is great for organic stains (blood, sweat, oils, grease, food) and smells, but bad for wool. DO NOT USE OXYCLEAN ON WOOL. For my wool stuff I just use regular detergent in cold water and hang dry. If you're trying to get smells out of wool you might try drying them in the sun. Wool also doesn't do great in hot water, but that's okay. Just trade heat for time, i.e. letting something soak in cold water instead of a short wash in hot water. Same principal used to make cold brew coffee.

If there is a filter to be cleaned on a public machine, you can probably check it before running your own through. At the very least give the machine a sniff first. Sometimes a quick rinse cycle with an empty machine is all that's needed to clear out the lingering funk from the last load. If not, the machine needs maintenance.

Laundry advice is weird in that it can be very broadly applied and general (the actual chemistry and fabrics are pretty similar everywhere), but also hyper local. What works in one region might not it another because the water is different, chemicals have different and confusing names, etc. The best advice is really to read the clothing tags (and learn to interpret those laundry hyroglyphs), read/research the detergent ingredients and instructions, group like items together, and test new tips and tricks on less critical pieces of wardrobe before doing an entire load.

Definitely get a detergent made for wool. I use Heritage Park Silk & Wool laundry detergent (for any animal sourced fibers).

Take them to a laundromat? I know that sucks but probably a good way to make sure everything is treated appropriately

Mommy still does laundry for a lot of Lemmings.