Gas Clothes Dryer making clothes smell like burnt oil

[d_chow]

I hope that someone can help me. No worries, it is not a gas smell. But it does smells like oil burning or that engine machine smell (sorry best that I can decscribe it).

You can not smell it in the room while it's running, but it's quite strong in the clothes when it's done drying.

Anyone with any ideas what it might be, and how to get rid of it? Thanks.

[jm1]

Lint might have gotten to the inner workings of the dryer and burnt or caught fire. It happened to me. I smelled a burning/smoke scent and traced it to my gas dryer, so I stopped it. I opened it up completely (back, front, top--technical instructions are easily found on the web) and saw a lot of burnt lint where--I assume--the flame burns. I cleaned it up and vaccumed very well, then fixed a gap in a gasket that allowed the lint to bypass the lint trap. Now all is well. It could've been fairly dangerous if I wasn't home to smell it and stop the dryer. I now have it on my annual housecleaning list to open it up and vaccum around.

Alternatively, maybe the motor or certain components are burnt out (well, probably not the motor itself or it wouldn't turn). Turn off the gas at the shut-off valve, then open it up to take a look, or call a professional.

[stealth]

we had that happen on an electric dryer as well. I think it was caused by a bad seal or bearings. It was an old dryer, so my wife ussed it as an opportunity to talk me into buying a newer one :)

[d_chow]

I have did a little "googling" and some suggest that if you have painted or have used some chemicals in the area of the dryer, that it may be the cause.

I'm not too sure if this would be true or not, but I did use some paint thinner right next to the machine as it was running, as the laundry sink is right next to it. I didn't think anything of it, but when my clothes came out...wow, they stink. Can anyone confirm this? It seems some what far fetched to me...

[jm1]

Well, if you remove the paint thinner, etc. from the area and try to dry another load, you'll know if that caused the problem.

[venice_it]

I have a natural gas heater in my garage and it does not vent outdoors so if there are fumes from chemicals, it burns these and the garage can really smell badly. So i don't think it would be far fetched if you used the paint thinner nearby the dryer for the dryer to have sucked in the combustion air with the fumes to make the clothes smell.

If the paint thinner has evaporated and the room is aired out, the next loads should easily determine if this was the cause since they should not smell.

[d_chow]

I have tried running it for a few loads and it still smells.

Well I unplugged the dryer (so the light doesn't stay on), and left the door open. Going to give it a few days and see. If this works I'll know next time to not do that again.

[cliff]

I have did a little "googling" and some suggest that if you have painted or have used some chemicals in the area of the dryer, that it may be the cause.

I'm not too sure if this would be true or not, but I did use some paint thinner right next to the machine as it was running, as the laundry sink is right next to it. I didn't think anything of it, but when my clothes came out...wow, they stink. Can anyone confirm this? It seems some what far fetched to me...
It's very true, someone not to be named did a staining project in our laundry room around this time last year. All of the laundry that was done for the next couple of days stunk like petroleum products. Solution, air out the laundry room really well, someone may have cleaned the burner, but I do remember having the window open for a couple of days to air the room out.

[d_chow]

Thanks for the solution, I'm just going to air it out for a while, with the dryer door open. I don't have a window there, but just going to let the laundry room door open with the dryer door open as well. Maybe I should run a box fan in there just to get the air moving. I hope this will fix it. It really sucks to have your clothes stink of fumes from whatever it's burning off.