Eureka!

If I were lame, I'd have named this post U-reek-a! But I'm cool and resisted that urge.

For a while now I have been trying to figure out why the laundry room smells weird. I thought it was our washer, so I've scrubbed the crap out of that sucker about 50 times! I regularly run bleach-only cycles, thinking maybe it has some mildew buildup. I clean it with antibacterial wipes and get every last little smudge off the rubber seal and clean the tank until it's gleaming. I know the smell is associated with the washer, but all I get out of my cleaning efforts is a sore arm and a head full of cuss words.

But I've figured it out. It's not the washer! It is, however, the drain pipe in the wall behind the washer. So what am I supposed to do about that?? I'm fully prepared to dump bleach down a funnel but I'm wondering if there is a better way that will take care of the mildew (or whatever it is) long-term.

So what you got, homies? Any suggestions?