Doing your laundry every week may seem like a nagging chore, but there's something to be said for that rewarding wonderful scent of a warm, dry, fresh load as soon as you pop it out of the dryer.

Washing machines should be drained every one to three months. Households that do a lot of laundry should drain the machine more frequently. Odors, puddling, or soaked clothes indicate that a washing ...