Unless you have a have a way to pull the drain lines and collect all the waste water from the machine, it’s hard to see the effects. My clothes washer has a clear glass top so I can see the clean cycle running. There’s a bit of foam on top similar to have the Ahhsome looks in a hot tub and the water is usually milky white. Because my machine is clean, the water doesn’t look bad but I can usually wipe down the inside of the basket with a paper towel and I’ll get little grey flecks that smear when rubbed.
With the dishwasher I have a double sink with a disposal grinder on one side. The washing machine discharges into the disposal. I can see the discharge water and it too is milky white. If I wipe out the inside of the machine afterwards, especially around the rubber door seal, I’ll find little bits of gunk here and there.
Both machines are regularly cleaned so I usually go by smell. The dishwasher is always the one that develops the funky food smell because dishes are piled into it all day long and then it’s run at night. So there’s always a certain amount of “food waste” sitting in a dark, warm, moist environment all day. Perfect breeding grounds for funky aromas.
