What's this in my drain plug for

[Paula m]

Can someone please tell me what this plastic thing sticking out beside my beloved washing machine drain plug used for or is it something that is stuck in there please  BIU 

[Whitegoodshelp]

It looks like a possible emergency door opening mechanism. If it is then it would attach to the door lock at the other end. 

[Paula m]

Thanks very much it's just hanging there when I opened the drain plug as my clothes keep coming out smelly unless I empty this after every wash so I was hoping it was something stuck in there by accident that would resolve my problem but also there is no lock on the flap for the drain pipe and if I pull at it it's like stuck so I'm lost 😂thanks for the reply 

[Whitegoodshelp]

Hi, these two articles have all the information about smelly washing machines -

What causes washing machine to smell?

Washing machine smells caused by plumbing