Have you looked at Duplicati? I use it and find it dead simple and reliable (I did a full recovery from a total data loss last year).

I have the same issue and eventually gave up and got whats called a “verfrisser” in Dutch. I suppose it translates to “refresher”? Its a little thing that hangs on the rack that keeps it smelling fresh. One is good for 60 washes, or 2 months. The one I have is made by “finish” and was €2 for 2.

My apartment also has extremely hard water so I also run it empty at max temperature with a descaling powder once a month. I find the smell is greatly reduced for a few days after descaling. That may be why youre smelling it less when using the vinegar rinse.