How to Clean a Washing Machine: Front Load and Top Load

 

If your clean laundry smells musty, the washer is usually the cause. Detergent residue, fabric softener and lint build up in places you don't see, and mildew grows there. A monthly cleaning cycle and a few habits fix it.

 

 

Front-load washers

1. The door gasket. This is where most of the smell comes from. Pull back the folds of the rubber seal and look inside; you'll probably find lint, hair, coins and black mildew. Wipe it out with a cloth dipped in warm water and a little dish soap. For mildew, use a cloth dampened with a solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach per gallon of water, then wipe with plain water.

2. The detergent drawer. Pull it all the way out (most have a release tab) and soak it in hot soapy water. Scrub the slots with an old toothbrush, and wipe out the cavity it slides into.

3. The drum. Run the machine's cleaning cycle if it has one, or the hottest, longest cycle, empty, with either a washing machine cleaner tablet or about 1 cup of bleach in the bleach dispenser. Don't add both bleach and vinegar.

4. The drain pump filter. Most front loaders have a small door near the bottom front. Check your manual first, put a towel and a shallow pan down (water will come out), and unscrew the filter. You'll often find socks, hair ties and lint. Rinse it and screw it back in tightly.

 

Top-load washers

1. Fill the tub with hot water on the largest load setting
2. Add 4 cups of white vinegar (or a washer cleaner, following its label) and let it agitate for a minute
3. Stop the machine and let it soak for an hour
4. Meanwhile, wipe under the lid, around the rim of the tub and the dispensers, where scum builds up
5. Finish the cycle, then run one more hot rinse

 

Stop the smell coming back

• Leave the door or lid open between loads so the inside can dry
• Take wet laundry out promptly
• Use HE detergent in HE machines, and less than you think you need. Too much soap is the most common cause of residue and smell
• Go easy on fabric softener, which builds up as a waxy film
• Run a cleaning cycle once a month
• Wipe the front-loader gasket dry after the last load of the day

 

Laundry still not right?

If the machine is clean and stains are still coming through, the problem is the washing, not the washer. See our laundry stain removal guide.