How to clean a washing machine
The monthly clean for front loaders and top loaders, what a smell is telling you, and what each maker says about bleach and vinegar.
The short answer
Once a month, wipe the door seal dry, rinse the detergent drawer, and run the empty machine on its clean cycle, or its hottest cycle, with a washer cleaner or the bleach your manual allows. Then leave the door open. About 10 minutes of work.
If it smells like...
Most people come here because of a smell, and the smell is a good clue to where to look.
| It smells | Usually | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Musty, like a damp basement | Mold, usually in the door seal or the detergent drawer | The seal and the drawer (steps 1 and 2), then a clean cycle |
| Sour | Bacteria in detergent and softener build-up, or wet laundry left sitting | A clean cycle, then less detergent from now on |
| Like a drain or sewage | Standing water in the drain pump filter or a drain hose that’s pushed in too far | The pump filter on a front loader, then the drain hose |
| Burning or electrical | Not a cleaning problem | Stop using it and call for a repair |
Step by step
| Time | About 10 minutes of work, plus one empty cycle |
|---|---|
| How often | Every month, or every 30 washes if you wash a lot (Whirlpool) |
| You’ll need | A washing machine cleaner, or liquid chlorine bleach if your manual allows it, a microfiber cloth and an old toothbrush |
- The door seal. Pull back the rubber seal, wipe out hair, lint and gunk from the folds, then dry it. Check the folds for lost socks.
- The detergent drawer. Take it out, rinse off the soap build-up, scrub the corners with a toothbrush and let it dry.
- The clean cycle. Run the machine’s tub-clean cycle, or its hottest cycle, empty. A cleaner tablet goes in the drum, not the dispenser (Affresh).
- The top. On a top loader, also wipe the rim of the tub, the underside of the lid and the agitator.
- Let it dry. Leave the door and the drawer open afterward, so the inside dries.
Front loader or top loader
- Front loaders hold water in the folds of the door seal and in the drain pump filter, which is why they’re more prone to mold and smells. Give the seal the most time, and clean the pump filter (below).
- Top loaders have no pump filter (Samsung). The gunk collects under the rim and around the agitator instead.
- HE machines of either kind need HE detergent at the dose on the bottle. Extra detergent doesn’t clean more; it stays behind.
The drain pump filter on a front loader
Samsung and LG both say to clean it monthly; Samsung adds, or every 40 washes, whichever comes first. It sits behind a small panel at the bottom front of the machine.
- After a hot wash, wait an hour so the water inside can cool (Samsung). Turn the machine off and unplug it.
- Lay down a towel and set a shallow pan or baking tray under the panel. More water comes out than you’d think.
- Open the panel. If there’s a small drain hose, unclip it, pull its cap and let it empty into the pan.
- Twist the filter counterclockwise and pull it out. Expect hair, coins and lint.
- Clean it with a soft brush and warm water, and wipe the opening. LG says not to put the filter in the dishwasher.
- Put the hose back, then screw the filter in until it stops.
Bleach, vinegar or a cleaner?
Makers don’t agree, so follow your own manual first. Here is what each says.
| Source | Bleach | Vinegar |
|---|---|---|
| Whirlpool | 1 cup of liquid chlorine bleach in the clean cycle; more can damage the washer over time | Not mentioned in its odor guide |
| LG | About 3/4 cup in a gallon of warm water to wipe the door seal, never undiluted | Can replace the bleach in that seal solution, never both together |
| Samsung | Self Clean needs nothing added; bleach only if there’s already a mold smell | Not mentioned |
| Consumer Reports | Not covered in these pages | Regular use can damage the rubber seals and hoses in some machines, which can lead to leaks |
Two rules to keep whatever you use: never mix bleach and vinegar (LG), and run the clean cycle empty, with no detergent added (Whirlpool). If a musty smell is already there, LG suggests its tub clean once a week for three weeks.
Keeping it fresh between cleans
- Move wet laundry out as soon as the cycle ends.
- Leave the door and the drawer open between washes, if there are no small children or pets who might climb in.
- Use less detergent than you think. Consumer Reports uses about 1.5 ounces per load in its own machines.
- Wipe the seal dry after the last load of the day.
- If you mostly wash cold, run a hot wash now and then.
Skip these mistakes
- Using too much detergent or fabric softener, which leaves residue behind.
- Shutting the door straight after a wash.
- Putting a cleaner tablet in the detergent drawer instead of the drum.
- Mixing products “to be sure”. One product, one cycle.
Now and then, go deeper
Every few months, check that the machine stands level and that the drain hose isn’t pushed too far into the drain pipe, which can pull dirty water back. If a smell survives three monthly cleans and a clean filter, it’s time for a repair visit.
Sources
- Whirlpool, Removing Odors from the Interior of a Washer
- LG, How to clean the tub of your LG washing machine
- Samsung, How to clean your Samsung washer
- Affresh, How to clean your washer
- Consumer Reports, Things you should never clean with vinegar (updated March 2026)
- Consumer Reports, How to keep your washer clean (September 2026)
- Time, steps and frequency: the CozyHaus guide Clean the washing machine.
Let your phone keep the schedule
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