How to clean a washing machine and get rid of the smell

Step by step

1. 1

   Run a clean cycle on the empty washer

   Check your manual, then run the Self Clean or Tub Clean cycle with no clothes. One appliance maker suggests adding about 1 cup of liquid chlorine bleach. Top loaders without a clean cycle can use the hottest, largest cycle with 1 cup of bleach and no laundry.

   Why: Hot water and bleach kill mold and mildew and loosen residue in the drum and the outer tub you can't reach.

2. 2

   Wipe the door gasket, folds and all

   On a front loader, pull back the rubber gasket and wipe inside every fold with a cloth dampened in diluted vinegar, mild detergent or diluted bleach (one at a time, never mixed). Remove any hair, lint, coins or socks you find, then dry it.

   Why: Water and lint trapped in the gasket folds are where mildew and musty odor usually start.

3. 3

   Wash the dispenser drawer

   Remove the detergent and softener drawer if it comes out, scrub it with warm soapy water and a soft brush, rinse, and wipe out the cavity it sits in.

   Why: Detergent and fabric softener build up into a sticky, moldy film there.

4. 4

   Clean the drain pump filter

   If your washer has a drain pump filter, follow the manual: put down towels and a shallow pan, drain the water, unscrew the filter, clean out lint and debris, and refit it firmly.

   Why: A clogged filter holds dirty water and lint, which smell and slow draining.

5. 5

   Leave it open to dry

   After the last load of the day, wipe the gasket and door dry and leave the door (or lid) ajar, and the dispenser slightly open if your manual allows.

   Why: A closed, damp drum is what lets odor-causing residue and mildew grow.

Why washing machines smell and grow mold

The "stains" in a washer are residue and growth. Detergent and fabric softener that don't rinse away, body soils and lint collect in the drum, the outer tub, the gasket and the dispensers, and bacteria and mold feed on them. That's the musty, mildew smell and the black spots on a front-loader gasket.

High-efficiency (HE) machines are more prone to it because they use much less water. They need low-sudsing HE detergent in the recommended amount: regular detergent, or too much HE detergent, makes suds that don't rinse out and leave residue, and the American Cleaning Institute links that to odors, leaking and poor rinsing. Low wash temperatures leave more soil behind, and front-loader gaskets hold water. Even the drain hose matters: pushed too far into the standpipe, it can siphon dirty water back into the washer and make it smell. The same process is behind smelly towels.

Mold and mildew stains in a washer, and the cleaning rules

Dark spots on the gasket or in the dispenser are usually mold growing on residue. On nonporous parts, Iowa State's AnswerLine suggests scrubbing with detergent and water first, then wiping with a bleach solution of ¼ cup per gallon of water. Gaskets that are stained deep into the rubber may stay discolored even when clean.

The rules:

• One cleaner at a time. Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners, in the drum or on a cloth: bleach with acids or ammonia releases toxic gas. See never mix.
• Use plain liquid chlorine bleach for a clean cycle. One washer maker warns that thickened, splash-less or easy-pour bleach can cause excess suds.
• Follow your manual: some makers specify their own washer cleaners or rule out certain additives.

More on growth inside the machine: mildew in a washing machine.

How often to clean a washing machine

One appliance maker suggests the clean cycle about monthly or every 30 to 40 loads, and the American Cleaning Institute notes some makers suggest it as often as weekly. Daily: dry the gasket and leave the door open. Every load: the right HE detergent dose, and laundry out promptly. Monthly: the clean cycle, gasket and dispenser. Periodically: the drain pump filter and hoses.

By situation

Mildew smell in a front-load washer

Run the clean cycle with bleach, clean every fold of the gasket and the dispenser, and clean the drain pump filter. Then change habits: HE detergent in the right amount, wet laundry out promptly, door left open. If the smell persists after repeated cycles, check the drain hose position and see mildew smell in a washing machine.

Top-load washers

With no clean cycle, use the hottest, largest cycle with 1 cup of bleach and an empty drum. Wipe under the rim and around the agitator, and leave the lid open to dry.

Cleaning a washer with vinegar

One appliance maker suggests a vinegar-and-water solution for wiping front-load gaskets. Use vinegar or bleach, not both: if you've just run a bleach cycle, rinse before any vinegar goes in.

Visible mold behind the gasket or in the outer tub

If mold keeps coming back where you can't reach, or odor survives several cleaning cycles, contact the manufacturer or an appliance technician.

Wet laundry left in the drum

Clothes left wet in the washer mildew and pass the smell to the machine. Rewash them promptly, and run the next load or a short rinse before closing the door.

What not to do

• Don't mix chlorine bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners. The combinations release toxic gases.
• Don't use regular (non-HE) detergent, or too much detergent, in an HE washer. Excess suds don't rinse out and leave the residue that causes odor.
• Don't close the door right after a load. It traps moisture, and mildew smell develops.
• Don't use thickened or splash-less bleach for a clean cycle. One washer maker says it can cause excess suds.
• Don't push the drain hose too far into the standpipe. It can siphon dirty water back into the washer and cause odor.

Other methods that work

Washer-cleaner products

Some makers specify their own cleaning tablets or products for the clean cycle.

Caution: Follow your manual; don't combine them with bleach.

Diluted vinegar on the gasket

A vinegar-and-water wipe for the front-load gasket, as one appliance maker suggests.

Caution: Never in the same cycle or wipe-down as bleach.

Stain still there?

The smell came back within a week

Residue is still building up. Check the detergent: HE type, recommended dose. Leave the door open, clean the drain filter, and check the drain hose isn't pushed too far into the standpipe.

Black spots on the gasket won't wipe off

Scrub with detergent, then the ¼ cup per gallon bleach solution. Spots that remain are stains in the rubber; if the smell is gone, they're cosmetic.

Clothes come out smelling musty

Clean the machine, then take laundry out promptly, avoid overdosing detergent, and wash at the warmest temperature each item's care label allows.

Safety

• Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners.
• Wear gloves when scrubbing mold, and ventilate the laundry room.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Stains on a washing machine

• Mildew and mold on a washing machine

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