How To Clean Washing Machines

Deep-cleaning your smelly washing machine, whether it’s top-loading or front-loading, will eliminate odors and leave it smelling fresh. This guide explains how to clean your washer, what you need to clean it, and how to keep it from smelling bad again.

Why You Should Clean Your Washing Machine

Doesn’t it seem like a machine that’s regularly filled with hot, soapy water ought to clean itself in the process? Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.

Kill Mildew and Germs

Many people only use cold water to do laundry. Colder temperatures keep clothes looking new longer and help keep fabrics from shrinking.

Not all detergents perform well in cold water, though. Some require heat to activate their ingredients. If you use such a detergent with cold water, it will leave behind a residue in your machine that attracts mold.

Coldwater detergents work in temperatures as low as 60°F. They don’t leave behind a residue, but they also don’t kill mold or mildew spores in your machine.

Eliminate Washing Machine Odors

Washing machines get smelly when mold or mildew spores, body oils, and detergent residue buildup. This odor happens most often if you use only cold water to do laundry, but can also occur if you use too much (or the wrong type) of detergent.

A sign that your washing machine needs cleaning — besides being stinky — is that grimy ring at the top of the drum in top-loaders or around the door gasket in front-loading washers.

Cleaning Top Loading Washing Machines

Cleaning your top-loader washing machine will keep it from smelling bad, kill mold and mildew, and remove grimy buildup.

You will need:

• Microfiber cleaning cloths
• Soft-bristled scrub brush (an old toothbrush works great)
• Hot water
• Access to a nearby sink
• White vinegar
• All-purpose cleaning spray

1. Clean the lid: Open the top and spray it, then use a soft brush to remove any caked-on detergent or grime. Be sure to get the hinges, too.
2. Clean the gasket: Using a cloth dipped in equal parts hot water and white vinegar, go around the hard rubber gasket at the top of the tub barrel. Scrub until you’ve removed any buildup and then wipe it with a clean, wet cloth. Don’t use straight vinegar to clean the gasket, or you may damage it.
3. Scrub the dispensers: Remove the bleach/fabric softener dispensers and wash them in a sink of hot water using an old toothbrush to clean mildew and grime out of the corners. Rinse the containers and let them air dry.
4. Clean the dispenser area: The spot where the dispensers usually go can get pretty grimy. While they dry, clean this area with a damp microfiber cloth. Use the scrub brush as needed to remove any residue. Once the dispensers are dry, reinstall them in the machine.
5. Clean the washing machine tub with vinegar: Run the wash cycle on the hottest water setting using the highest water level. Add 2 cups of white vinegar as the tub fills but do not add detergent or any other laundry product. Allow the full cycle to run then open the lid to let your washing machine air dry.
6. Clean the Exterior: Wipe the exterior of your machine with a clean cloth and an all-purpose spray. 
7. Tip: After cleaning your top-loading washing machine, inspect your washing machine’s hoses. Replace them every three years, or immediately if you see signs of wear.

Cleaning Front-Loading Washing Machines

Follow the steps below to deep clean your front-loading washing machine naturally, get rid of odors and grime, and leave it smelling fresh.

Why High-Efficiency (HE) Washers Smell Bad

High-efficiency washers use less water than other machines. Using a detergent not specifically designed for them leaves behind a soap residue. This grime builds up, traps bacteria, and produces a horrible smell.

Front-loaders will also start to smell bad if you shut the door immediately after doing your laundry, since moisture inside the washing machine tub leads to mold and mildew.

Thoroughly cleaning your machine, and following the advice below, will keep your high-efficiency washer from smelling bad.

Steps to Clean Your HE Machine

You will need:

• A bucket
• Microfiber cleaning cloths
• A soft-bristled scrub brush (an old toothbrush works great)
• Several towels
• White vinegar
• All-purpose cleaning spray

1. Protect your floor: Place a towel or two on the floor in front of your machine.
2. Use a vinegar mix to clean the washer: Add 2 quarts of hot water and 1 cup of white vinegar to the bucket. Place it on the towel in front of your machine. You do not need to add any soap. Do NOT add essential oils, since they can damage the gasket and plastic parts of your washing machine.
3. Clean the rubber seal: Dip the soft-bristled brush into the water and clean the rubber gaskets inside the door. (The vinegar will help loosen soap residue and also kill mildew spores.)
4. Clean the gasket grooves: Using your fingers, gently expand the gasket and scrub inside the ridges. Also, clean the space where the gasket rests against the machine door. Wipe them again, then dry them.
5. Clean the dispensers: Remove the soap and fabric softener dispensers and wash them in a sink with hot water. Use the scrub brush to loosen any grime. Rinse the dispensers well and let them air dry.
6. Clean the dispenser area: Dip a clean cloth into the hot water and use this to wipe the area where the soap and fabric softener dispensers usually go. Put them back if they’re dry.
7. Sanitize: Fill the detergent dispenser with straight white vinegar. Do not add additional detergent or fabric softener at this time. Run the machine using the hottest setting (usually “sanitize”) or the self-cleaning cycle if it has one.
8. Dry: When the cycle ends, immediately open the machine and wipe it dry with several clean, dry cloths. Leave the door open while you clean the exterior to allow the tub to dry.
9. Clean the exterior: Wipe the outside of your machine with a clean cloth and an all-purpose spray.

How to Stop Washing Machines from Smelling Bad

To keep your washing machine from stinking, perform the steps above at least once a month. You may need to deep-clean your washing machine more often if you frequently launder heavily soiled or oily clothes.

The rest of the time, the tips below will keep your washer smelling fresh and clean.

Use the Correct Detergent

If you prefer laundering with cold water, choose a detergent designed to perform well at colder temperatures. If you have a high-efficiency washer, make sure it’s also labeled for use with HE machines.

Use the Right Amount of Detergent

Laundry pods make measuring simple — just toss one into the machine. If you prefer liquid detergent, be sure to measure it since using too much leads to buildup, which means your clothes won’t get cleaned properly, either.

Avoid Using Fabric Softener

Both liquid softeners and dryer sheets help eliminate static cling by lightly coating clothes with petroleum-based surfactants. That same coating can build up in your machine, trapping odors and grime. 

Wash One Load Per Week in Hot Water

Washing a load of towels or underwear using hot water for the entire cycle will help remove detergent buildup and kill the organisms that make washers smell bad.

Let the Machine Dry after Use

On laundry day, leave your machine’s door open for at least an hour, so the inside has a chance to dry completely. If you can’t leave the door open because pets or kids might climb into the machine, at least wipe the inside dry with an absorbent towel after use.

To restore your carpets back into good condition, contact dry cleaner Pagosa Springs, CO if your carpets become heavily soaked.