How to Clean a Washing Machine

In order to keep your clothes mildew-free and smelling fresh, you’ll want to know these easy tips for cleaning your washer. Whether you have a top-loading or front-loading washer, it’s important to clean your washer on a regular schedule to keep mold and mildew from growing and odors at bay.

Mistakenly, a lot of people think that a washing machine is a self-cleaning appliance, but there can actually be quite a bit of dirt, soap scum, bacteria, and grime that can build up over time and can start to leave odors on your freshly washed laundry. Before starting, check your washing machine’s manual first for cleaning instructions for your particular machine in case there are any prohibitions. Thankfully, all you usually need are a few simple ingredients to create a clean washer and we’ll walk you through each step.

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How often do I need to clean my washing machine?

As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to clean a top-loading washer at least every six months, but even more often (like every three months) if you have hard water as that can create mineral deposit buildups over time. For a front-loading washer (or a high efficiency top-loading washer), it’s best to clean them once a month. For areas of the country that are more hot and humid you may want to clean more often as it’s more likely for mold to grow in those conditions.

Is bleach or vinegar better for cleaning your washing machine?

It’s best to use bleach and vinegar in separate cycles (they are toxic together!) because they both serve a different purpose. The bleach is a disinfectant which means it’s actually killing things like mold or germs, and while the vinegar is highly acidic and is able to kill most germs and some mold, the vinegar is more helpful in eliminating odors and keeping smells at bay.

Since vinegar is more natural and little gentler on your machine, if you have a lot of bacteria and germ buildup and need the power of bleach, just make sure to check your machine manual and make sure it’s approved for the use of bleach.

What you’ll need to clean your washing machine tub

• 1 quart chlorine bleach* (4 cups)
• 1 quart distilled white vinegar (5 cups divided into 4 cups and 1 cup)
• Measuring cup
• A soft cloth or rag (a microfiber cloth is helpful)
• Small saucepan
• Bottle brush (or an old toothbrush)

*always open nearby windows or doors if possible for ventilation when using bleach.

How to clean a top-loading washing machine:

1. Run a bleach cycle: Fill the drum with the hottest water temperature and stop the machine before it starts to agitate. Add 1 quart of chlorine bleach to the water.
2. Finish the wash cycle: Set your machine to its longest wash setting and allow the machine to finish a full cycle (including a spin cycle, rinse cycle, and drain cycle).
3. Run a vinegar cycle: Fill the drum again with hot water (stopping it before it agitates) but this time add 4 cups of white vinegar to your machine. Allow the machine to finish on the longest wash cycle.
4. Clean dispenser drawers: All the small little drawers or cup compartments that are for detergent, fabric softener, and bleach should be cleaned ever month or so to keep them clean and in proper use. Heat 1 cup of vinegar in a small saucepan or microwave to hot (not boiling) and pour into the dispenser cup and let sit for a few minutes to soak any buildup in the start of the cup (you can also use small bottle brush or old toothbrush to scrub any visible reside as well).
   
   You can also scrub any dirty buildup around the top of the washer tub area with a small brush as well. Once you’ve let the vinegar sit and scrubbed your desired areas, run a full wash cycle again.

How to clean a front-loading washing machine:

1. Run a bleach cycle: Fill the bleach dispenser drawer to the fill line with liquid chlorine bleach and also add 1/2 cup of bleach to the detergent drawer.
2. Finish the wash cycle: Set your machine to its longest wash setting (on the hottest water temperature ) and allow the machine to finish a full cycle (including a spin cycle, rinse cycle, and drain cycle).
3. Run a vinegar cycle: Fill the detergent and fabric softener drawer to the fill line with distilled white vinegar. For extra cleaning power you can also add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the inside of the drum. Allow the machine to finish on the longest wash cycle on the hottest water setting.
4. Clean the door area: Using a soft cloth, wipe down the doors and seals around the door opening. The bleach should have killed any mold present, but wiping the mold, old soap, and lint away will keep the area looking clean and prevent staining on the rubber seals.
5. Clean dispenser drawers: All the small little drawers that are for detergent, fabric softener, and bleach should be cleaned every month or so to keep them clean and in proper use. Heat 1 cup of vinegar in a small saucepan or microwave to hot (not boiling) and pour into the dispenser cup and let sit for a few minutes to soak any buildup in the start of the cup (you can also use small bottle brush or old toothbrush to scrub any visible reside as well). Once you’ve let the vinegar sit, run a full wash cycle.

Tips for keeping your washing machine clean:

• Use the proper amount of detergent: Using too much detergent can actually create buildup in your machine, so make sure to only add the recommended amount to the detergent dispenser.
• Allow the washer drum to dry: Keep the lid or door of your machine open at the end of each cycle so that the drum tub and seal area can fully dry out. This will help keep mold from growing as mold enjoys a damp environment to thrive.
• Wipe out the drum: If you run a heavily soiled load, use a cloth and a non-abrasive cleaning spray to wipe out the drum and remove any residue from the wash cycle.
• Check your washing machine filter: A lot of washing machines have a filter somewhere on the machine (like at the end of a drain hose, under the agitator cover, along the drum rim area, or inside a small hatch on the outside of the machine). Check and clean this filter each time you do a cleaning to ensure the filter keeps working properly.

How do you clean your washing machine with Affresh tablets?

Using Affresh washing machine cleaner tablets is another easy way to keep your washing machine drum clean.

• Add the washing machine cleaner drum tablet to an empty washer (top-loading or front-loading).
• Run a “clean washer” cycle on machines that have that option.
  • If your machine doesn’t have that option to select, run a normal or heavy cycle load on the hottest setting on non HE washers and the largest load and longest mode on an HE washer with the hottest water setting.
• Wipe any reside out of your drum with a soft cloth. Repeat steps up to three times with more cleaning tablets for heavily soiled machines or when odors are present.

Are you getting brown spots on your laundry?

If you’re seeing little brown spots on your laundry, you may have some rust starting to form in the drum of your machine. Inspect your drum with a flashlight and check for rust spots. If you find some, you can try repairing them with a kit that paints a new porcelain coating, or you may have to replace the drum if the rust isn’t able to be repaired.

Do I need to clean my washing machine drain hose as well?

It’s a good idea to clean and sanitize the drain hose of the washing machine as well (yours either hooks into a pipe on the wall or into a laundry sink nearby). Disconnect the hose from the drain pipe or laundry sink and place it in a bucket on the floor so excess water can drain out. Use a drain snake to dislodge anything that may be stuck in the hose and use warm vinegar with some baking soda sprinkled on top and an old toothbrush to clean any mildew around the opening of the drain. Rinse with clean water and replace the hose.

Looking for more cleaning tips? Check out:

• Spring Cleaning Checklist
• How to Swap to Natural Cleaning Products
• How To Clean Copper
• How to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet
• How to Clean Makeup Brushes