How to clean a washing machine and keep it fresh

The short answer: how to clean a washing machine: once a month, run the tub-clean cycle, or a hot cycle with a washing machine cleaner or 1 cup of bleach.

• Wipe the door, gasket and dispenser
• Clean the drain pump filter
• Leave the door open to dry
• Check your manual first
• Next step: Plan it with the Home Maintenance Log ($5.99).

Knowing how to clean a washing machine is the fix for musty towels and gray "clean" laundry. Once a month, run the tub-clean cycle, or a hot cycle with a washing machine cleaner or 1 cup of bleach. Then wipe the door, gasket and dispenser, and leave the door open to dry. This guide covers front-loaders and top-loaders, the drain filter, odors, and the habits that keep mold from coming back.

How to clean a washing machine: the quick version

1. Check your manual for its cleaning cycle and any cleaner it recommends.
2. Run a tub-clean cycle, or a hot cycle with washer cleaner or 1 cup of bleach.
3. Wipe the door and gasket, pulling back the rubber seal to reach the folds.
4. Wash the dispenser drawer and fabric softener cup.
5. Clean the drain pump filter if your washer has one.
6. Wipe the outside and leave the door open to dry.

Why washers get dirty

A washer seems like it should clean itself, but it is a warm, wet box full of soap and lint. Consumer Reports explains that mold thrives on food and water, and washers supply both, with detergent and fabric softener residue as the food. In a Consumer Reports survey, 16 percent of front-load washer owners reported mold, mildew and odor problems. Top-loaders get residue too, just less often.

It adds up fast. ENERGY STAR says the average American family washes about 300 loads of laundry a year. Check pockets before each load, too: a stray pen can leave ink on the drum and the next load (here is how to get ink out of clothes).

What you need

Step 1: Run the tub-clean cycle

Most newer washers have a tub-clean, self-clean or sanitize cycle. Consumer Reports says the recommended frequency varies, from monthly to every 50 loads, so check your manual. Run it empty, with the cleaner your manual names.

No cleaning cycle? Consumer Reports suggests running an empty load on the hottest setting with a cup of bleach, or a hot cycle with a washing machine cleaner that contains bleach. ENERGY STAR notes that some manufacturers recommend running a normal cycle with 1 cup of bleach each month and wiping down the compartments.

Safety note: never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners. Run cycles with one product only.

Step 2: Wipe the door and gasket

On a front-loader, the rubber gasket around the door is where most smells start. Consumer Reports' steps: dry the inside of the door with a rag, gently pull back the gasket, wipe it clean and dry it. Watch for socks and small items stuck in the folds, which turn moldy. Use a toothbrush with a little soapy water for the crevices, then dry well.

On a top-loader, Consumer Reports says it is a good idea to periodically wipe the circular upper rim of the tub and the agitator.

Step 3: Clean the dispenser drawer

Detergent and softener residue builds up in the dispenser and turns to slime. Pull the drawer out (most have a release tab), soak it in warm, soapy water, and scrub with a toothbrush. Wipe the cavity it slides into, which often hides black spots. Let everything dry before you slide it back.

Step 4: Clean the drain pump filter

Many front-loaders have a filter behind a small panel at the bottom front. It catches lint, coins, hair and the odd hair tie. Check your manual for the location and steps. Lay down a towel and a shallow pan, open the drain hose or filter slowly, let the water run out, then twist out the filter and rinse it. Some top-loaders have a lint trap in the agitator instead, and some have no user filter at all.

Step 5: Wipe the outside

Wipe the lid, control panel and sides with a damp cloth. Spray cleaner on the cloth, not on the controls. While you are there, look behind the machine. Consumer Reports advises checking the drain hose for kinks or clogs, and keeping the washer level, since an off-balance machine vibrates and wears faster.

Front-load vs. top-load at a glance

How to choose a washing machine cleaner

A washing machine cleaner is a product made to clean the drum, hoses and hidden parts during an empty cycle. You'll find tablets, powders and liquids. We don't rank brands here; use this checklist to compare labels before you buy one:

1. Your manual comes first. Many manuals name a cleaner or a type of cleaner. Using it keeps you in line with the warranty and suits your machine's seals and sensors.
2. HE compatibility. If you have a high-efficiency washer, the package should say it is safe for HE machines.
3. The active ingredient. Many washing machine cleaners are bleach-based, which matches the bleach cycle Consumer Reports and ENERGY STAR describe. Others use oxygen-based or enzyme formulas. If your manual says to avoid chlorine bleach, choose one of those.
4. The form. Tablets are pre-measured and easy to store. Powders and liquids let you adjust the dose. All three go into an empty drum or the dispenser, per the package.
5. Clear dosing and safety directions. Look for a clear dose, cycle setting and a warning about mixing products.
6. A safer-ingredient label. EPA's Safer Choice label marks products whose chemical ingredients EPA has reviewed, and EPA says those products must also meet performance standards. It's optional, but it helps if you want a gentler cleaner.

DIY washing machine cleaner options

You don't have to buy a washing machine cleaner. These DIY options cover most washers. Use one per cycle, never two.

Regular chlorine bleach. This is the simplest homemade washing machine cleaner. Pour 1 cup into the bleach dispenser or drum and run an empty load on the hottest setting. Consumer Reports suggests this when a washer has no cleaning cycle. If the bleach smell lingers, run one more rinse cycle.

White vinegar. Vinegar can help with mineral film in hard-water areas. Some manufacturers caution that it can wear rubber seals and hoses over time. Check your manual before using it, and never run it in the same cycle as bleach.

Dish soap and a toothbrush. For the parts a cycle can't reach, warm soapy water does the work. Scrub the dispenser drawer, the gasket folds and the door glass by hand.

Cleaner, bleach or vinegar?

Here's how a washing machine cleaner compares with the DIY options at a glance.

If your manual names a specific product, use it. That keeps your warranty intact and suits your machine's seals and sensors.

Whichever washing machine cleaner you choose, write the product and date in a log. If the smell comes back sooner than a month, that record shows whether the cleaner or the habit needs to change.

Signs your washer needs a deeper clean

• Towels smell musty even right out of the wash.
• You see black spots in the gasket folds or the dispenser.
• Gray flecks or residue show up on clean clothes.
• The drum smells when you open the door after a few days.
• Loads drain slowly or the machine shows a drain error.

If the smell survives two cleaning cycles, clean the drain filter and check the drain hose. If it still persists, a technician can check the pump and hoses. Log what you find.

How to stop the smell from coming back

Consumer Reports' prevention list for washer mold is short and works:

• Use only HE detergent in HE machines, and not too much. Extra suds make the washer work harder and leave residue. Use the amount your manual recommends.
• Skip or cut back on fabric softener. It leaves residue that feeds mold.
• Remove wet laundry promptly. Damp clothes sitting in a closed drum are the perfect mold setup. For the full wash-to-fold routine, see our guide on how to do laundry.
• Leave the door open between loads so the drum and gasket dry.
• Wipe the gasket after the last load of the day.
• Clean the dispenser every few weeks.
• Run the tub-clean cycle monthly or every 50 loads.

ENERGY STAR adds an energy tip: water heating uses about 90 percent of the energy a clothes washer consumes. Washing everyday loads in cold water saves money, which makes the monthly hot cleaning cycle even more important.

How often to clean a washing machine

Common washer-cleaning mistakes

Cleaning only the drum. The drum is usually the cleanest part. Smells live in the gasket, dispenser and drain filter.

Closing the door right after a cleaning cycle. The drum is wet when the cycle ends. Leave the door open for a few hours so it dries.

Mixing cleaners. Bleach plus vinegar or ammonia releases harmful fumes. Use one product per cycle.

Overloading every load. A packed drum does not rinse well, so more soap stays behind. Leave room for clothes to tumble.

Keep a record

Washers fail quietly. A leaking hose, a filter full of lint or a gasket going bad can turn into a flood or a repair bill. Writing down what you did and when makes problems easier to spot.

Also prone to mold: see our guides on how to clean a humidifier and how to clean a dishwasher.

Our Home Maintenance Log ($5.99 printable) has monthly, seasonal and annual checklists, an Appliance Log for your washer's model, purchase date and warranty, and Service & Repair Records for each repair or filter cleaning. Our Cleaning Schedule ($4.49) covers the housework side, with weekly and monthly checklists where "wipe washer gasket" and "run tub-clean cycle" can live.

Need both? The Home Management Bundle ($16.99) includes the Cleaning Schedule along with the Household Binder, Home Maintenance Log, Home Inventory, Moving Planner and Password & Accounts Log. Bought separately, those six come to $32.94.

You can browse every home organization printable in our shop, too.

Your next step

Open your washer's door and pull back the gasket. If you see gray film or black spots, wipe it out tonight and run the tub-clean cycle with the door closed. Then leave the door open, and add "clean washer" to the first weekend of each month.