By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated
Based on a video by Clean That Up.
Front-load washers do a great job on clothes and a terrible job on themselves. Water pools in the door gasket, soap scum builds up in the drawer, and lint and coins clog the drain pump filter. Skip cleaning long enough and the whole machine starts to smell.
This walkthrough from Clean That Up covers the full reset. You'll run a clean cycle to loosen the obvious gunk, scrub the rubber gasket by hand, empty the drain pump filter, pull and clean the detergent drawer, and treat any stained spots that won't come clean. By the end the washer should look and smell new again.
Set aside about an hour for the active scrubbing, plus the time the clean cycle takes to run. Wear gloves - some of what comes out of that drain pump is rough.
Pull out any clothes, towels, or socks hiding in the drum. Check the back corners and inside the gasket fold where small items like to escape.
A clean cycle on top of a load won't actually clean anything - the soap and water are supposed to slosh around an empty machine. Take the extra ten seconds now so the rest of the steps actually do something.
Pour two cups of white vinegar into the detergent tray. Pour it in the main detergent slot and the bleach slot - splitting it across both is fine. If you'd rather use a washer-cleaning tablet, drop one straight into the drum.
Set the cycle to normal, water temperature to hot, and load size to large or heavy so the tub fills completely. Press start and let it run. This loosens the easy stuff before you do the manual scrubbing.
Tip
If your machine has a dedicated tub-clean or sanitize cycle, use that instead - it runs hotter and longer than a normal load.
Mix one cup vinegar, one cup water, and a teaspoon of dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray down the entire rubber door seal, especially the underside fold where water collects.
Pull the gasket back gently and run a toothbrush along every crease. Wipe with a microfiber cloth, then spray and scrub again. Heavy buildup may need three or four passes. Keep going until the rubber comes back to its original color.
Tip
Wear gloves. The undersides of the gasket can hide hair, lint, and the occasional surprise sock.
The drain pump trap is a small panel at the bottom front of the machine. Pop it open with a coin or your fingernail.
Lay an old towel flat on the floor and put a small dish in front of the panel. Pull the little drain hose out, remove the plug, and let the trapped water spill into the dish. There will be more water than you expect, and it will not be clean. Brace yourself.
Tip
If your washer has been running fine for years without anyone touching this filter, expect the drain water to be especially nasty. That's normal.
Once the trapped water has drained, look just inside the panel for a round filter cap. Twist it counterclockwise and pull it out. More water will come out with it - that's why the towel is there.
Pick out hair, lint, coins, hair ties, and anything else stuck in the filter mesh. Run it under the tap, then spray it with the vinegar mix and scrub it with the toothbrush.
Tip
Hold onto the filter cap while you clean it. Some machines use a captive plug, but if yours comes out completely, losing it means a parts-counter trip.
Pull the detergent drawer all the way out. On most front-loaders there's a small tab or button inside the back wall of the drawer that you press while sliding it out.
Take any removable inserts apart - the softener cup usually pops out. Spray everything with the vinegar mix and scrub each crevice with a toothbrush or scrub sponge. The blue softener gunk takes some elbow grease but it does come off.
Put the filter back in by spinning it clockwise until it's snug. Push the small drain plug firmly back in place so it can't leak when the machine runs. Close the trap door.
Before you reinsert the detergent drawer, look up into the empty drawer cavity. It's usually crusted with dried soap. Spray it with the vinegar mix and scrub the inside roof and walls with the toothbrush. Then slide the cleaned drawer back in until it clicks.
Tip
If the drain plug isn't seated tight, the next wash cycle will leak onto your floor. Worth a second push to be sure.
If the bottom of the gasket still looks gray or black after scrubbing, that's set-in mold staining. Vinegar won't lift it. You need a mold and mildew remover gel.
Squeeze the gel along the affected area, then work it into the rubber with gloved fingers. Let it sit for three to five hours - longer is better. Rinse and wipe dry. If the stain hasn't fully cleared, hit it a second time.
Tip
Keep the door open while the gel sits so the fumes can escape. And don't run a load on top of it - rinse it off completely first.
The deep clean only sticks if you stop the gunk from coming back. Three habits do most of the work.
After every load, run a microfiber cloth around the rubber gasket to dry it out. Always leave the washer door propped open between loads so the drum can air out - a small door magnet stops it from swinging shut. And run a clean cycle with vinegar or a tablet once a month so soap scum and biofilm never get a foothold.
Tip
Set a recurring calendar reminder for the monthly clean cycle. The whole point is that it's easy to forget.
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