Your Washing Machine Needs Cleaning Too: The 15-Minute Monthly Routine That Prevents Musty Clothes

Front-loading washing machines are especially prone to mold and mildew because water pools in the door gasket after every cycle. But even top-loaders accumulate detergent residue, fabric softener buildup, and mineral deposits over time. A machine that isn’t clean can’t clean your clothes properly.

Monthly cleaning for front-loaders

Clean the gasket. Pull back the rubber door seal and wipe inside every fold with a cloth dampened with white vinegar or a 50/50 bleach-water solution. You’ll find hair, lint, and possibly black mold spots. Be thorough — this is where the smell comes from.

Run a cleaning cycle. Place two cups of white vinegar in the detergent dispenser and run the hottest, longest cycle with no clothes. The vinegar dissolves mineral buildup and kills odor-causing bacteria. For heavier buildup, use a commercial washing machine cleaner tablet like Affresh or Tide instead.

Clean the detergent dispenser. Remove the dispenser drawer (most pull out with a release tab) and soak it in hot water. Scrub with an old toothbrush to remove caked detergent and fabric softener residue. If the dispenser area inside the machine has mold, wipe it with a bleach solution.

Leave the door open. After every wash, leave the door and detergent drawer slightly open so the drum and gasket dry completely. Closing them traps moisture and creates the dark, damp environment mold loves.

Monthly cleaning for top-loaders

Fill the machine with hot water on the largest load setting. Add three cups of white vinegar and half a cup of baking soda. Let it agitate for a minute, then pause the cycle and let it soak for an hour. Finish the cycle, then run one more rinse cycle with just water.

Wipe down the agitator, the underside of the lid, and the top rim of the drum with a vinegar-dampened cloth. These areas collect dust, lint, and detergent film.

Check and clean the filter

Most front-loaders and some top-loaders have an accessible filter near the bottom front panel, behind a small door. Place a shallow pan and towels underneath before opening it — water will come out. Unscrew the filter cap and pull out coins, hairpins, lint, and whatever else has accumulated. Rinse the filter under running water and screw it back in. Do this monthly.

Watch your detergent usage

Using too much detergent is the most common cause of washer odors. Excess detergent doesn’t rinse out fully and leaves a film inside the drum where bacteria grow. With today’s concentrated detergents, you usually need less than the cap markings suggest — especially if you have soft water. If you see suds leftover at the end of a cycle, you’re using too much.

Ditch the liquid fabric softener

Fabric softener coats everything in a waxy film — your clothes, the drum, the hoses. Over time this film traps odors and reduces the machine’s efficiency. Switch to wool dryer balls in the dryer for softness, or add half a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle.

For other appliance maintenance tips, see our appliance maintenance guide and our dishwasher maintenance guide.