⚡ Quick Answer
The best way to clean a front load washing machine is to work in this order: run a hot clean cycle with vinegar or a cleaning tablet, detail clean the rubber door gasket, clear the drain pump filter, scrub the detergent drawer and chute, then spot-treat any leftover mold or mildew with a stain gel. Do a full clean about once a month, and wipe the gasket dry plus leave the door open after every load to stop odor from coming back. Budget about one hour for a complete clean.
Let me show you the best way to get your front load washing machine perfectly clean, remove any sort of mold and mildew, and keep it smelling fresh. Front load washers are fantastic at saving water and energy, but they have one weak spot: they trap moisture. That trapped moisture is exactly what mold and mildew need to grow, and it is the number one reason a washer starts to smell. The good news is that a clean machine is mostly about routine, and once you know the steps, the whole process takes about an hour.
This is the same method I use on my own machine and the one I have walked thousands of people through. Follow it top to bottom and your washer will run cleaner, smell fresher, and last longer.
Why This Step Matters
Starting with a clean cycle does the heavy lifting first. It flushes out the easy dirt, detergent residue, and debris stuck inside the drum and hidden parts of the machine before you ever pick up a towel. Think of it as loosening everything up so the detail work later is faster and far less gross.
How to Do It
First, make sure the washer is completely empty and there are no clothes left behind. An empty drum is essential because you want the machine itself to get clean, not your laundry.
Next, choose your cleaner. My two favorite options are white vinegar or washing machine cleaning tablets. You can get a full year supply of tablets over on Amazon, they are super easy to use, and they are relatively cheap. If you are using vinegar, add two cups to the detergent tray. You can pour it into the bleach section along with the softener compartment. If you are using a tablet, just place it directly in the drum.
Now run the cycle on the normal setting with the water temperature set to hot and the load size set to heavy or large. You want the entire machine to fill up with water so the cleaner reaches every surface. Press start and let it finish.
💡 Pro Tip from Brandon
Start with the clean cycle every time, even if you plan to detail clean afterward. It knocks out the easy buildup so your scrubbing time goes toward the spots that actually need it. Working smarter beats working harder.
Step 1 Recap: Empty the washer, add two cups of vinegar or a cleaning tablet, and run a hot, heavy, normal cycle.
Why This Step Matters
The rubber gasket around the door is where front load washers get the dirtiest. Its folds and crevices trap water, lint, hair, and detergent residue, and that combination is a perfect home for mold and mildew. The clean cycle helps, but it will never reach deep into those folds. This is the step that actually removes the black gunk and the smell.
How to Do It
The clean cycle will have lifted a lot of the grime, but you will still have areas that need a touch-up. For this I like to use a microfiber towel, a handy dandy toothbrush to get into all the cracks and crevices, and my go-to DIY cleaner. My DIY mix is simple: one cup vinegar, one cup water, and about a teaspoon of Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle. The vinegar breaks down mildew, and the Dawn cuts through any greasy residue.
Spray the whole gasket down, getting cleaner into every fold. Then grab the toothbrush and gently pull the rubber back so you can scrub inside the seal. You will see it working right away. Depending on how much buildup there is, this part can take a little time because there are so many nooks and crannies in the seal. Keep spraying, let the vinegar sit for a bit, scrub, then come through with microfiber towels to rinse and wipe. Repeat that process until everything is nice and clean. I suggest detail cleaning the gasket about once a month if you have a front load washing machine. Make it part of the same routine as your monthly clean cycle and it never has a chance to get bad.
⚠ Don’t Skip the Top of the Gasket
Most people clean the bottom of the gasket and stop there. The top folds collect just as much grime, they are just harder to see. Pull the rubber back all the way around the door, not just along the bottom, or the smell will come right back.
Step 2 Recap: Spray the gasket with a one cup vinegar, one cup water, one teaspoon Dawn mix, scrub the folds with a toothbrush, then rinse and wipe with microfiber.
Why This Step Matters
The drain pump filter is the most overlooked part of a front load washer, and it is often the hidden source of a bad smell. It catches coins, lint, hair, and sludge so that debris does not damage the pump. When it clogs, water drains slowly, the machine can smell musty, and that gunk just sits there. Cleaning it makes an immediate difference.
How to Do It
Look at the bottom front of the machine and you will notice a little trap door. Every model is a bit different, but in most cases, behind that door you will find a small drain hose and a filter. Before you start, put a towel down on the floor and have a shallow dish ready. Pull out the little drain hose, remove its drain plug, and let the water empty into the dish. Brace yourself, because this part can be a little nasty depending on how long it has been.
Once the hose is drained, look closely and you will see the filter itself. Turn it counterclockwise and it will spin out. More water will pour out here, so this is why the towels matter. If the filter is clogged, you may find lint, sludge, and even a stray coin or two. To clean the filter, give it a good rinse first to remove as much buildup and sludge as possible. Then spray it with the same DIY vinegar mix and scrub it with your toothbrush until it is clean.
💡 Pro Tip from Brandon
When you put the filter back, spin it clockwise until it is nice and tight, and double check that the drain plug is firmly in place. A loose filter or plug is the most common cause of a leak after cleaning. Thirty seconds of double checking saves you a puddle later.
Step 3 Recap: Open the trap door, drain the hose into a dish, unscrew the filter counterclockwise, rinse and scrub it, then reseat it tightly clockwise.
Why This Step Matters
The detergent drawer holds standing moisture and a slimy buildup of old detergent and softener. Left alone, it grows mold and develops a stubborn film. Cleaning it stops that residue from getting redeposited onto your supposedly clean laundry.
How to Do It
On most machines there is a small release area inside the detergent drawer. Push down on it and the whole drawer pops right out. These drawers are usually very dirty, with a lot of untouched, uncleaned buildup in the corners. Take the drawer apart if your model allows it, because there are a lot of nooks and crannies. Spray every piece down with the same DIY cleaner. The vinegar breaks the buildup down and the Dawn degreases the slick areas. Let it sit, then scrub everything with a Scrub Daddy or a similar scrub sponge.
Before you put the clean drawer back, do not forget the chute it slides into. That cavity gets just as grimy as the drawer. Spray the inside of the chute with the DIY mix and scrub it with your toothbrush. Once the drawer and the chute are both clean, pop the drawer back into place and push it down.
Step 4 Recap: Pop out the detergent drawer, take it apart, scrub every piece and the chute with the DIY vinegar mix, then reinstall.
Why This Step Matters
Sometimes, even after a thorough scrub, you will still see discoloring or a few spots on the gasket that just will not come clean. That is deep-set mold or mildew staining, and it needs a product designed to dwell on the surface and break the stain down over time.
How to Do It
For these stubborn spots, I always reach for a mold and mildew stain remover gel. The gel formula is what makes it work, because it clings to vertical and curved surfaces like the gasket instead of running off.
Apply a little of the gel to the affected area, usually along the bottom of the gasket. Work it into the stained spots, wearing gloves, and spread it over the whole affected area. The key with this stuff is that it needs a good amount of time to work, so let it sit for a minimum of three to five hours.
After it has had time to dwell, come through and give it a good rinse, wipe it down, and dry it. Take a look at how it turned out. Sometimes you might need to apply it a second time, and if so, just repeat the process. After that, it should be good to go.
⚠ Always Ventilate and Glove Up
Mold and mildew stain removers are strong. Wear gloves, open a window or run a fan while the gel dwells, and never mix it with other cleaners. Rinse the gasket thoroughly before your next load of laundry.
Step 5 Recap: Apply mold and mildew stain gel to leftover stains, let it dwell 3 to 5 hours, rinse and dry, and repeat if needed.
3 Habits That Prevent Mold and Mildew
A deep clean resets your washer, but these three simple habits are what keep it clean and stop mold and mildew from ever taking hold again.
💡 Pro Tip from Brandon
The wipe-and-prop habit is the single biggest difference between a washer that smells and one that does not. Mold cannot grow without moisture, so if you take the moisture away, the problem mostly takes care of itself.
