How to Clean Your Washing Machine (It's Dirtier Than You Think)

Appliances & Tech6 min readSeptember 14, 2026

If your laundry comes out with a musty or sour smell, or the machine itself smells when you open the door, it’s time to clean it. Washing machines accumulate detergent residue, fabric softener buildup, and moisture — especially in the rubber door gasket on front-loaders — creating a perfect environment for mold and mildew. The biggest contributor is usually too much detergent: more soap means more residue, which traps moisture and feeds the cycle. Cleaning the whole machine takes about 20 minutes of active work plus one wash cycle.

What you need

An Affresh cleaning tablet ($10 for a six-pack, hardware stores or online), or two cups of white vinegar plus half a cup of baking soda as an alternative. A microfiber cloth or old towel, an old toothbrush for detail work, and warm water.

Step 1: Clean the door gasket

On front-loaders, the rubber door gasket is where most of the mold lives. Fold it outward to expose the inner surface and groove behind it, then wipe with a cloth dampened in warm water and a little vinegar or all-purpose cleaner. Use the toothbrush on any visible mold in the folds, and wipe dry when done. This is the most important step — skip it and the smell returns within weeks regardless of anything else.

Step 2: Clean the detergent dispenser

Remove the dispenser drawer (usually a small tab slides it out), rinse under warm water, and scrub away hardened detergent or fabric softener with the toothbrush until the water runs clean through every compartment. Reinsert.

Step 3: Clean the drain filter (front-loaders)

Behind a small panel at the lower front, front-loaders have a drain filter that catches lint, coins, and debris. Put a shallow pan and towels down first — water will drain out as you open it — unscrew the filter cap slowly, pull the filter, remove debris, rinse, and reinsert. Close the panel.

Step 4: Run a cleaning cycle

Drop an Affresh tablet directly into the drum (not the dispenser) and run the hottest, longest cycle, or your machine’s dedicated Clean cycle. Using vinegar instead: add two cups to the drum, run the hot cycle until it pauses or agitates, let it soak 30 minutes, add half a cup of baking soda to the dispenser, and let the cycle finish.

Step 5: Leave the door open after every wash

This single habit is the most effective prevention there is — it lets moisture evaporate instead of sitting sealed inside. Also cut your detergent use by 25–50%, especially in HE machines, which need far less than people typically use.

Mistakes to avoid

Using too much detergent. More residue, more mold — use less than you think you need.
Always closing the door after a load. A sealed, damp drum is exactly where mold grows.

Clean the gasket, the dispenser, and the drain filter, run a hot cycle with a cleaning tablet, and leave the door open afterward. Do this monthly and your laundry smells the way it’s supposed to.