How to clean a washing machine, step by step

One important step in keeping your clothing clean and fresh is learning how to clean your washing machine. You may not realize you need to clean your washing machine until there are funky, foul odors emanating from your freshly washed clothes. Yet, as Brandon Pleshek, a cleaning expert and the founder of Clean That Up, points out, cleaning your washing machine is key to maintaining its efficiency and longevity. Here’s what you need to know about how to clean your washing machine. 

How to clean a washing machine—Step by step

Here are the six easy steps to clean a washing machine, whether you have a front-loader or a top-loading machine. 

• Step 1: Gather the right gear to clean your washing machine
• Step 2: Empty your machine and add your cleaner of choice
• Step 3: Run a hot wash cycle
• Step 4: Clean filters and detergent dispensers
• Step 5: Wipe down the interior and exterior of the washing machine
• Step 6: Maintain that clean, fresh machine

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Step 1: Gather the right gear to clean your washing machine

You’ll need the following items to properly clean a washing machine, whether yours is an upright or a front-load machine:

• Chlorine bleach (any will do): Bleach is a chemical cleaner that has strong oxidizing properties and breaks down bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and it’s useful for sanitizing household surfaces.

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• White vinegar (any will do): White vinegar is eco-friendly and easy to use, and its acidity is naturally antibacterial, which means it can cut mildew and mold and neutralize smells quickly. 

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• Gloves: Be sure to choose the right size for your hands.

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• Scrub brush: A variety of sizes and shapes are great to have around the house for those dirty cleaning duties. 

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• Baking soda: Baking soda is a great mild abrasive that can help scrub away grime and dirt inside your washing machine. 

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• Cleaning cloths or cloth diapers: While we don’t recommend microfiber cloths because they shed microplastics, cloth diapers make a fantastic cleaning alternative as they’re soft, absorbent, affordable, and washable. 

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• Bucket: You’ll need a place to rinse your tools while cleaning your machine, especially if you don’t have a sink nearby.

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Step 2: Empty your machine and add your cleaner of choice

Use a bleach or vinegar mixture to clean the machine and add it to an empty machine. You can put the solution (detailed below) either into the drum or into the detergent dispenser, depending on your machine. 

Step 3: Run a hot wash cycle

Run your machine on its hottest setting and let it drain completely. 

Step 4: Clean filters and detergent dispensers

Remove any filters and detergent dispensers and soak in either vinegar and water or bleach and water. Then, using gloves and a scrub brush, scrub the components clean. Consult your washing machine’s manual to find out how to locate and remove the washing machine filters. 

Step 5: Wipe down the interior and exterior of the washing machine

Using a mix of water and bleach or water and vinegar, your gloves, and a cleaning cloth or cloth diaper, wipe down all the gaskets and the interior and exterior of the washing machine, paying close attention to any nooks and crannies that can hold smells or mold. If needed, use your scrub brush to dislodge any tough-to-remove spots. 

Step 6: Maintain that clean fresh machine

Use a washing machine cleaning tablet to keep your washing machine clean and sparkling. You can throw these into your machine as an in-between measure to keep your machine sparkling clean. Follow the directions on the product to be sure you’re getting the most out of them. 

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How to clean a smelly washing machine

If you’re dealing with a stinky washing machine, thanks to trapped hair, water, and body oils, you’re not alone. Washing machines can get smelly! 

Cleaning a smelly washing machine should take about 15-30 minutes of time and requires vinegar, baking soda, water, a bucket, a scrub brush, and cleaning cloths. 

Front-loading machines tend to get a bit smellier than top loaders because of their rubber gaskets that can trap all kinds of gunk, especially if you don’t use high-efficiency detergent (HE).  Top loaders tend to get less stinky, but they can still accumulate bad smells. 

Before beginning any cleaning protocol,  be sure that you read the manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning your particular machine. 

How to clean a smelly front-loading washing machine

1. Mix ¼ cup of baking soda with ¼ cup of water, and pour the mixture into the detergent dispenser.  

2. Add two to four cups of white vinegar to the drum of the washer and run a complete wash cycle (without any clothes in the drum) on the highest heat setting. 

3. Once the cycle is complete, wipe the drum and gaskets down with a damp cloth with a mixture of vinegar and water. This will help eliminate smelly washing machine odors. 

How to clean a smelly top-loading washing machine

1. Mix ¼ baking soda and ¼ cup of water and pour it into the detergent dispenser or into the drum of the empty washer. 

2. Add four cups of vinegar to the drum and run a complete wash cycle on the highest heat setting. 

3. Wipe the drum of the washing machine out with a damp cloth to remove any lingering smells.

For both types of washing machines, Pleshek recommends that you detail and clean the gaskets, drain filters, and detergent dispensers. The washing machine drain can get clogged with hair and dirt and cause additional smells. Check your washing machine manual for instructions on how to locate and clean the drain on your specific model.  

Spray rubber gaskets with a mix of vinegar and water, and wipe them well with your cloth diapers or cleaning rag. You can soak the detergent dispensers in a mix of white vinegar and water, then scrub them with a scrub brush to remove any build-up. Be sure to scrub any removable parts thoroughly. 

You can always add a drop or two of dish soap to your mixture of vinegar and water to help break down any oils that might still be stinking up your washing machine, and use a small scrub brush or toothbrush to get into the smaller and tighter areas, Pleshek says.

You only need to do this routine about once a month to keep your washing machine sparkling clean. 

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How to clean a moldy washing machine

Maybe you forgot a load in the washer or left the door of a front-loading machine closed for too long–either way, it’s time to clean your moldy washing machine. You’ll need a few household items and about 15 to 30 minutes of time about once a month. 

Front-loading machines tend to grow mold in the rubber gaskets, while top loaders tend to get it in nooks and crannies where water pools. Whichever type of machine you have, you’ll need bleach, a cleaning cloth, a bucket, gloves, and a scrub brush. We recommend bleach for this process as mold can be tough to get rid of, and bleach can kill it off. 

Here’s how to tackle the project:

How to clean a moldy washing machine

1. Add ½  cup of chlorine bleach to the dispenser or the drum (if you have a top loading machine without a dispenser), of your empty washing machine

2. Set your machine to its hottest setting and let it run through a cycle. 

3. While the cycle is running, mix up a bucket of ¼ cup bleach and two cups of water. 

4. Once the machine is done and drained, put on your gloves and grab a cloth diaper, cleaning rag, or bristle brush. Scrub any stubbornly moldy places (like the gasket on front loaders). Wipe down the exterior and interior of the washer until the mold is gone, then dry with a clean cloth. 

5. You can use the same cleaning solution to clean the detergent dispenser drawers or containers. 

6. Once done, run a short cycle to flush the entire system and be sure there’s no lingering bleach or mold left in the washing machine. 

Just like cleaning a smelly washing machine, you should also remove and clean any drain filters or other parts as recommended by your washing machine manual. Once the mold is gone, you can go back to using vinegar to clean your machine once a month and ensure that it stays clean and fresh. 

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How to clean a top-loader washing machine

Cleaning a top-loader washing machine is slightly different from a front-loader because a top-loader uses a lot more water to fill up the drum. It also doesn’t have as many rubber gaskets at the doors, but it does have an agitator that can get gunked up. Smells and grime can get trapped under the central agitator. Here’s how to clean a top-loading machine with an agitator. 

1. Gather your products, and decide whether you’re going to use vinegar or bleach.  Follow the steps outlined above to run a full cycle through your machine.

2. Once the cycle is done, grab a bucket with either a bleach or vinegar mixture (as mentioned above), your gloves, and a scrub brush and scrub around the base of the agitator. Alternatively, you can stop the wash cycle a quarter of the way through (by opening the top of the washer) so there is some water in the tub to scrub under the agitator.

3. Let the cycle complete and the tub drain. Once drained, wipe down the inside and outside of the machine with your cleaning solution and cloth. Always wear gloves if using bleach. 

4. Clean the detergent dispenser and any filters you can access. Check your washing machine manual for details. 

How to clean a front loader washing machine

Front-loader washing machines tend to get moldy or smelly around the front gasket on the door because dirt and grime get trapped there. Since these machines use less water, there’s more opportunity for detergent build-up and body oils to cause a moldy or smelly situation. 

Here’s what you need to know about cleaning a front-loading washing machine. 

1. Gather your products, and decide whether you’re going to use vinegar or bleach. Follow the steps outlined above to run a full cycle through your machine.

2. Once the cleaning cycle is complete, put on your gloves and use your chosen cleaning solution, wipe down the inside, outside, and gaskets of the front-loader. Be sure to let them dry. 

3. Clean the dispensers and any filters you can access using your machine’s manual as a guide. 

What to know about cleaning your washing machine

The amount of cleaning solution, how much elbow grease, and how much time you’ll need to clean your machine will depend on the features of your particular washing machine. Here’s what you need to consider: 

• Type of machine: There are two types of machines: Front-loading and top-loading. Top-loaders tend to use more water, while front-loaders are more water-efficient. Take the type into consideration to determine the steps to clean your washer. 
• Size: Washing machines come in a number of sizes (usually determined by how large their drums are and how much capacity they can handle). The size of your machine will determine how much cleaning solution you’ll need to get your machine spotless. 
• Filter: All washing machines have filters but they’re located in different places based on the make, model, and year. Consult your manual to determine how to locate, clean or replace your washing machine filter when you clean your machine. 

Cleaning a washing machine questions answered 

How can I deep clean my washing machine?

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly way to deep clean your washing machine, you can use white vinegar diluted in water and run a hot cycle through your empty machine, as detailed above. If you’re looking for a more aggressive clean, mix bleach with water and run a hot cycle through your machine using the steps above. Be sure to wipe down any gaskets and clean your detergent dispenser, as well as your filters for an extra deep clean. 

What is the best thing to clean my washing machine with?

You can choose to use vinegar or bleach to clean your washing machine based on your needs. 

Can I mix vinegar and baking soda in a washing machine?

You can mix vinegar and baking soda in the washing machine, but as Pleshek points out, vinegar and baking soda actually neutralize each other, reducing their cleaning ability. They do, however, create a neat fizzing reaction when mixed. Pleshak says that baking soda can sometimes leave a residue if you put too much into the machine, so follow the steps outlined above for the proper process.