You think your clothes are getting clean. They aren't. Not really. If you haven't scrubbed the inside of that metal drum in the last six months, you’re basically just swirling your favorite jeans in a soup of old skin cells, detergent residue, and whatever bacteria decided to set up shop in the rubber gasket. It’s gross.
Most people assume that because a washing machine uses soap, it’s self-cleaning. That’s a total lie. Modern machines, especially those high-efficiency (HE) front-loaders, are actually designed in a way that traps moisture. Combine that with the low-temperature cycles we all use to save the planet—or our electricity bills—and you’ve got a perfect petri dish.
Honestly, the smell is usually the first sign. That weird, damp-basement odor that clings to your "clean" towels? That’s mold. Well, technically, it’s often a biofilm. Biofilm is a slimy layer of bacteria and fungi that protects itself from the very soap you're throwing at it. If you want to actually how to clean your laundry machine properly, you have to break that film down.
The Gasket Is a Horror Movie
Let’s talk about the gray rubber ring around the door of your front-loader. It’s called the bellows or the gasket. Peel it back. Go ahead. You’ll probably find a cocktail of gray slime, a stray sock that’s been missing since 2023, and maybe a few rusty pennies.
This is where the smell lives. Because the door seals shut to prevent leaks, water sits in those folds and never dries. You need to get in there with a microfiber cloth and a solution of half water, half white vinegar. If the mold has already turned into black spots that won't budge, you’re gonna need something stronger, like a bleach-soaked rag left to sit in the fold for an hour. Just make sure you don't mix vinegar and bleach. Seriously. That creates chlorine gas, which is a great way to end up in the ER instead of finishing your chores.
Top-loaders have it a bit easier since they don't have that airtight seal, but they have their own demons. Specifically, the "scratcher" or the agitator in the middle. Dirt hides under there.
How to Clean Your Laundry Machine Without Breaking It
You don’t need fancy, expensive "machine cleaner" pucks, though they do work if you're lazy. But you can do this with stuff you already have in the pantry.
Start with the hottest cycle your machine has. Some have a "Clean Washer" cycle. Use it. If not, just select "Whites" or "Heavy Duty" and crank the temp to the max. Add two cups of white vinegar directly into the drum. The acidity in the vinegar helps dissolve the mineral deposits from hard water—what the pros call "limescale"—and starts eating away at that biofilm slime.
Once that cycle finishes, do it again. But this time, use a cup of baking soda.
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Why two separate washes? Because if you mix them together at the start, they just neutralize each other and create fizzy water. Great for a middle school volcano, useless for killing mildew. The baking soda helps scrub the drum and deodorize the metallic bits.
Don't Ignore the Soap Drawer
Pull the detergent drawer all the way out. Most machines have a little lever you press to release it. Look inside the cavity where the drawer usually sits. It’s probably covered in black mold. This happens because fabric softener is essentially liquid fat. It’s thick, it’s gooey, and it never fully washes away. It sticks to the plastic and becomes a buffet for spores.
Scrub the drawer in the sink with an old toothbrush. If you haven't done this in a year, you’ll be shocked at how much gunk is stuck in the fabric softener compartment. It’s kind of satisfying, in a disgusting way.
The Secret Filter You’re Ignoring
There is a filter at the bottom of almost every front-loading machine. It’s usually behind a tiny door on the bottom right or left. If your machine is taking forever to drain or the clothes come out soaking wet, this is the culprit.
Get a shallow bowl and a towel before you open it. Water will come gushing out. Once you unscrew the plastic plug, you’ll find hair, lint, those "flushable" wipes that definitely aren't flushable, and maybe some LEGOs. Wash it under hot water and screw it back in tight. If you don't screw it in right, you’ll flood your laundry room the next time you run a load. Consider yourself warned.
Science Says Your Laundry Is Dirty
A study by Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona, found that if you wash a load of just underwear, there are about 100 million E. coli in the wash water. These bacteria can then transfer to the next load—like your kitchen towels.
This is why "cleaning" isn't just about the machine looking shiny. It’s about sanitization.
If you’re someone who only washes in cold water, you aren't killing anything. Cold water is great for your clothes and the environment, but it does zero favors for your machine's hygiene. You need to run a maintenance wash at $60°C$ (140°F) or higher at least once a month. This thermal shock is often enough to keep the bacterial colonies from getting a foothold.
Vinegar vs. Bleach: The Great Debate
People get really heated about this on forums. Here’s the deal: Vinegar is better for breaking down hard water scale and is safer for the environment. Bleach is the nuclear option for mold and bacteria.
- Vinegar: Best for regular maintenance and smells.
- Bleach: Best if you just bought a used machine or haven't cleaned yours in five years.
Never use them together. Also, be careful with bleach if you have a septic tank. Too much can kill the "good" bacteria that breaks down your waste. If you’re on a septic system, stick to oxygen-based cleaners (like OxiClean) or vinegar.
Stop Making These Mistakes
You’re probably using too much detergent. Everyone does. Those little pods or the giant caps on the liquid bottles encourage you to over-pour.
Excess soap doesn't make clothes cleaner. It just creates more "scrub" (soap scum) that coats the outer drum—the part you can't see. This hidden layer of soap and dirt is what eventually rots and smells. Most modern HE machines only need about two tablespoons of liquid detergent. If you see suds during the rinse cycle, you used way too much.
Also, for the love of everything, leave the door open.
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When you finish a load, don't close the door. Leave it cracked. This allows the drum to dry out. A dry machine doesn't grow mold. It’s the simplest thing you can do to avoid having to deep-clean the thing every three weeks.
Practical Steps to a Fresh Machine
The process isn't hard, but it takes time because you're waiting on the cycles.
- Empty the machine completely. Check for that one rogue sock stuck to the top of the drum.
- Clean the gaskets and seals. Use a 50/50 vinegar-water mix and a cloth. If it’s really bad, use a paste of baking soda and a little water.
- The Vinegar Cycle. Run the longest, hottest cycle with 2 cups of white vinegar poured directly into the drum.
- The Baking Soda Cycle. Run another hot cycle with half a cup of baking soda.
- Manual Scrub. Pull out the detergent drawer and scrub it. Don't forget to wipe the ceiling of the drawer compartment.
- The Pump Filter. Drain and clean the debris filter at the bottom. Prepare for a mess.
- Exterior Wipe. Use a damp cloth to get the dust off the buttons and the top.
If you do this every three months, your clothes will actually smell like detergent instead of "wet dog." Your machine will also last longer because the motor won't be fighting through layers of limescale and gunk.
Going forward, try to swap out your fabric softener for white vinegar in the dispenser. It softens clothes by stripping away excess soap and it keeps the machine clean while it works. It’s cheaper, too. Plus, your towels will actually be absorbent again, since fabric softener basically coats them in a layer of water-repellent wax.
Keep that door ajar, use less soap, and run a hot cycle occasionally. That’s the real secret to a machine that doesn't smell like a swamp.