How to Clean a Washing Machine (and Stop the Musty Smell)

A washing machine is supposed to clean your clothes, so it is easy to assume it cleans itself. It does not. Detergent, fabric softener and lint build up inside, and in the damp dark they grow the mildew that makes a washer smell musty. Then that smell transfers right onto your “clean” laundry.

Cleaning a washing machine takes about ten minutes of hands-on work plus a cycle. Here is how to do it for both front and top loaders, the spots people miss, and how to keep the smell from coming back.

Why Washing Machines Smell

The musty smell is mildew. It grows on the trapped moisture, detergent scum and lint that collect in the places water does not fully rinse: the rubber door gasket on front loaders, the detergent drawer, and the drum itself. Front loaders are especially prone because their door seal holds a pool of water after every wash.

The fix is to clean those spots and then keep them dry between washes.

How to Clean a Front-Loading Washer

1. Clean the rubber gasket

This is where most of the smell lives. Peel back the folds of the rubber door seal and wipe out the trapped water, hair, lint and gunk with a cloth dipped in warm soapy water or a 1:1 vinegar spray. Dry it well. Do this one step and most washers smell better immediately.

2. Pull out and wash the dispenser

Remove the detergent drawer (most pop out with a press or release tab) and wash away the slimy buildup in warm water. Scrub the slot it came from with an old toothbrush, then dry and replace it.

3. Run a hot clean cycle

Use your washer’s “tub clean” or “self clean” setting if it has one. If not, run the hottest, longest cycle empty. Add either 2 cups of white vinegar to the drum, or a washer-cleaning tablet. Vinegar cuts the scum and odor; our vinegar cleaning guide explains why it works.

4. Optional baking soda boost

For a strong smell, run a second hot cycle with half a cup of baking soda in the drum. Use vinegar and baking soda in separate cycles, not mixed together, as explained in our baking soda cleaning hacks.

5. Wipe down and dry

Wipe the drum, glass and gasket with a dry cloth, and leave the door open to air out.

How to Clean a Top-Loading Washer

1. Run a hot cycle with vinegar

Set the hottest, largest cycle and let it fill. Add 2 to 4 cups of white vinegar, let it agitate for a minute, then pause the cycle and let it soak for an hour. Resume and let it finish.

2. Scrub while it soaks

While the water sits, dip a cloth in the vinegar water and wipe the top rim, the lid, the dispensers and the inside of the drum. An old toothbrush gets into the fabric softener and bleach dispensers.

3. Second cycle with baking soda (optional)

Run another hot cycle with half a cup of baking soda to freshen and rinse away loosened residue.

4. Dry the openings

Wipe everything dry and leave the lid up.

Don’t Forget These Spots

• The detergent and softener dispensers (slimy buildup hides here)
• The rubber gasket folds on front loaders
• The drum exterior and the door glass
• Lint traps or filters if your machine has one (check the manual)
• The drain pump filter on many front loaders, usually behind a small panel at the bottom front, which catches coins, lint and that trapped-water smell

A full washer clean is part of a proper home reset; our deep cleaning checklist lists it alongside the other once-a-season jobs.

How Often to Clean It

Run a cleaning cycle about once a month, or every 30 wash loads. Wipe the gasket and leave the door open after every wash. If you use HE (high-efficiency) detergent and the right amount, buildup is slower; too much detergent is a top cause of odor.

How to Keep the Smell From Coming Back

• Leave the door or lid open between washes so the drum dries out.
• Wipe the gasket dry after front-loader cycles.
• Use less detergent, and HE detergent in HE machines. More suds means more residue.
• Remove wet laundry promptly instead of letting it sit in the drum.
• Pull the dispenser drawer out a little to let it dry.

If you ever see black spots that keep returning on the gasket, that is mildew that has taken hold; clean it promptly and keep the area dry (EPA mold guidance). Keeping the laundry area itself tidy helps too, as in our small-space laundry room organization guide.

The Bottom Line

Your washer needs cleaning too. Wipe the gasket and dispenser, run a hot cycle with vinegar (and a second with baking soda if needed), and don’t forget the drain filter on front loaders. Then keep it fresh by leaving the door open, using less detergent, and never letting wet laundry sit. Clean the machine monthly and your clothes come out smelling like nothing at all, which is exactly the point. More everyday wins are in our laundry hacks.