How to Clean a Washing Machine (And Stop the Smell)

Slug: how-to-clean-washing-machine-stop-smellsPillar: Practical Living > CleaningKeyword: how to clean a washing machineExcerpt: Washing machine smells musty? Clean the gasket, drawer and drum with baking soda and vinegar in under an hour — plus how to stop mould coming back.

If your washing machine smells musty, the fix takes about an hour and costs almost nothing: scrub the rubber door seal, wash the detergent drawer, then run the hottest empty cycle with baking soda in the drum and white vinegar in the dispenser. That clears the mould and detergent sludge causing the smell. Here's exactly how to do each step — and how to keep it from coming back.

Why Your Washing Machine Smells

A washing machine seems like the one appliance that should clean itself. It doesn't. Every wash leaves behind a little detergent residue, fabric softener, lint and skin oils. Add trapped moisture, and you've built a perfect home for mould and mildew — especially in front-loaders, where the rubber door seal holds water long after the cycle ends.

Cold washes make it worse. They're great for your energy bill, but 20–30°C water never gets hot enough to break down the buildup. So if you mostly wash cold, your machine needs a deliberate clean more often, not less.

Step 1: Scrub the Door Seal (the Number One Culprit)

Peel back the rubber gasket around the door of a front-loader and look inside the fold. You'll probably find slimy black residue, hair, lint — maybe a coin or a hair bobble. This fold is where most washer smells start.

Spray the seal generously with white vinegar, let it sit for five minutes, then scrub deep into the crevices with an old toothbrush. Wipe clean with a dry cloth. For stubborn black mould spots, a diluted bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) works — but never on the same day you've used vinegar.

And this matters enough to say plainly: never mix bleach and vinegar. Together they release chlorine gas, which is genuinely dangerous in an enclosed space like a bathroom or utility room. Pick one cleaner per session and rinse thoroughly before switching.

Step 2: Wash the Detergent Drawer

Pull the dispenser drawer out completely — most have a release tab you press down. Detergent and softener congeal in there into a sticky sludge that feeds mould. Soak the drawer in warm water with a squirt of washing-up liquid, scrub with a brush, and don't forget the cavity it slides into. A toothbrush reaches the softener siphon at the back, which is usually the grimiest part.

Step 3: Run a Hot Maintenance Wash

Now clean the parts you can't reach:

• Tip 1 cup of baking soda directly into the empty drum.
• Pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser.
• Run the hottest, longest cycle your machine has — use the "drum clean" or "tub clean" programme if there is one, or a 90°C cotton wash if not.

The hot water dissolves detergent scrud from the drum, the outer tub and the hoses. If the machine hasn't been cleaned in a year or more, run a second hot cycle with nothing added to rinse everything through.

Prefer a shop-bought option? A machine cleaner like Dr. Beckmann Service-it or Calgon tablets does the same job for a few pounds. The baking soda and vinegar method just uses what's already in your cupboard.

Step 4: Clean the Filter Most People Forget

Front-loaders have a small drain pump filter behind a flap at the bottom front of the machine. Put a shallow tray and a towel down, unscrew it slowly, and let the trapped water drain. You'll often find lint, tissues and the odd sock scrap in there. A blocked filter makes the machine drain badly and smell stale — clear it every couple of months.

How to Stop the Smell Coming Back

Prevention is mostly about airflow. After every wash, leave the door and the detergent drawer slightly open so the inside can dry out. It looks untidy. Do it anyway — this single habit prevents most washer mould.

Beyond that: run a maintenance wash monthly (or every 2–3 weeks if you wash cold most of the time), take wet laundry out promptly, and use the right detergent dose. More detergent doesn't mean cleaner clothes; the excess just coats the drum and feeds the next generation of mildew.

While you're in a descaling mood, hard-water buildup affects your taps too — our guide to removing limescale from taps and showerheads (https://eight2infinity.com/how-to-remove-limescale-taps-showerheads/) uses the same white vinegar trick. More quick wins like this live in our practical living (https://eight2infinity.com/category/practical-living/) section.

FAQ

How often should I clean my washing machine?

Once a month for typical use. If you mostly run cold washes or do heavy loads daily, every two to three weeks is better.

Can I use bleach instead of vinegar?

Yes — a hot empty cycle with around 60ml of bleach in the drum sanitises well. Just never combine it with vinegar in the same clean, and run a rinse cycle afterwards.

Why does my washing machine smell like rotten eggs?

A sulphur smell usually means bacteria in the drain pump filter or a partial blockage in the standpipe, rather than the drum itself. Clean the filter first; if the smell persists, check the drain hose.

Does a washing machine cleaner tablet work better than baking soda and vinegar?

They perform similarly for routine cleaning. Tablets are more convenient; the DIY method is cheaper. For a badly neglected machine, do the manual gasket and drawer scrub either way — no tablet reaches inside the door seal fold.