A washer spends its life wet, warm and full of detergent, lint and whatever came out of your pockets. That combination is ideal for odors, mildew and slow clogs, especially in front-loaders, and especially near the coast, where damp marine-layer mornings mean a closed washer door never quite dries. A short monthly routine prevents most of it.
Work through these steps in order. The whole thing takes about 20 minutes plus a cleaning cycle.
The monthly routine
- Wipe the door gasket (front-loaders). Pull back the rubber boot and wipe out the folds with a cloth dampened in warm water and a little detergent or a diluted bleach solution, following your manual. Remove hair, lint, coins and socks. Whirlpool suggests cleaning the gasket roughly once a month or every 30 cycles.
- Clean the dispenser drawer. Pull it out (most have a release tab), rinse it in warm water and scrub the channels with an old toothbrush. Wipe out the cavity it slides into.
- Run a cleaning cycle. Use the washer's clean-washer or tub-clean cycle with a washer cleaner or the product your manual recommends. Run it empty.
- Clean the drain pump filter if your washer has one. Many front-loaders have an access panel at the bottom front. Put a shallow pan and towels down first; water will come out. Unscrew the filter slowly, remove debris and screw it back in firmly.
- Look at the hoses. Check both fill hoses and the drain hose for bulges, cracks or dampness at the connections.
- Check the inlet screens every few months. If your washer fills slowly, the small screens where the hoses connect may be clogged with scale, common with hard water. Turn off the water, remove the hoses and rinse the screens.
- Check the level. Rock the washer corner to corner. If it moves, adjust the feet and tighten the lock nuts.
- Wipe the exterior and lid. Detergent drips and lint collect on top and around the lid hinge.
Daily habits that make the monthly job easier
- Leave the door or lid open between loads so the drum can dry. Whirlpool recommends leaving the door open between loads on front-loaders.
- Pull out the dispenser drawer slightly so it can air out too.
- Move clothes to the dryer promptly.
- Use high-efficiency (HE) detergent in HE machines, and measure it. More detergent leaves more residue.
- Check pockets. Coins and hair ties end up in the drain pump.
Top-loaders need attention too
Front-loaders get most of the attention for odors, but top-loaders build up residue as well, mainly under the rim of the tub and inside the agitator. Run the tub-clean cycle monthly, wipe under the lid and around the rim, and if your agitator has a removable fabric softener cup, take it out and rinse it. High-efficiency top-loaders without an agitator use less water, which means detergent residue concentrates faster; dose carefully.
Washers in garages and closets
A washer in a garage deals with dust, temperature swings and sometimes rodents. Check behind it every few months for droppings or chewed insulation. A washer in a hallway closet, common in condos and apartments, often has limited airflow, so leaving the closet door open after laundry day helps it dry out.
What hard water does
San Diego's hard water leaves mineral deposits in dispensers, inlet screens and on heating elements. If you see white crust on the dispenser or the washer fills slowly, the hard water descaling checklist has the steps for each appliance.
Every year: replace questionable hoses
Rubber fill hoses age even when they look fine. Replace them if they're more than about five years old or show any bulging. Braided stainless hoses are a reasonable upgrade. Turn off both valves before you start, and have a towel ready.
When a routine won't fix it
Call for washing machine service if you notice:
- Water on the floor after the hoses and drain filter have been checked.
- The washer doesn't drain or spin, or stops with an error code.
- A loud roar or grinding during spin.
- The door won't lock or unlock.
- An odor that returns within days of a full cleaning.
Front-loaders from brands like LG and Samsung have drain pumps, door locks and sensors that can usually be repaired without replacing the machine. If your washer is in the garage, the notes on garage laundry hookups covers drainage and power for that space.
Clean washer, fresh-smelling laundry, and no surprise puddles. That's the payoff for twenty minutes once a month.