Grandma Knows: How to Clean a Washing Machine

A washing machine is one of those appliances that people rarely think about cleaning. It uses water and detergent every single cycle, so it seems like it should clean itself. But over time, a washing machine collects some of the dirtiest buildup in the entire house — soap residue, body oils, hard water minerals, lint, and the kind of damp, hidden moisture that mold absolutely loves.

If your laundry has started coming out with a faint musty smell, or if the inside of the drum has a gray film around the door seal, the machine is telling you something. It is not broken. It just needs attention. And the good news is that cleaning a washing machine is not complicated. You likely have everything you need in your kitchen pantry right now.

Why Washing Machines Get Dirty in the First Place

Understanding the cause makes the solution easier to apply — and easier to maintain afterward.

Modern laundry detergents, especially liquid ones, tend to leave behind a waxy residue when they are not fully rinsed out. This happens more often in machines that are used with cold water cycles, because cold water is less effective at dissolving and flushing away soap. Over weeks and months, that residue builds up inside the drum, along the door seal, and in the detergent drawer. It becomes a surface that traps moisture and provides exactly the environment that mold and mildew need to grow.

Hard water makes the problem worse. In areas where tap water carries a high mineral content, calcium and magnesium deposits settle inside the drum, on heating elements, and along water inlet hoses. This is called limescale. It looks like a white or grayish crust, and it does not come off with a regular wash cycle. Left untreated, limescale reduces the efficiency of the heating element, which means the machine has to work harder to reach the right water temperature — and your energy bill quietly goes up.

There is also the matter of the door seal on front-loading machines. That thick rubber gasket is designed to create a watertight seal during the wash, but the folds and creases in the rubber trap water after every cycle. Combined with lint, hair, and the fine residue from fabric softener, those folds become a reliable home for black mold. It is one of the most common complaints people have about front-loaders, and it is almost entirely preventable with a simple routine.

What You Will Need

There is no need for specialized cleaning products. The following items cover nearly every part of the cleaning process:

• White distilled vinegar
• Baking soda
• A spray bottle
• An old toothbrush or small scrub brush
• A few clean cloths or rags
• Dish soap

White vinegar is acidic, which makes it effective at dissolving mineral deposits and cutting through the soap scum that regular detergent leaves behind. It is also a mild disinfectant. Baking soda is a gentle abrasive and a natural deodorizer. Together, they handle the majority of what builds up inside a washing machine without damaging the drum, the seals, or the internal components.

Cleaning a Front-Loading Washing Machine

Start With the Door Seal

The rubber gasket around the door opening should always be cleaned first, before running any cleaning cycle. Pull back the folds of the rubber carefully and look inside. If you see black or dark brown spots, that is mold. If you see a slimy gray film, that is soap and fabric softener residue mixed with moisture.

Spray white vinegar directly onto the affected areas and let it sit for two to three minutes. The acid needs a moment to loosen what has set into the rubber. Then use an old toothbrush to scrub along the folds. For heavier mold buildup, a small amount of dish soap added to the vinegar helps lift the residue more effectively. Wipe the area clean with a cloth, then go back and check the deeper folds of the seal one more time. Mold often hides further in than it appears at first.

Be thorough here. This is the area most people miss, and it is the most common source of the musty smell that transfers to clean laundry.

Clean the Detergent Drawer

Pull the detergent drawer out completely. Most front-loaders allow you to remove it fully by pressing a small release tab — check your machine's manual if it does not come out easily. Once removed, rinse it under warm running water to loosen the surface buildup. Then soak it in a basin of warm water with a splash of white vinegar for about ten minutes.

Use the toothbrush to scrub the compartments, paying close attention to the corners and the underside of any dividers. Fabric softener in particular tends to leave a thick, sticky residue that does not rinse away on its own. A little dish soap helps break it down. Rinse the drawer thoroughly before replacing it.

While the drawer is out, look into the opening where it sits. That recess often has visible mold or detergent buildup along the top and sides. Spray it with vinegar, let it sit, and wipe it clean with a cloth before the drawer goes back in.

Run a Hot Cleaning Cycle

With the drum empty, add two cups of white vinegar directly to the drum — not the detergent drawer. Set the machine to its hottest wash cycle. If your machine has a drum-clean or self-clean setting, use that. Otherwise, a full hot cycle works well.

Hot water activates the vinegar more effectively and helps carry the dissolved residue and mineral deposits out of the machine. The heat also reaches areas that hands cannot, including the water inlet hoses and the inside of the door mechanism.

Once that cycle finishes, add half a cup of baking soda directly to the drum and run another hot cycle. The baking soda works as a secondary cleaning pass — it neutralizes any remaining odors and provides a mild scrubbing action as it moves through the drum. It also helps rinse away any lingering vinegar smell.

When the second cycle is complete, open the machine and wipe the inside of the drum with a dry cloth. Pay attention to the back of the drum and around the drum holes, where residue can settle.

Cleaning a Top-Loading Washing Machine

Top-loaders follow a similar process, but the steps are adjusted for the different design.

Set the machine to the largest load size and the hottest water setting. Start filling the drum, then add four cups of white vinegar once the water is running. Let the machine agitate for about one minute to mix the vinegar through the water, then pause the cycle. Let the vinegar and water solution sit in the drum for at least thirty minutes, or up to an hour if the buildup is significant.

While the drum is soaking, use a cloth soaked in the vinegar solution to wipe around the top rim of the drum, the lid, and any exposed surfaces inside the machine. This is often where lint, detergent powder residue, and hard water marks collect without being reached by the wash water.

After the soak, let the cycle complete fully. Once it drains, run a second cycle with half a cup of baking soda added at the start. Again, use the hottest setting and the largest load size.

For machines that have a fabric softener dispenser or bleach compartment, remove those inserts if possible and wash them separately in warm soapy water. The same sticky residue that collects in front-loader drawers builds up inside these dispensers as well.

Dealing With Stubborn Limescale

If your machine has visible white or chalky deposits inside the drum, standard vinegar cycles may not be enough on their own. Hard water scale bonds to surfaces over time and needs a longer contact period to dissolve properly.

For a more targeted approach, soak a cloth in undiluted white vinegar and press it directly against the scaled area. Leave it in place for fifteen to twenty minutes. The acid will work into the deposit and begin to break it down. Then scrub with the toothbrush and wipe clean. You may need to repeat this two or three times for heavy buildup before the surface comes clean.

In areas with very hard water, running a vinegar cleaning cycle once a month instead of every two to three months makes a meaningful difference. The scale does not get a chance to accumulate between cleanings, so each session stays manageable.

The Detergent Habits That Cause Buildup

Cleaning the machine thoroughly matters, but so does what happens during regular laundry cycles. Many people use more detergent than necessary. The measurement lines on detergent caps are often set at the maximum recommended amount, not the typical amount. For average loads with modern high-efficiency detergents, half the marked amount is usually enough.

Excess detergent does not make clothes cleaner. It leaves more residue behind in the drum and on fabric. Over time, towels washed with too much detergent start to feel less absorbent — the fibers are coated with a thin layer of soap that water cannot fully penetrate. The same principle applies to what happens inside the machine.

Cold water cycles are also worth managing carefully. They save energy, which is a genuine benefit, but running every load at cold temperatures means more residue stays behind. Running one warm or hot cycle per week — even with a small load — helps flush the drum and keep residue levels lower between deep cleanings.

Keeping the Machine Fresh Between Cleanings

A few small habits make a significant difference in how quickly buildup returns after a thorough cleaning.

Leave the door or lid open after every cycle. This is the single most effective thing you can do to prevent mold and odor. When the machine stays closed, the residual moisture has nowhere to go. It sits on the drum walls, the door seal, and the detergent drawer, and it creates the conditions mold needs. Even leaving the door slightly ajar gives enough airflow to dry out the interior before the next cycle.

After each load, take thirty seconds to wipe the door seal dry with a cloth. This removes the water that collects in the rubber folds before it has a chance to sit. It is a small step, but it directly addresses the most common source of front-loader odor and mold.

Every two to three months, run a full cleaning cycle as described above. If you notice the musty smell returning before that interval, the machine may need more frequent attention — or the detergent drawer and door seal may need spot cleaning sooner.

When to Call a Repair Technician

Cleaning handles the vast majority of washing machine odor and performance problems. But there are situations where cleaning alone is not the right solution.

If the machine produces a strong chemical or burning smell, that is not a cleaning problem — it points to an electrical or mechanical issue that needs a qualified technician. If the drum has visible rust on the interior surface, cleaning will not reverse that damage, and depending on the extent, the drum or inner tub may need to be replaced. If the machine drains slowly or leaves standing water after a cycle, the drain pump filter may be clogged. Many machines have an accessible filter near the bottom front panel that can be cleaned at home, but if clearing it does not resolve the issue, the pump itself may need service.

A clean machine runs more efficiently, lasts longer, and produces genuinely fresh laundry. Most of what prevents that comes down to regular, simple maintenance — the kind that takes less than an hour a few times a year and costs almost nothing to do properly.