Cleaning your washing machine now and then keeps odors and residue down and helps it run the way it should. Front-load, top-load and high-efficiency washers are cleaned differently, so the safest method is the one your washer’s manufacturer describes. Here’s how to go about it.
1. Read your manual first
Empty the washer and find the cleaning section of its manual. If you no longer have it, most manufacturers post manuals online by model number (here’s how to find your model number). The manual tells you which washer cleaner to use, how much, and whether your model has a Clean Washer or tub-clean cycle.
2. Run the approved cleaning cycle
Use the cleaner and the amount your manual recommends, then run the Clean Washer cycle if your model has one, or the cycle the manual names. Don’t mix cleaning products, and never mix bleach with vinegar or any other acid: together they give off a dangerous gas. Only use bleach if your manual allows it, and only in the amount it gives.
3. Clean the parts you can reach
When the cycle finishes, wipe the dispenser, the inside of the door and, on a front-loader, the rubber door gasket, the way your manual directs. Unplug the washer before any hands-on maintenance the manual asks for, such as cleaning a drain pump filter. Don’t remove a control panel or reach behind it to clean. Between loads, leave the door or lid open a little so the drum and gasket can dry, as long as that’s safe in your home.
4. Know when cleaning isn’t enough
If odors come back quickly, water stays in the drum after a cycle, or you find a leak, stop running more cleaning cycles. Those are signs of a drain, pump, hose or seal problem that needs a diagnosis. Near Appliance Repair services washers in Edmond and Oklahoma City. Call (405) 534-4788 with the model number and what you’re seeing.