Need to clean my front load washer

[jgenie]

Any tips? It's starting to smell funky so I née to try something soon. Hoping someone here has already done it and is willing to enlighten me. :D

[elliput]

Run a load of towels with a cup of baking soda thrown into the drum and fill the softener cup with white vinegar.

I regularly use white vinegar in the rinse cycle and it helps to keep the funk at bay.

ETA- also, before running the load of towels, use one to wipe down the gasket around the door.

[Mom Magic]

I have a 3 month old Electrolux front load washer and the store where I bought it recommended I use the Tide washing machine cleaner once every month or two. I bought it at Target in the laundry soap aisle and it comes 3 packets to a box for maybe $7. You empty a packet in the detergent cup and run the washer on the "clean washer" cycle, which the Electrolux has. If your machine doesn't have that cycle, I think the box tells you what cycle to use. It left the machine smelling really fresh and nice.

[squimp]

I have a 3 month old Electrolux front load washer and the store where I bought it recommended I use the Tide washing machine cleaner once every month or two. I bought it at Target in the laundry soap aisle and it comes 3 packets to a box for maybe $7. You empty a packet in the detergent cup and run the washer on the "clean washer" cycle, which the Electrolux has. If your machine doesn't have that cycle, I think the box tells you what cycle to use. It left the machine smelling really fresh and nice.

Yes - I have tried several brands and Tide works the best for me. I hardly ever get the funk anymore!

[StantonHyde]

I run a load of whites with Clorox once a week--helps alot Plus leave the door open when the washer is not in use.

[lele]

I had an electrolux that I ran the self clean cycle with a cup of bleach and never had any problems. I miss that machine :crying:

[WatchingThemGrow]

We printed up the directions from our owner's manual and taped them to the upper cabinet. DH did it monthly with a cup of bleach, per the directions in the manual. There is a clean "cycle" they specify with certain buttons to push.

[janine]

this is helpfu, thanks! We have the gunk in the door and moldy smell and the machine is just a few months old!

[ladysoapmaker]

My machine tells me to run the clean cycle with 1/2 cup of bleach.

I generally just use vinegar as the rinsing agent when washing and leave the door open when I'm not running it. And don't normally have the issue.

Jen

[ExcitedMamma]

Best thing we did was after you clean it make sure to always leave the washer door and the drawer for the soap open all the time between cycles. It's the only thing that keeps that icky smell from coming back.

[daniele_ut]

My Whirlpool Duet has a specific cycle that cleans the drum. They suggest Affresh, but I've used Tide Washing Machine Cleaner as well and I think it works as well or better.

[indigo99]

Mine has a little door with a filter inside that you clean out too. First you pull out a little hose and drain it into a cup. Then you can take out the filter and clean it. We run the special cycle to clean it with clorox once in a while and ALWAYS leave the door open. I also used some papertowels and vinegar to clean the inside of the door and gasket recently.

[marie]

a few months ago we ended up replacing the gasket because it was so covered in crud and mildew. When we removed the old gasket, I tried soaking the entire thing in vinegar, bleach, you name it. Nothing cleaned out all of the gunk, mildew stains, etc. After countless q-tips, I gave up. (I couldn't believe the number of little divots that they designed into this thing - you'd think that they would realize all of these little holes would become breeding spots for mold!)

Now after a load (or a series of loads), I wipe the gasket dry with a microfiber cloth. I know that I can't get every crevice dry, but I do as best I can. I then leave the door wide open.

Once a month I run a load with "Smelly Washer Cleaner" and hotter water than my machine will allow (I add boiling water from my hot pot since my machine doesn't have the clean cycle that the newer machines do.)

I used "Smelly Towel Cleaner" on my towels to get rid of the stink that my towels had from the mildewy gasket. Totally worked.

Oh! And I halved the amount of soap in every load because when I was researching the problem, a number of sources cited soap residue/build-up as part of the gunk problem.