How to Keep a Front Loading Washing Machine Clean

If you've got a front loading washing machine like we do at home, these are a few quick tips to help keep your laundry smelling fresh and keep everything running in good order.  We have a Samsung Model WF361 washing machine so your machine might look different but the general idea should be the same.

Take Out and Clean the Soap Drawer

Soap scum and other debris can make their way into the dispenser drawer, there should be a a tab to press down to allow you to take out the whole drawer and give it a good scrub in the sink.  Take off any attachments you can to get into the little groves of this assembly.  I found some dirt hidden underneath the bleach/softener divider when I first cleaned mine.

Wipe Down the Seals

Grab a few cleaning rags or paper towels and give the seals at the front door a wipe.  Make sure to get into all the crevices that dirt will find its way into.  On our model, there was a huge pileup of debris behind the area that goes between the drum and rubber seal.  This was the main culprit for smelly laundry in our machine that caused me to do a deep clean of the machine in the first place.  Make sure to go all around the seals, hair and dirt can get caught up in the upper part of the door seal as well.

Clean the Water Filter

Most of models of these front loaders will have a water filter located at the bottom, hiding behind a small panel.  There will be a drain tube and then the filter beside it.  First step is to open the drain tube (black in this picture) and drain the water into a container so it doesn't go all over your floor.  I use a small plastic Ziplock container, but you can use anything you have handy.  After the water is drained unscrew the filter and give it a good clean in the sink.  There may still be some residual water left over so you might need to have a couple extra paper towels or rags nearby.  Once the filter is cleaned, put it all back together taking care to ensure the drain hose is capped off and any o-rings in the filter housing are still in place, you don't want a water leak on your hands!

Run a Cleaning Cycle

Now with all that gunk removed, its time to run a cleaning cycle.  Most models will have a way to do this, just refer to your owners manual if you have any questions.  On our Samsung, it is called a "Pure Cycle" - odd name but I guess this made sense to somebody at Samsung.  If you've got some baking soda and vinegar on hand, this is the time to use it.  Put about half a cup of baking soda inside the drum of the machine, and fill up the liquid soap dispenser with vinegar, about a 1/3 of a cup.  If you do it the other way around, the machine will end up draining the vinegar right away and that would be useless.   Start the cleaning cycle and the machine will take care of the rest.  The vinegar, while diluted with water, will mix with the baking soda in the drum and will help loosen any debris caught in the machine.  Our Samsung also uses hot water for most of the cleaning cycle, as hot water helps break down soap scum and grime.  The self cleaning cycle will drain and refill the machine multiple times, it could take upto an hour and a half for it to finish its job.

Enjoy Fresher, Cleaner Laundry

After every load, keep the both the main door and soap dispenser drawer open slightly to help increase airflow so everything can dry off.  While these front loading washing machines save tons in water use, they require a little more care to keep everything smelling fresh.

Did I miss anything, or maybe you've got more tips?  Let us know in the comments below.

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