How I Kept my High Efficiency Washer Mold Free for 10+ Years
It’s been a decade since we bought our front-loading HE washer and I’ve managed to keep it smelling clean for 10 years! With just three simple steps, you too can banish the funky, mildew, and moldy smelling clothes washer. Here’s How to Keep Your HE Clothes Washer and Laundry Smelling Clean!
How to Keep Your HE Clothes Washer Mold Free for 10+ Years
We all know the HE (High Efficiency) washer uses a lot less water than the old top load clothes washers. And, they cut down on drying times with a super spin cycle that leaves clothes damp not wet. With all those positives, you’d think everyone would be clamoring for an HE washer. Unfortunately, HE washers can start to stink if they grow mold or mildew inside. What would you say if I told you that after 10 years I’ve cleaned the inside of my clothes washer twice? It’s true, the only times I had to clean it was once when the washer sat in our garage for over a month closed up during renovations. And the second time is when we had a house guest who didn’t know to do three things to keep the washer clean and smelling fresh.
Do These 3 Things After Every Load of Laundry:
- Wipe out the gasket
- Leave door open to dry
- Open detergent drawer (or remove to let it drip dry.)
Here’s how to keep your HE front loading washer clean and fresh like the day you bought it:
1. ALWAYS wipe the door off after each load.
2. ALWAYS wipe out the gasket (top to bottom) to remove any water and moisture. This is the main area that will get mildewy first. Gently pull the gasket toward you to wipe inside and behind the gasket. Wipe especially well around the drain holes at the bottom.
3. Leave the door open after your wash is done to thoroughly air out your washer. Obviously if you have a closet instead of a laundry room, this can be a problem. Your best bet will be to invest in a top load HE washer when it comes time to replace your washer. Until then, try your best to keep the washer open about 30 minutes after you’ve washed a load.
4. Open or remove the detergent drawer to allow it to air out.
If you still have odors or smelly laundry, try some of these remedies:
Visible mildew
Inspect inside and around the gasket for signs of mildew (usually black spots.)
Mix a small amount of bleach and water in a container. Dip an old scrub brush or old toothbrush into the mixture. Scrub mildew spots with the brush. Wipe clean with a clean rag dipped in water to remove the bleach mixture. Repeat as necessary. When the mildew has been removed, wipe dry with a clean rag.
Smelly Washer:
Does your washer smell like a locker room. To eliminate smells, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda inside the drum. Add a cup of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser. Press start to run the washer empty on the hot water setting.
If this doesn’t eliminate all the odors, you can run the washer empty again but this time put 1/2 cup of bleach in the detergent dispenser.
Remember to open the washer immediately, wipe out any moisture, and leave the door open to air dry. Â (I can’t stress how crucial it is to do this after EVERY LOAD.)
Smelly Clothes:
Do your clothes, or more likely your towels, come out of the washer smelling like a locker room? Believe it or not, you could be using too much detergent. Liquid detergent is often the culprit. Particles from the soap don’t wash out of your clothes completely and bacteria from sweat and more end up sticking to the fabric. Try switching to a powdered detergent or use this DIY laundry detergent which is low sudsing (and also costs pennies). You can also try this Smelly Towel Cleaner (affiliate link) additive to your laundry, that I use when our towels start to get a little funky (especially the dog towels.) It helps get the odor out.
Remember: Never use more detergent than is called for (even if the item you are laundering looks like this jacket.)
Speaking of dirty clothes. I must share this hands down BEST Stain Remover recipe with you:
I’d love to hear if these tips helped Keep your HE Clothes Washer and Laundry Smelling Clean!
Like this post? You’ll definitely want to learn how to prevent dryer fires:
And don’t miss How to Clean Out Your Dryer Ducts to Prevent Fires.
Yeah, there are many things you can do to stop the smell. The instruction book actually says to wipe the door and leave it open 10 minutes after last wash. My thing? Once in a while for grins I use no-name (you can use name but it’s pricier) mouth wash in the detergent slot on the speed wash setting. Works great.
Even tho I use a homemade detergent I always double rinse my towels. I had problems with them smelling even tho they were clean and my sister told me to rinse them twice. My top loader has a place to set for 2nd rinse so I only do for towels. I learned from my mother to leave the lid open to let the washer dry out. If it has been a day since I washed I will close the lid until I need to wash again. There are only 2 of us so don’t need to wash as often as when the girls (3 of them) were home. Since I have soft water, I only use 1 TBSP of detergent in my washer. I had heard years ago that using too much detergent is what makes clothes look gray. Who knew?!
Brittany, so very helpful to know this since I just had a washer repairman here a week ago. My from load Maytag washer is almost a year old so still under warranty. The repairman told me there are HE washer cleaners out there to buy & he said I would have to go to an appliance store to find them. He told me the Tide cleaner isn’t any good & to get another brand. I haven’t gotten around to it yet so you saved me some $$. Thank YOU.
I also read your DIY washer mix ingredients & you answered my question about if that was an ok thing to use on HE washers! You are a GEM! Thank you again!!!
Colleen, you are so welcome. I’m glad you found the information helpful ;-).
I always remove the dispenser drawer after each wash.
The little bit of water left there will caused mold around that area too.
Jonie, good idea. I usually remove ours once a month and it usually has some mold growth by then.
We hat the first front loading machine the Maytag Neptune it boy did it get stinky. We tried everything and still no luck. We ended up getting rid of it and bought a top loader. Hubby wouldn’t buy another front loading.
Great tips Brittany!….I always keep my washer door open between loads…but I need to remember to clean that gasket!!
My mother always left the lid of our top load washer open and when I moved out I always shut mine. When I mentioned to her my washer was smelling she told me to open the lid. Letting it air dry would solve it and to run white vinegar through the bleach dispenser when doing towels would freshen the washer and make the towels smell fresher. Has always worked for me. I also wipe out the drum and inside ledges with bleach water a few times a year.
I have found that a very effective way to clean the gasket around the door is to use an old terrycloth towel. The roughness of the terrycloth is very helpful in removing the gook that seems to develop there.
You are cracking me up with this post! Believe it or not, I was just thinking the other day, my washer smells……why? Yes, my towels sometime smell disgusting. I actually run my washer a couple times with no detergent or clothes and you would be amazed at the soap suds even without adding detergent. My husband thinks that half the bottle needs to be added!
Good tips; I’ve done everything except the baking soda. Hadn’t heard that one before. The vinegar wash is the one that usually does the trick for me. Is yours a Frigidaire by any chance?
hi, we just moved in a rental with an HE Frigidaire front loader and it smells terrible. so the vinegar with an empty load works for you?
Yes. I also leave the door open just a little all the time. When they are closed, they get that musty, soured smell. If yours is bad, I’d do everything Brittany recommended.
Just wanted to chime in that sometimes that stinky smell comes from a filter on the bottomof the washer getting clogged. I figured this out when we were renting & they replaced our washer with an abused front loader & trying all of the above tips didnt work.
Is there any way that you know of to access this filter without hiring a techniciam? or does this require taking the whole thing apart to access?
The filter is user cleanable. Usually you pull bottom panel, then twist and pull to remove filter. There are usually instructions once you pull off bottom front panel.
Thank You, Thank You….
I am new to the front load HE washer / dryer world & have never done any of those suggestions….
I am on my way to go & do them now… Thanks…. K.
Great tips!
I have noticed that once I started using vinegar in the fabric softener slot that my front load washer no longer smells. And no, my clothes don’t ever smell like vinegar.
Same thing for my dishwasher. Vinegar in the rinse aid slot. Ahhh the power of vinegar.
I should have taken pics, I tore our LG front loader apart when the panty just started smelling moldy, on the backside of the tub was a 1/4 inch thick layer of scum ….. a biomass of micro bacteria probably the one related to soap scum I think its called Pseudomonas aeruginosa a gram negative prokaryotic bacteria meaning it reproduces every twenty min meaning it can go from one cell to milliions in 7 hours 🙂 Anyways I cleaned it and sterilized not disinfected it and its been fine for another 4 years. Would love to be able to clean it without taking it apart. For bleach to work as a disinfectant… won’t kill endospores ( gram positive bacteria) so it’s not a sterilizer…. it needs to be completely submerged in a 10 percent bleach solution for at least 10 min. Hope this helps
Wow Donny! That sounds disgusting. Thanks for the info on bleach.
Fact check. Gram negative bacteria can form spores too. In fact some of the worst bacteria are gram negative spore forming rods.
Bleach is a disinfectant, not a sterilizer. ..this means you are killing most pathogenic bacteria on an inanimate object. For sterilization you must kill 100% of the microbes and in most cases this will require either steam or gas (ethylene oxide) sterilization with an autoclave (pressure cooker can do it old school style).