Oh! The horror! The HORROR!! You had schmutz in the crevices of your machinery. Where are my smelling salts?
And from the looks of it, your machine is in your basement where no one could see it. But the shame, the shame of having a less than perfectly clean machine that you would dare to show to the rest of the world. Your standards are beyond the pale.
There, there, dearie. Don't worry. We will not judge.
{{rolling eyes}}

Does this also work on new high-efficiency front loading washers? We've had ours about 3 years and it's smelling a bit rank.

@KHinNJ, so we should take it that you consider cleaning to be mostly for the eyes of visitors, and that it's not important for hygiene or any other reasons besides what people see -- and judge you on??? ;^) Interesting! Never invite people into your home and never clean!?

And all along I have been doing it for myself and my partner -- silly me!

Was it really necessary to dump your bucket of snark all over this woman? What is wrong with wanting to get the gunk out of a washing machine? Keeping them clean will help keep them in good working order. The community guidelines prevent me from telling you what you can do with your snarky comment, but I'm sure you can figure it out.

emschall, I also have an HE machine (top loader) and there is a specific cycle to use for cleaning it. I'd check with the manufacturer before using this system because HE's are not the same as the older models (less soap, less water, etc.).

It doesn't look too bad. I have a front loader and they have more places to hide grime. But I essentially use the same method to clean out mine. I wrote about cleaning my HE washer here. The best and worst part about taking photos while cleaning mine was seeing all of the hidden grime. The water hose had hard water buildup, which I couldn't see until I snapped a random picture of it. Vinegar took care of that easily.
Anyways the washer probably needs to be cleaned every 6 months or so.

This is going to get done this week. Thanks for the tutorial.

When I wash, I put in baking soda and vinegar in with the soap-every wash. My machine always stays clean and never smells.
Good for the clothes too and they don't smell like vinegar. I've even stopped using softner in the dryer; the vinegar stops the static cling on MOST materials;
I still get static cling on the blankets.

Kind of a timely post. Our front loader has been getting pretty nasty smelling lately. I have tried doing vinegar rinses and some store-bought ones but they didn't really help. Last week it quit draining and wouldn't spin, the smell...oh the smell.

WHO KNEW washing machines had filters?!?! Taking off the front panel there is a rubber boot looking thing connected to the pump. Inside there was a plastic filter housing FILLED with coins and ... EWWW. Other stuff. 10 years of EWWW. Apparently I should have been cleaning this filter (or I'm probably supposed to pay a repairman to do it) on a semi-regular basis. CERTAINLY HELPED THE SMELL. Not to mention I am about 7 bucks richer.

I'd like to know how to remove the back so I can find out what happens to all my socks.

Kris---lol. Didn't know that either.

Our front loading machine gets funky because the rubber seal doesn't always fully dry and it's black so I don't really notice that it's grody until it starts smelling. You've inspired me to go de-gunk my machine. :)

And snarkers gonna snark. Ignore.

Yes- I found a recipe for DIY fabric softener that uses vinegar and hair conditioner!

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/rebeccas-rosemary-mint-fabric-softener.html

Woah! Does anyone know where the filter is on a top loader?

Usually I love snark, but this was uncalled for and poorly written. You fail at both ends. I'm going to go clean my washing machine tonight and think about how helpful this writeup was and how terrible your snark is.

I speak up in defense of bleach, which has been shown in some studies to be a more effective anti-microbial (meaning not only bacteria, but virus, fungus/mold/spores as well) than vinegar. According to Wikipedia, (if you trust such sources, which I realize many of us don't) "a Risk Assessment Report (RAR) conducted by the European Union on sodium hypochlorite conducted under Regulation EEC 793/93 concluded that this substance is safe for the environment in all its current, normal uses".

Not sure what these toxins are that she is referring to...bleach smells terrible and the smell sticks around longer than vinegar, and you have to be careful not to mix it with ammonia or an acidic product (like vinegar) because that causes a chemical reaction which will release chlorine gas. You should also not ingest it because the strong alkali component can cause necrosis of the mucous membranes. Perhaps this is what she is referring to?

I've moved & rented much in the last 10 years...I have always done this when have moved into a new place. It totally removes the previous tenants cooties.

A while back we inherited my mom's old top loading (before we upgraded to HE machines) and it required a deeper clean that just a surface scrub. It smelled of heavy perfume from liquid fabric softener and after each cycle I got a whiff of something sour. Ew. Had never had that experience before. I had tried every cleaning method-- nothing would fix it for more than a week. The perfume smell was killing us (allergies) and I just couldn't take it anymore. I dismantled the washer.Took the frame off and scrubbed inside the tub. It was nasty to say the least. Lots of waxy, moldy, foul smelling, greasy build up. I ran a couple of cleaning cycles after the scrub and scrub the tub (with toilet cleaner and a long bottle brush) a couple more times before I was satisfied.

Anyway, my point is sometimes you need to go a little deeper (especially if your unit is second hand). It's relatively easy... just plan on it taking the whole day.

Every appliance needs some care so this post is very helpful.
My HE front loader might take the price of looking the worst since it is in my open carport and my lawn guy likes to use the blower around it...
After every wash I dry the rubber rim , one time there was a sock under it! Also I keep the door open a little to air.

Sorry, I don't think it's the end of the world if there is gunk in your washing machine crevices. Nope. And it doesn't affect the machine's lifespan or cleaning ability. I've been living with the same washing machine that was here when I moved into this townhouse 12 years ago. It has schmutz. I don't care. It's behind closed doors 98% of the time. It does not reflect badly on my character and my self-esteem is not dependent on it being pristine. Maybe the author could have checked her post to make sure she wasn't potentially insulting people who don't obsess over itty-bitty evidences of grime in their hinges.

Thank you. I was thinking the same thing.

I'm curious about the wheeled work bench. Is that custom, or might it be available for sale somewhere?

I occasionally run a mix of borax and washing soda thru my washer in hot water. The borax disinfects and the washing soda dissolves any built-up soap gunk. I did this to an old washing machine that wasn't draining and it solved the problem, so now I do it as part of maintenance. Vinegar goes in each load of laundry so I don't bother with it.

I have a hard time believing that regular white vinegar diluted to that extent will do much disinfecting. And I personally have never found vinegar to work well on soap scum or build up. Anyone know for sure how effective vinegar is at these dilution levels?

Why exactly are people taking offense at the author of the article wanting her washing machine cleaner? For one thing, she mentions cloth diapers so it's not necessarily just day-to-day gunk that some of the rest of us have. I also clean my washer so it doesn't get my clothes dirty when taking them out of resting them on the top. And crevices and soap/softener dispensers need to be cleaned occasionally to make sure they are free of molds and mildew. Nasty stuff builds up in the hoses. And seriously who wants to see that stuff anyway even if they are the only one who will notice? My laundry room looks a little shinier and more cheerful with a little extra polishing. It's a smidge more pleasant to spend time there doing my laundry. It's worth that to some of us. To each there own, I say.

Thank you for this -- I needed the information (and I also used cloth diapers -- they will definitely put some wear and tear on your washer!).

@LyonStill

I've never tried this! Great idea, I will try this out.

Bleach contains dioxin which is a carcinogen. I don't know much more than that.

I've got that same wheeled cart. I've got a 30 gallon fish tank setting on mine. Didn't come with that top tho. Think it came from Lowes & was about $25. The top looks to just be a piece of spare counter cut to fit.

Vinegar works wonderfully on soap buildup. Running it through your washer has the added bonus of degunking your waste pipes. My washer dumps into a utility sink, which periodically empties slowly. Running a quart of white vinegar and lots of hot water down the drain periodically seems to solve the problem.

I also wonder what the potency of vinegar is when it is diluted that much. I have a feeling I would have to take a day to take my machine apart and really deep-clean it, I just don't have the stomach for something so gross. It needs to be done, though. My clothes don't stink after washing, but they don't smell incredibly fresh either...

For the naysayers, think about your dishwasher (or dishwashers at your work, for example). Do your glasses smell like socks after they are washed? It's the same principle - build-up of gunk leads to funk. Think of all the bodily oils and dead skin cells that could build up in your washing machine after a while. Or hair, dust, lint, whatever. Yeah, your machine runs cycles and drains like a pro, but your clothes may not be as clean as they could be if your machine was clean too. To each their own - but I'll be trying this method this week.

@wylie: Here is the cart pictured: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Trinity-EcoStorage-3-Tier-Chrome-Cart/6668649/product.html

I am probably very strange in the fact that I don't mind cleaning. This is great advice for people that inherit a washer/dryer with a home purchase or rental. My laundry room was disgusting when I bought my house and even though I kept the washer and dryer I did give them a thorough cleaning before I would use them. I just feel better knowing I've cleaned other people's germs and dirt off of an appliance I am going to be using daily.

This isn't just for looks, keeping appliances clean improves their functionality!

While I know it's not impervious, I'm glad my Samsung has "Silver Care". Our machine is generally funk free because we use the silver care mode often and we let the interior dry between loads.

Occasionally a load gets left in for too long but another run of the machine with the silver care and things are back to normal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver#Medical
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_uses_of_silver

My wife washed her medical scrubs in it as well and mentioned that her hospital is now using silver infused bed sheets for certain patients.

I would say the biggest way to get rid of the gross mildewy stuff under the rubber on a front loading machine is to leave the door open overnight every few days/washes!

The baking soda/vinegar combo works on HE machines, but put the vinegar in the detergent and fabric softener dispensers and skip the baking soda. Obviously, don't put a whole quart in though :-)

Using something that's dirty to clean is counterintuitive. Let's put away our snark, shall we?

Wow. You're getting a heap of crap for taking care of your stuff. Weird.

"Does this also work on new high-efficiency front loading washers? We've had ours about 3 years and it's smelling a bit rank."

WE bought a home with a front loading washer and the people we purchased from did not take care of it. I have run gallons of bleach through it on the sanitary cycle. Leave the door open on the machine. Done the vinegar. Done the special effervescent tablets they sell at home depot. It's never quite right and the smell works it's way into the clothes. Now that I think about it, they had kids. Probably put their crappy diapers in it. Not to mention that when we moved in and I started investigating the smell, found a baby sock that was stuck behind the liner which had greatly contributed to the smell build up that's never gone away. Ugh.

In our new place, I just bought a HE front loader and keep the door open all the time. I also gently pull back the door liner and clean out the lint. Some washers have a lint trap. Yours might be filled with moldy hairy stuff. Might want to clean it out.

It always amazes me how dirty a washing machine can get. I live in the very dusty Southwest and I find that not only do I get soap scum but dust clings to it making it visible instantly. I've taken to wiping down the washing machine with a Costco lemon-scented cleaning wipe before I do laundry. I've always favored vinegar and baking soda over most chemical cleaners so I will give Ms. Yunghans method a try.

Interesting...can a similar method be used for dishwashers? We've been putting lemon juice in a cup on the top part, to marginal effect. (Better but not clean.) Would love to see if this works or have AT run another similar one on dishwasher cleaning.

@taradactyl, here you go! http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-clean-yo-1-136169

Wow, I'm suddenly feeling the urge to go clean my washing machine... thanks!

Cleaning a washing machine? >> Really? I guess if you are using homemade lye soap you might need to. But I can't imagine...

Great info!!!! I will definitely be trying this!!!!

Fantastic, thanks!

This story is very useful to me. I live in a building that has all adults between ages 40 to mid 60's living in it, no children live in the building. The washer and dryer is on the same top floor that I live on. The building has 7 apartments and 2 of these have their washers and dryers. My landlord asked me if I would help him out by cleaning it up a little bit say once a week. (I do not mind doing this)

I make sure the waste basket is clean, I have been checking and cleaning out the dryer for lint, cleaning the floor. The washing machine is a top loader. A few days ago I noticed my dish towels where a bit grungy and stained so my thinking wash them with some beach and liquid soap and then wash them again with just soap. I let the towels soak for a 10 minutes in the beach and liquid soap. Well my towels looks 78 percent better the and the washing machine looked and smelled better. Part of the reason I am willing to Clean the washing room is I do not have to take my clothes to Laundromat which would be a royal pain and time waster.

Now I do have a question for all of you helpful and smart people posting. Have any of you tried the vacuum hose attachment for the lint traps. I have seen them and wondered if they are worth the price which is around 12 to 14 dollars. Also can these attachments be used for cleaning other places. Thank you all for reading this post.

Thank you so much for posting this! I printed out your directions and I am in the soaking phase now and cleaned out a lot of built up gunk :)

thanks for this! totally sharing. i was just watching an interview with an appliance maintenance and repair man and he emphasized how important it is to keep appliances clean in order to maintain them for years.

Can you remove your agitator? With my machine (top loader) you can. Fisher and Pykell brand machine (NZ)
Pull off fabric dispenser and remove the screw fixture and lift out the agitator, I have found that a fair bit of FOD (foreign object detris) lurks under there.
But since I have been using my home made (vinegar, super washing soda, water) fabric conditioner I have found that the build up of "crud" has dropped off dramatically.
The other thing I clean real often is my vaccuum cleaner. Hubby has a compressor unit in garage and I regularly take my vaccuum cleaner our there and use the air hose to blow away the dust and stuff that gets into the machine. Saves heaps on filters and bags.

I regularly clean the crevices and such on my machine because I like it that way but have never had to clean the hidden parts until my latest machine, a Samsung. I couldn't believe it when after only having it for 6 months I started to get a strange smell. I did a clean as found on Pinterest but forgot to leave the machine soaking for the hour. It is much better but next time I will try to remember to let it soak. I alos like the idea of using bi-carb soda too. Thanks for this.

I have a front loader HE machine and it took me years to figure out how to keep it from smelling YUCK. Yes, you do need to check the filter occassionally. Every wash I add a half a cup of white vinegar as the fabric softener. It does not make the clothes smell like salad, but will eventually make your machine smell better. I also take out the detergent tray so it can dry and air out. In my model water would collect and I can't even begin to describe what started growing. I wipe down the spot where the tray goes every time I take it out. I also wipe down the rubber seal around the door -every rubber part you can get to. Leave the door of the machine open between uses. This should help.

I am a massage therapist and wash loads of oily sheets. I regularly find a line of oily gunk in my top loader machine. Thanks for the tips!
FYI: Bleach is a carcinogen. I haven't used it for years. Cleansers with bleach, such as Comet and Ajax are two of the most toxic cleaners for the users and toxic for our environment. Go the the Environmental Working Group(EWG)website for more info on keeping you, your family and our earth poison free.

I've tried cleaning my washing machine twice like this. I even used bleach one time and I it's still stinky. Could there be a tutorial on how to really super clean other parts of it and how to replace the hoses in the back?? These also get gooked up and need to be replaced every so often.My machine is probably 20 years old. Thanks!

Maybe things have changed since I took Chemistry back in the 60s and 70s, but combining vinegar (acetic acid) with baking soda (sodium carbonate) produces an instant and vigorous chemical reaction that produces salt (sodium chloride), carbon dioxide (you know, that pesky greenhouse gas and is what is inside the fun little bubbles), and water. So, what is working here? Probably the action of the salt on detergent (they don't like each other).

If you have hard water, you will need more than vinegar to get rid of the scale buildup. CLR works well and doesn't mess up anything. Guesstimate the amount of water (you can also look in the owner's manual) in your washer tub and follow the instructions for mixing. It will require some math.

Whatever you do, DON'T combine chlorine bleach with baking soda thinking you are going to get the best of both worlds. This reaction will produce, among other things, chlorine gas, the main ingredient in mustard gas (you know, the stuff used in WW I).

Taking the back off most washer models is easy, but I wouldn't try to remove the individual components, unless you enjoy 3D puzzles. I also would not try to remove the agitator unless you have a full set of tools and the manufacturer's repair/service manual, as well as having any innocents out of the house due to the swearing this process causes.

By the way, the only time I have found socks inside is when they got caught in the pulley drive. I always figured that they crawled out of the washer when no one was looking and, like a butterfly, spun a cocoon and emerged as a wire coat hanger.

Good luck!

I keep writing about my wonderful steamer but I can't imagine life without it. Just point that nozzle at the greasy, waxy gunk and it melts away with a quick swipe. The detergent tray never completely dries out and soap gets clotted in there. My machine also has some deep crevices where the top fits on and that gets gunky.

Saying you don't have to clean your washing machine because hot water and soap go in it, is like saying you never have to scrub your bathtub....

I even clean my oven with my steamer - and I'm a baker. I do not sell steamers, but i should!

Hydrogen peroxide cleans the gunk out of my front loading washer quite well. I let it sit and sizzle for while before running the "clean tub" cycle. Also, a teaspoon of citric acid in each cycle really cuts the hard water and softens the clothes.

Hi
Thanks for sharing. This is a really helpful post. I also use a few drops of tea tree oil in every wash, and with the vinegar when I clean it.
Regarding the snarky comments, its all relative, in this example the author is talking about POO Folks! When you was cloth nappies they are dirtier than your average wash, so that gunk around your washing machine is more than just dirt...
It's a brave person that posts anything to Apartment Therapy these days. ..

KHinNJ, or maybe you need to recognise that you're not such a special snowflake that people need to check whether they might offend you by writing a post about cleaning a washing machine?

And by the way, if your machine's dirty, it's pretty obvious to most people with a modicum of logic that it's not going to clean your clothes as effectively. I don't give a stuff what other people think about how clean my house is, but I do care whether my own clothes are clean or not.

I live in an apartment so don't have a washer or dryer but my interest is in the shelving you have beside your washer. I'm looking for something EXACTLY like that. Thank you.

I smell horrible Trolls on this line of comments.

@KHinNJ: I think you've taken a beating here but you opened the door. Just so you know, some people clean for pleasure. That's right. It feels good to be clean and it feels good to take care of one's possesions that are expensive and hard-won. I actually went looking for a tutorial on how to clean the washer. Mine washer is old but I want to keep it in good repair, extend the life of said washer and there is a line of gunk in the tub that is not attractive to see or think about. Call me all washed up and I will agree with you. :)

I use about a half cup of baking soda in the wash cycle (I have hard water and it softens it so I don't have to use so much detergent) and vinegar in the rinse cycle (I put the vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser). Fabric softeners (both liquid and sheets) contain carcinogens so they aren't healthy for us to use, anyway. Stick with baking soda and vinegar and you will have clean, disinfected, fresh-smelling laundry and machines without all the extra trouble.

Oh! The horror! Someone has standards and makes KHinNJ feel even more insignificant than it already is.
Do us all a favor and go take a shower, maybe even keep your belongings clean but I doubt you know how.

Thanks KHinNJ....I needed that little chuckle!

This is VERY informative - I live in a rental with a stinky pair of washers, and a very athletic downstairs neighbor. I had NO idea you could remove a front-loader's detergent tray....I'm going to give ours a good look-over, then a good once-over. Dearest Landlord enjoys a hands-off policy most of the time, but I think a good run-through for both washers with LOTS of vinegar and baking soda one night will make all of us happier. Maybe then he'll be inspired to pitch in next time with the cleaning.

Thanks!

I gave to say, Charlie's soap (link below) has proven to be awesome at getting rid of residue and also preventing buildup in my washer. I have no ring or grunge in the drum at all and it always smells fresh (unscented - no mustines).
I don't like to use it to wash synthetics because it makes them static-y, but otherwise it does a great job on sheets, towels, jeans and other items without being harsh.
Also, since ditching liquid fabric softener (icky) I've noticed a big difference in the machines' cleanliness. Bonus, Charlie's takes musty smells out of stuff too!

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=1C-1005#.UTNgZDD_mSo

UGH. After swearing of AT for good, I ended up here through a Lifehacker link. The reason I swore off this blog for good is that the message boards are ridiculous when someone has a "negative" opinion or reaction to a blog post. I have been subverting my OCD when I see a little dust and gunk in the crevices of the washing machine - it's just not worth my time to get every nook and cranny squeaky clean. KHinNJ, your comment made me laugh. I wish people would lighten up, it's really frustrating to see backlash against anyone who doesn't praise every word of AT.

That said, I do appreciate this article because I noticed a bit of a funky smell from my 12-year-old machine and I'm going to clean it. From the comments section you'd think we were all debating politics or something. SHEESH.

Hi! Thank you for the tutorial, great timing for me! Not sure what all the fuss is about in the comments... when you write a blog, you write with your colors, every one knows that. Anyhow, thank you and no worries :)