# How to Clean a Smelly Washing Machine (and Stop It Returning) > Washers smell from residue and trapped moisture. Run a clean cycle, clean the seal, drawer and filter, keep the door ajar โ€” and never mix cleaners. **Published :** 2026-06-03 ยท **Updated :** 2026-06-05 --- **Summary:** A washing machine smells when **residue and moisture stay inside the drum, seal, drawer or filter area**, and laundry-hygiene research identifies washers as a source of odor-causing bacteria and fungi. Clean it with one empty clean cycle, then hand-clean the seal, drawer and accessible filter โ€” and dry it between loads. The smell is rarely just visible dirt. Residue plus moisture can keep odor returning unless you clean the hidden wet areas and let the machine dry. That musty, sour or mouldy smell is usually a residue-and-moisture problem, not just "dirty water." Whirlpool recommends leaving the door open between loads so fresh air can evaporate remaining moisture, while laundry-hygiene research says washing machines are believed to be a significant source of odor-causing bacteria and fungi. Clean the hidden wet areas once, then change the habits that let residue come back. ## What you'll need You need one cleaning agent and a way to reach the hidden traps. The single most important rule is on the label: **pick one cleaner and never mix it with another.** - ๐Ÿงผ - **A dedicated machine cleaner, oxygen bleach, or distilled white vinegar** โ€” choose ONE route, never combined - ๐Ÿงด - **Oxygen bleach** as a chlorine-free option when your manual allows it - ๐Ÿงฝ - **A microfibre cloth and an old toothbrush** โ€” for the seal fold and drawer crevices - ๐Ÿงค - **Rubber or nitrile gloves** - ๐Ÿชฃ - **A shallow pan or old towel** โ€” to catch water when you open the filter For many machines, the easiest route is a dedicated washing-machine cleaner or a manual-approved oxygen-bleach route on an empty clean cycle. Plain sodium percarbonate is the no-chlorine option behind the ProductBox below, but it still needs to match both the washer manual and the cleaner label. **Recommended product** A dedicated washing-machine cleaner (such as Affresh or Dr. Beckmann) is another option; follow the product label. If your manual allows it, a little distilled white vinegar also can help with limescale โ€” but read the seal-safety trade-off below first, and **never** put vinegar in the same cycle as bleach. If your manual explicitly allows chlorine bleach, use only plain liquid chlorine bleach at the label/manual dose โ€” not thickened or no-splash bleach, and never with vinegar, citric acid or ammonia. ## Choose one cleaner route The lowest-risk cleaner is the one your manual allows and you do not mix with anything else. Pick one route for the hot empty cycle, then clean the seal, drawer and filter by hand. | Cleaner route | Use when | How to run it | Do not use if | Source-backed limit | | ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Dedicated washer cleaner | You want the simplest default | Empty Clean Washer, tub-clean, drum-clean or hottest empty maintenance cycle your manual allows | Your manual forbids the product | Whirlpool names affresh washer cleaner for its Clean Washer cycle | | Oxygen bleach / sodium percarbonate | You want a chlorine-free deodorising route | Empty hot or clean cycle, following the product label | Your manual forbids oxygen bleach or the label conflicts with the washer | LG UK describes sodium percarbonate as a way to alleviate washing-machine smells | | Liquid chlorine bleach | Your manual or Clean Washer cycle explicitly allows it | Empty clean cycle only, at the dose your manual/product label gives | You might also use vinegar, ammonia, citric acid or another acid | Whirlpool allows liquid chlorine bleach for its Clean Washer cycle, but says not to use thickened/no-splash bleach | | Distilled white vinegar | Limescale is part of the problem and your manual allows vinegar | Use sparingly and separately from all bleach products | Your manual warns against vinegar/acids or the seal is already damaged | LG UK says vinegar can help limescale but frequent use near seals can harm rubber | | Do-not-mix route | You are tempted to combine cleaners | Pick one cleaner per cycle; use separate cycles and a rinse if switching routes | Stop before mixing bleach with vinegar, acids or ammonia | CDC and Washington DOH warn this can generate chlorine/chloramine gases | ## Why washing machines smell The smell is usually less about "dirty water" than about residue, moisture and microbes. Tide says overusing detergent can lead to buildup, and Whirlpool ties front-load odor prevention to evaporating remaining moisture between loads. Laundry-hygiene research adds the bigger mechanism: washing machines are believed to be a significant source of bacteria and fungi that cause laundry malodors, and odor-producing bacteria and fungi can move between articles, the washer, and machine or hang drying. Three habits make that worse: using too much product, letting wet laundry sit, and closing the machine while it is still damp. ## First, work out which smell you have Not every bad smell is the machine. Match the symptom before you clean: | The smell | Quick test before cleaning | Most likely cause | First move | Stop / call-pro rule | | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Musty, mouldy, "wet dog" | Smell the door seal, drawer recess and empty drum | Residue and moisture in the seal, drawer, drum or filter | Run the full clean below | Stop if the manual forbids the cleaner route | | Sour / sweaty on clothes | Smell the empty washer, then smell laundry after it sits wet | Residue plus wet laundry left sitting too long | Clean the washer, reduce detergent, remove loads promptly | If clothes smell away from the washer, use the clothing-odor guide | | Rotten-egg or sewage near the drain | Smell near the standpipe while/after draining | Possible dry trap, trap siphonage or blocked vent | Check the standpipe/drain area | Call a plumber if the odor returns after a basic drain check | | Burning / hot rubber / electrical | Smell is hot, sharp or electrical rather than musty | Possible mechanical or electrical fault | Stop using the washer | Always stop; call an appliance technician | If it is the rotten-egg or burning case, **don't run a cleaning cycle** โ€” you would be treating the wrong thing. ## How to clean a smelly washing machine, step by step ### 1. Run a hot service wash on the empty machine With nothing in the drum, run the dedicated drum-clean / tub-clean / Eco Drum Clean cycle, or the **hottest empty maintenance cycle your manual allows**. Use a machine cleaner or another cleaner your manual allows โ€” **not your usual detergent**. Samsung says Eco Drum Clean heats water between **60 ยฐC and 70 ยฐC** on supported models and should not be run with common laundry detergent. Whirlpool recommends its Clean Washer cycle monthly and warns not to use thickened or "no-splash" bleach because excess suds may occur. ### 2. Clean and dry the rubber door seal On a front-loader, gently **pull back the rubber door seal** and wipe inside the hidden fold. Samsung says water can accumulate in the rubber seal and mold can form there, so inspect all areas under the seal, use a soft brush or cloth, then **dry it**. ### 3. Remove the detergent drawer and clean its housing Remove the **detergent drawer** according to your manual and rinse the drawer components under running water. Then clean the **recess it slides into** with a soft brush. Tide notes that the dispenser drawer can accumulate detergent residue, and Samsung explicitly includes the drawer recess in its cleaning instructions. ### 4. Clean the drain-pump filter (front-loaders) If your washer has an accessible debris or drain-pump filter, this is a hidden maintenance point worth checking. Samsung advises placing a towel or bucket under the access cover, draining water from the emergency hose, turning the debris filter **counterclockwise** to remove it, cleaning it, then turning it **clockwise** until secure. Some machines use a different filter design, so check your manual rather than forcing a panel that does not open. ### 5. Check the drain hose and standpipe Make sure the **drain hose isn't kinked**. And if the smell is sewage-like or rotten-egg near the drain, treat it as a possible drain issue rather than simply re-cleaning the washer. ND Health's sewer-gas guide lists dry traps, trap siphonage and blocked sewer vent pipes as possible drain-odor causes. If a sewage smell persists after a basic standpipe check, call a plumber. ## Front-loader vs top-loader **Front-loaders need extra seal care.** Samsung says water can accumulate in the rubber seal and mold can form there, which is why the seal fold is a front-load weak spot. If your front-loader also has an accessible debris or drain-pump filter, clean it on the schedule your manual gives. **Top-loaders** have different weak spots. Check the agitator area, the fabric-softener dispenser cup, and any filter your manual identifies instead of assuming the front-loader filter steps apply. > Tide says overusing detergent can lead to buildup, and the dispenser drawer can > accumulate detergent residue. Dose to your detergent pack, not by eye, and cut > back on fabric softener if the drawer or seal feels coated after washing. > LG UK says white vinegar or washing-machine tablets can help with limescale, > but also warns that vinegar can corrode or harm rubber parts if used too > frequently, especially near washer seals. Use vinegar sparingly and only if > your manual allows it. > **Warning:** > - Never mix chlorine bleach with vinegar, citric acid or any acid, or with ammonia. Together they release toxic chlorine and chloramine gases, and heat โ€” exactly what a hot service wash provides โ€” makes the reaction worse (CDC; Washington State DOH). Use one cleaner per cycle only. > - If you want to use both bleach and vinegar for different jobs, run them in completely separate cycles with a plain rinse between, and ventilate the room. Combining them is not a better cleaning method; it is a gas-risk mistake. > - Let a hot drum and any drained water cool before you reach inside or empty the filter, to avoid scalds. > - Don't use thickened, gel or 'no-splash' bleach in the machine; Whirlpool warns it can cause excess suds. If a sewage or burning smell persists, stop and call a plumber or appliance technician rather than re-running cleaning cycles. ## How to keep it from coming back Cleaning removes much of the residue you can reach; these habits slow the residue-and-moisture cycle: - **Leave the door and detergent drawer ajar** between washes so the drum and seal dry out (Whirlpool). A shut wet door traps moisture longer. - **Wipe the seal and drum dry** after a load, especially the seal fold. - **Dose detergent to the pack and cut the softener** โ€” less residue left behind after the wash. - **Run the washer clean cycle on your model's schedule**. Whirlpool recommends a monthly Clean Washer cycle; Samsung says Eco Drum Clean+ reminders blink every 40 washes on supported models. - **Take wet laundry out promptly** โ€” clothes left damp in the drum can take on odour and keep moisture inside the machine. - **Clean the drawer and seal regularly**, and clean any accessible debris filter on the schedule in your manual. ## When it still smells after cleaning If a musty smell survives a full clean, repeat the empty clean cycle only if the cleaner's label allows it, then re-check the drawer recess, seal fold and filter. A **sewage** smell that ignores washer cleaning is a plumbing signal, not a cue to keep adding cleaners. A **burning** or electrical smell means stop using the washer and call an appliance technician. For more appliance maintenance, start with the [washing-machine articles](/blog/tag/washing-machine/index.md). If it was your *clothes* that held onto the smell rather than the machine, that's a different fix โ€” see [how to get smells out of clothes](/blog/get-smell-out-of-clothes/index.md). If the machine also stalls before the load spins, use the [washer won't drain or spin guide](/blog/washing-machine-wont-drain-or-spin/index.md) before assuming another clean cycle will solve it. Dryer airflow has its own safety problem too: the [dryer vent cleaning guide](/blog/clean-dryer-vent/index.md) covers lint, overheating and fire risk. For the sour-towel version of the same residue problem, see [how to keep towels soft and fluffy](/blog/keep-towels-soft-fluffy/index.md); for choosing wash heat without guessing, use the [laundry temperature guide](/blog/laundry-temperature-guide/index.md); and for the cleaner chemistry, use the [oxygen bleach reference](/glossary/oxygen-bleach/index.md).