Last month I wrote a post on How To Clean Your Washing Machine. However, I received some comments that the tips that I gave are not able to work with a front loading washer because you can't fill with water first. I actually did not know this because I have a traditional washer, however, my dream of a new washer and dryer will one day be full-filled, so I will also need to know how to clean those machines too, and the tips are different. So for all you lucky gals that enjoy the machine of my dreams, here is how to clean your front loading washer!
In case you missed it, here is How To De-Funk Your Towels. But, it is a little different if your front loader locks. Super easy.
- Dissolve the baking soda or vinegar in a cup of water and pour on top of your towels in the washer, close the door and start the cycle with the hottest water setting.
Front loading washers have a tendency of 'pooling' water at the bottom of their drums, which can be a breeding ground bacteria and mildew.
Tips To Get Rid of That Smell
- Did you know that you are helping create a smelly and yucky washer by closing the lid to your washer after you are done with a load? The bin is wet and needs the air to evaporate the water. Otherwise, it just seeps into the lower bin and can sit there and can grow mold and mildew. If possible, try to keep the lid open so the moisture can dry. I know that can be tough with kids or pets around, so if it is not possible to let it air dry, then use a dry cloth or paper towels to dry out the washer. Be sure to get the grooves where water can sit. It is actually best if you can do both of these steps.
- Never leave a wet wash load in your washer overnight; remove it when the washing cycle is complete and leave the door open.
- Remove the detergent and fabric softener dispenser and soak them in a bucket of warm water. Once they have soaked long enough, spray with an all-purpose cleaner, wipe down and rinse. Be sure to dry completely.
- Inspect the rubber door seal for mold and mildew. Pull back the seal and examine all of the crevices. Mix 1 cup of liquid chlorine bleach with 1 gallon of warm water. Moisten a clean white cloth with the bleach water solution, and wipe down the seal to remove any mold and mildew. Allow the solution to remain on the seal for five minutes, and then wipe down the door seal with a clean, dry white cloth.
- You might want to check your washer manual for this step. Typically, there is a small door on the front of your washer. Inside the door holds a debris filter and a small hose. You will want to drain the hose. Be prepared by having a large bucket to drain the hose. It can sometimes hold a gallon or more of water. You can then pull the filter out and clean it.
Ways to Clean Your Washer
Cleaning with Bleach
Some washers have a "tub clean" feature. If it does, pour 2 cups of bleach into the detergent area and run your washer through as your "tub clean" directions advise. If your front loader doesn't have this feature, pour the bleach into your washer and run it empty on its hottest cycle. When it's done, wipe it dry and leave the door open. Do this about once a month, or as often as you feel it needs a deep cleaning.
Cleaning With Baking Soda
In 4 cups of warm water, dissolve 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Soak a cloth or sponge with your solution and wipe down the inside of your washing machine. Once you have thoroughly wiped down your bin, run the washing machine on the rinse cycle to finish the cleaning and rinse the baking soda. If you still see a white powder residue, it is not properly rinsed and you can repeat the rinse cycle.
Cleaning with Vinegar
In 1 quart of warm water, mix 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. This will make a solution to remove any soap, residue or oil and will also break down any grease and fresh up your washer. Soak a cloth or sponge with the vinegar solution and wipe the inside of your washer bin. If there is some residue that won't budge, place the damp cloth over the area for a few minutes to let the vinegar work to break it down. After you have wiped down your washer, run the rinse cycle to remove the vinegar solution.
My washer has a cleaning cycle.
ReplyDeleteA repairman advised us to run a cycle empty with a dose of dishwasher detergent. It cleans the inside and the outside of the drum. This is for a front loader. He said to do this once a month.
ReplyDeleteThe front load was my dream machine too... Well, as the saying goes: "Be careful what you wish for..." I got one, and I absolutely hate it! Next time I get a machine (in a 100 years or so), I am going back to a top load.
ReplyDeleteBIGGEST MISTAKE I EVER MADE!
I agree with Carmen--I hate my front loader and I tell everyone that is looking to get a new washer to stay with a top load--I have enough to do already than to add getting up in the middle of the night to open the door so my clothes won't mildew
ReplyDeleteYep, I agree with the above! Who has time to WASH a WASHER!?? Makes no sense & I can't stand mine either. It looks like a space ship & doesn't do half the job my Grandmas 1976 model green Matag (Maytag?) does! Thanks for the tips though!!
ReplyDeleteHi Carmen and Anonymous 1 2,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this advice and info. After reading these comments I told my husband that I had made a decision and we will never get a front loading washer. Seems like such a pain. But I hope these tips help with the smell and keep your clothes smelling good too.
xoxo
WOW! I love my front loader, You maybe just bought a crappy model???? I got the top of the line Electrolux and will never own anything else
ReplyDeleteThe greatest tip I ever learned for my front loader, you can do ALL of the cleaning you want to your washer, but the smell will NEVER completely go away if it isn't balanced!! Crazy huh!? The washer is designed to drain through little holes, but won't if it's cockeyed at all!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous comment about the model maybe being an issue...I absolutely LOVE my front-loaders. Mine are LG and life really IS good with them.lol I swear it's like each individual thread is washed separately. The clothes and linens come out SO clean. Loads of laundry are bigger, therefore fewer. And I have never had a smell in my washer, either. So all that in addition to them being EnergyStar and using less water and requiring less detergent...they are paying for themselves. Too bad some of you have had bad experiences. ):
ReplyDeleteI love my front loader too.I have a whirl pool duet I do a clean cycle on it once every month or 2 an leave door open until its dry and wipe door an seal out once a month. I really dont fuss over mine alot. Ive had it 5 years no issues yet.
ReplyDeleteI love my front loader. I can leave the load in even when it stops, you don't have to rush to open it. But just like with a top loader, it's better for the laundry if you take them out right away. I wash mine only when it starts to smell, which is maybe once a year. If running it empty on the highest temperature doesn't do the trick, I check the door seal crevice as there is often some lint or dirt in the lower part. If not, I use bleach or citric acid. And no wiping, you can just poor the stuff in the drum and start the cycle.
ReplyDeleteWashing machines , both front and top loaders can leavecyour machines with clothes smelling sour. If you leave them overnight especially in the summer. All machines need to be cleaned once a month. Washing machines hold lots of bacteria and germs, from fecal germs. Gross but true. I truly wonder how "clean" our towels and clothes really get from our machines, whether they are front or top loaders, new or old machines. Google "germs in your washing machines."
ReplyDeleteGerms are good for you, they train your immunity system against real attacks.
ReplyDeleteI love my front loader, will never have anything else again!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nina and the other Anonymous'. I will take all of this info into consideration. I am totally confused now, Lol. But I appreciate all of your info about front loaders.
ReplyDeletexoxo
I too have a front leader and am sooo disapointed. I miss that nice smell of fabric softner. I leave my door open and still have a smell. I also run vinegar through my washing machine.It helps a little. Would never buy one again. I have a samsung.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anonymous. I am glad to know the brand that you have too. Thanks for commenting with your experience.
ReplyDeletexoxo
I own GE Profile front loaders and my laundry life was changed forever!!!!! Everything gets dirty and needs cleaned!!!!
ReplyDeleteTwo words - Maytag Whirlpool
ReplyDeleteThey have been making washers and dryers and everything else for over a 100 years.
Maytag - BEST CLEANING, tough ass washer
Whirlpool - GENTLE on your clothes.
they have the fancy new top loaders too. Take your pick.
It's all about trade offs. You can wash a ton more, better cleaning, more gentle, with a ton less water. If you can't drop a cup of bleach in your tube once a year, then keep on living in the 70's with your old water hog.
I love my GE front loaders. Clean the filter and run your towels on Hot and sanitize if you have that option. Cleans the washer and keeps the funk out of your towels
ReplyDeleteI have an LG front loader - love it!!! My Momma always left the lid up on the washer to dry out; much to the dismay of my adult daughter, I leave the door open for the washer to dry out for a day - doesn't bother me, no smells & I do all the laundry in cold water; I've had it about 3 years.
ReplyDeleteFront loaders save water. If you are pulling water from a well or using a septic or both, then a front loader is the way to go. We have had ours for 15 years(Miele)and we do a hot cycle with vinegar in the soap and softener trays maybe every two years and all is well
ReplyDeleteWhen my husband and I bought our house, I wanted a front-loader, so we got one. We got an LG energystar model. I love my washer! I run some bleach cleaner through a cycle of hot water (empty) once a month, wipe down the grey seal (quickly) and wipe the clear front part (also quickly) and leave it open to dry. No problems so far, I've had mine a little over a year. My mom has the same model (and has had it for several years) and also loves it. It really requires such minimal clean up and is so much easier to load and unload (plus it using less water and being energy efficient) that it is worth it to me.
ReplyDeleteQuestion, you said in the towel cleaning entry that the instructions for cleaning towels is different for the front-loaders. What is different about them? There is nothing here that explains that. Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Janne,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for commenting. I super appreciate your advice. Still trying to figure out which way to go, but I appreciate your info.
To clean the towels in a front loading washer, the info is at the top, second paragraph. Really easy. Here is what I wrote.
You can just dissolve the baking soda or vinegar in a cup of water and pour on top of your towels in the washer, close the door and start the cycle with the hottest water setting.
Thanks so much!
xoxo
This will teach me not to read the entire thing (I'd read it before for the cleaning the washer part, and only skimmed the second time. Shame on me haha). Thanks so much! Have my towels in the washer right now to sanitize and de-mildew them!!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I thought while talking to my sister was your climate. I live in Arizona, where it is incredibly dry pretty much all the time. This could help keep the mildew from growing. My sister, who hates her front-loaders for exactly the reason people have mentioned, lives in North Carolina, where it is considerably more wet and humid. So, your climate may have a good deal to do with how your washer is able to drain, dry, etc.
I have a Maytag frontloader. I Have tried many things to keep that smell away, keeping door open when not in use, vinegar, bleach, the commercial cleaners out now, even ordered from a company called smellywasher.com on the internet, nothing keeps that smell away long, and I absolutely hate that nasty smell my towels have!! makes me furious we spent so much money on the frontloader, thinking we were saving money using less water. NOT worth the trade off for stinky clothes in my opinion! But I was told long ago to quit using the liquid fabric detergent, as it builds up, and MOLD loves the stuff! I've had my front loader for about 6 years now, I do hope for others' sake they have improved them!
ReplyDeleteSwitch to HE powdered detergent and don't use liquid detergent at all in your front loader. After I made the switch my machine and towels no longer smell.
ReplyDeleteI bought the top of the line Samsung and I LOVE it! It has a quick wash cycle that I use a lot. It also has a washer cleaning cycle. My clothes look awesome and clean, so I love it. A big problem of front loaders getting stinky is that people use way too much soap and not the correct kind. You only need 2 TBSP of the high efficiency kind. I love Tide's Sport version. Smells amazing and I have actually been told that I smell awesome and it is only my clothes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tami. I have a samsung and really love the savings. We even washing cloth diapers in ours and we don't have a smelly washer. I do wash it once a month, but really how hard is it to run a load with just vinegar or bleach. I also just keep the door open after unloading. I have left overnight and never have a problem. I don't think it is that much harder than a traditional washer, since you should be cleaning that as well
ReplyDeleteI worked at an appliance store for years and one thing I think you should add to this list is to use POWDER SOAP!! The liquid is made with animal fat and sticks and builds up so when you shut the door it just festers. Thats where most of the smell comes from. I have had my front loader for years and only use powder and have never had a problem with a smell. This is the number one thing we always told customers. Also dont turn the washer on and pour a couple gallons.. Yes gallons of vinegar into your tub then just let it sit. DO NOT TURN ON WASHER. After about 20 minutes manually turn the tub and let it sit for another 20 minutes and keep repeating until the whole tub has soaked then run it through the hottest cycle and it will get rid of all that crap :)
ReplyDeleteGreat information. I also have front loader and the cleanliness of clothes is amazing. I appreciate every ones input and I'm off to buy powder detergent!
ReplyDelete