How to clean a front load washer: gasket, drum, drawer and filter

Step by step: how to clean a front load washer

Safety first. Wear gloves when you work with bleach or mold, keep the room ventilated, and never mix bleach with vinegar or ammonia. Unplug the washer before you open the drain pump filter, and if you have just run a hot or Self Clean cycle, wait about an hour for the water to cool, as Samsung advises.

1. 1

   Check the drum and the gasket folds

   Open the door, remove any laundry, and pick out coins, hair ties and lint from the drum. Then pull back the rubber gasket all the way around and look in the bottom fold, where water sits. Remove socks, hair and debris by hand or with a paper towel.

2. 2

   Scrub the door gasket

   Spray the gasket inside and out with warm soapy water and wipe every fold with a cloth until the grey slime stops coming off. For black mold spots, scrub with a toothbrush dipped in a 10% bleach solution (about 1 part bleach to 9 parts water), leave it 5 minutes, then wipe with clean water. Dry the gasket with a towel.

3. 3

   Run the cleaning cycle

   Put a washer cleaner tablet in the empty drum, or pour liquid chlorine bleach into the detergent dispenser as your manual directs, and run Clean Washer, Self Clean or Tub Clean. On Samsung front loaders this takes about 4 hours. With no cleaning cycle, use the hottest, longest cycle.

4. 4

   Soak and scrub the detergent drawer

   Pull the drawer out (most have a release tab in the softener section) and soak it in hot soapy water for 15 minutes. Scrub the channels and the softener siphon cap with a toothbrush, then rinse. Wipe the empty drawer cavity too, including the roof, which is often black with mildew.

5. 5

   Drain and clean the pump filter

   Unplug the washer and open the small panel at the bottom front. Lay towels down, set a shallow pan under the drain hose, pull its cap and let the water run out; it may take a few pans. Then turn the filter counterclockwise, pull it out, rinse off lint, hair and coins, and screw it back firmly so it does not leak.

6. 6

   Clean the door glass and the outside

   Wipe the inner door glass, which collects a film of detergent, and the outside of the door and control panel. A damp microfiber cloth is enough for most of it; use soapy water on sticky spots.

7. 7

   Prop the door open to dry

   Plug the washer back in and leave the door and the detergent drawer slightly open until everything is dry. Make this the habit after every wash day, not just after cleaning.

Why front load washers smell more than top loaders

Front loaders smell because they use little water and seal shut with a rubber gasket, so detergent residue and moisture stay trapped. affresh explains that the lower water use lets residue build up under the door gasket and in parts you cannot reach, which is where mold and mildew grow.

Three things make it worse: too much detergent (or non-HE detergent), liquid fabric softener, and closing the door on a damp drum. Cut back on all three and the monthly clean stays quick.

How to find and clean the drain pump filter

The pump filter sits behind a small door at the bottom front of most front loaders, usually on the left or right corner. It catches lint, hair, coins and small items before they reach the drain pump, and a clogged one causes slow draining, error codes and a sour smell.

Samsung recommends cleaning it at least once a month or about every 40 washes, whichever comes first, and warns to wait about an hour after a hot, Sanitize or Self Clean cycle because the water inside will be very hot. A few practical tips:

• Use a baking dish, not a bucket. The filter sits only a few inches off the floor, so a bucket will not fit under it.
• Expect more water than you think, often several pans. Close the little drain hose between pans.
• If the filter will not turn, there may still be water pressing on it; drain more first.
• Some models have no user-serviceable filter. If you cannot find one, check your manual before you start unscrewing panels.

Can you use vinegar in a front load washer?

Yes, as a deodorizer, but not as your main cleaner. affresh says white vinegar is safe in a front loader but may not remove buildup stuck to the drum, pump and drain, which is why most manufacturers recommend a washer cleaner. Check your manual, since some brands list only their own cleaner or bleach.

For the gasket, affresh suggests hot soapy water for routine wiping and warns against harsh or abrasive cleaners, which can damage the rubber. If you use bleach for mold, rinse the gasket and run a plain rinse cycle before vinegar touches the machine.

When the gasket is stained or moldy for good

If black spots come back within a week or two of cleaning, or the rubber is torn or leaking, the gasket likely needs replacing. Surface stains that stay after a bleach scrub but do not spread are usually set-in discoloration rather than active growth.

For a persistent smell, follow Samsung’s mold routine: a spin-only cycle to clear water, liquid chlorine bleach in the detergent compartment up to the max line, then Self Clean started immediately. Replacing a gasket is a standard repair for an appliance technician, and on many models a confident DIYer can do it with the part number from the manual. If towels still smell after the washer is clean, see our guide to mildew smell in towels.

Mistakes to avoid

• Cleaning the drum but never pulling back the gasket, where most of the mold and smell sits.
• Putting a bucket under the pump filter, then flooding the floor when it will not fit.
• Opening the pump filter straight after a hot or Self Clean cycle.
• Scrubbing the rubber gasket with abrasive powder or a scouring pad, which roughens it so grime sticks faster.
• Using regular detergent instead of HE, or overfilling the dispenser, which feeds the residue.
• Shutting the door after every load so the drum never dries.