How to Clean a Top Loading Washing Machine
Learn how to clean a top loading washing machine with bleach and white vinegar in this easy step by step tutorial!
This post shows how to clean a top load wash, for a cleaning tutorial for front load washers, click here.
Do you need to clean a top load washer?
Short answer: yes!
I spend an enormous amount of time doing laundry. Between my husband and
With all of that use, detergent residue, mold, and grime can build up fast, like in the photo below.
I would always make a mental note to do something about it but I obviously never quite got around to it. (Our poor neglected appliances!)
Until this week.
Determined to break this cycle of yuck I researched and researched the best way to clean a washing machine and here’s what I came up with.
Step by step
MATERIALS
- chlorine bleach
- white vinegar
- sponge or microfiber cloth
INSTRUCTIONS
- Clean the Washing Machine with Bleach Fill washer tub all the way up with HOT water. Not warm water, not cold, fill that baby with the hottest water setting as the setting will allow.Â
- Add one quart of bleach, set it on the longest cycle (for me this was the “whitest whites” cycle) and let the washer agitate for a few minutes, then let it sit one hour by pausing the cycle. After the hour let it complete the wash cycle. ***If you prefer not to use bleach you may substitute a quart of hydrogen peroxide in its place***
- Clean the Washing Machine with Vinegar Again fill the washer with HOT water but this time add one quart of white vinegar. Same routine-set on the longest cycle and let it agitate a few minutes then sit for one hour. After the hour complete the wash and rinse cycle.
- Wipe out the washing machine and clean detergent trays: Wipe down the entire inside and outside of the machine with 1 cup hot water and 1 cup vinegar mixture using a microfiber cloth.Â
Don’t forget to wipe the blades of the agitator inside the washer drum. If your detergent and fabric softener dispenser have soap scum built up in the nooks and crannies like mine did and they are removable soak in hot water with vinegar for ten minutes then wipe down. If they aren’t removable pour a cup of white vinegar (warmed in microwave) in them and then wipe clean after a few moments. You can also scrub with an old toothbrush and a water and baking soda paste for any stubborn spots, just wipe with a clean damp cloth to remove the residue afterward.
NOTES
You can substitute hydrogen peroxide for the bleach
FAQs
If your machine is not very dirty and doesn’t need a deep clean, you can maintain it by running an empty load with 1 cup of vinegar once a month.
If your top load washing machine has a lot of build up I recommend cleaning it thoroughly as described below, then maintaining it with monthly vinegar cycles. I try to run my maintenance vinegar cycles on the first of the month so I don’t forget to do it.
Even if you regularly clean your washer, it can still sometimes get a mildew smell to it. The solution to this is too easy-after running the machine, keep the lid open to allow it to dry out. Closing the lid when it is wet is a sure-fire way to get a stinky washer!
And there you have it-a sparkly, clean washing machine, free of build up and grime!
When you’re finished don’t forget to learn How to Clean a Dryer next!
So spill it-when is the last time you cleaned your washing machine? Did you know you’re supposed to do this at least twice a year, more if you have hard water?? Learn something new every day!
You might also like these cleaning tips:
- How to Clean Oven Glass
- How to Remove and Prevent Fingerprints on Stainless Steel
- How to Clean a Keurig
- How to Clean Windows
This post was originally published in May 2013 and updated with additional information in June 2020.
You could have taken your pictures in my washing machine – but soon, mine will look all pretty and shiny like yours! Great tutorial – pinned!
Thanks Keri!
How Would I Get Hard Water Stains Out?
I’m thinking the vinegar should do it Kevin, have you tried that yet?
How do I make my washer maintain the water in the machine without draining by itself for an hour? Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Usually you can just turn it off or use a soak option Jessica, it all depends on your machine. Hope that helps!
~Melissa
unplug it, just pull it out from the socket.
I have never cleaned my washing machine! Well, I wipe down the dust off of the edges, but that’s about it. Mine’s still fairly new and I’ve been waiting for it to start stinking or something to tell me it’s time. Since I’m on well water though, I probably shouldn’t wait that long. Thanks for the tip!
I did not want to post the pics of how grimy mine had gotten but it had to be done. You’re a good friend for not making fun!
Great tips Melissa!
Thanks Heather!!
I totally need to get in my laundry room and clean up my machine! I try to do it every so often, but it’s gotten kinda yucky!
Great tips, Melissa!
Thanks Gwen!
The washing machines for our apartment building are shared, and they’re super icky! I wish I had my own, at least right now I feel like having to clean the thing is a small price to pay for being able to do my own laundry in my home whenever I want! Probably will change my mind pretty quick once I actually have one and have to do maintenance like this on it though. 🙂
It’s the first time I’d cleaned it in three years! I definitely won’t wait that long next time though-it was super easy!
A little kindness will go a long way.. plus it might rub off on someone.
This is amazing. I was just scraping at that gunk in my washer today and went searching on pinterest for info on how to clean it! I will definitely be trying this. Pinning now!
Great timing! I’m glad it could help!
It’s been a busy summer, but I finally had time to do this today — and it TOTALLY WORKED. I did have to do a little bit of elbow grease on it with a paper towel, but this sequence really helped loosen up the gunk and the soap scum. I thought I would be scraping that stuff off for hours and it only took about 15-20 minutes with a paper towel to really get it cleaned off to my satisfaction after I did a the bleach load and then the vinegar load. I scrubbed it using the water with vinegar in it from the 2nd load of putting vinegar in the water.
It was astonishing to me when I scrubbed under the agitator blades — there was actual brownish-looking, crusty dirt/scum, and this washing machine is only about three years old! I am glad I got this cleaned. I have a feeling this will help my washer rinse much more cleanly and quickly. Thanks again!
It’s amazing how the grime builds up isn’t it!?
A magic eraser wipes it right off. 🙂
Great Information! I’m hosting a new linky party at https://hickorytrailblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/efforts-and-assets-linky-party-1.html
I would love to have you!
Angela
Thanks Angela I’ll try to stop by and link up!
Love this – thank you!
Question – it looks like I have the exact same washer as you – but my detergent and fabric softener holders seem pretty well in place. Did yours come our easily? I don’t want to yank mine out and break them 🙂 Thanks!
Oh mine don’t come out! I had to use the warm vinegar method I mentioned. Sorry, I should have clarified that!
Try using a toothbrush in those hard to reach places
Great tips. I’m doing this tomorrow.
Iam going to go do mine right now!!Jessi maybe you could suggest to the manager of the apartment’s.Thanks for the info!!
Great idea Bill! Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you so much for posting this! I just cleaned mine out according to your instructions and it worked beautifully! Our washer/dryer is about 9 years old now and it sure needed it! Thank you, thank you! 🙂
you should see mine my husband works on and around tar and grease and all kinds of black greasy stuff. I spray it down with greased lightin and wipe it with paper towels them wash is out
Wow, I can imagine it takes a lot of cleaning!
Good article, but allow me to add one thing. For those of you with hard water, put a couple packs of Kool-Aid brand lemonade into your washer and run it through a cycle. It will clean hard water deposits, lime and rust. This will also work in your dishwasher.
Great tip, thank you!
Thank you for the tip. i didn’t know we ever had to clean them out. i dont have the bleach, but i do have a gallon of vinegar! Then again there are only 2 people in my home, so i only do about 5 loads max a week.
I laugh at your reluctance to share your before picture…. you have not seen my machine!!! LOL
I am definitely going to try this as mine is…definitely far, far worse. I have tried other things and nothing has worked thus far.
Have a lovely day…and thanks again for sharing
I’ve seen some that are even more neglected particularly when I do bond cleans for homes which are fully furnished.
The one thing I would also mention is to
*Clean out the lint filter every few days or at least weekly imo
If your machine has some bad smells emitting from it, chances are the lint filter is the culprit.
Good ole vinegar is a great cleaner – these instructions above suit one’s dishwasher also (though always check the instruction manual).
Once cleaned – just take 1 minute before you start your washing to wipe down and clean out. That’s all it takes to save you the time it takes for a major clean up.
After running a cycle with vinegar I think I will try to run one with essential oils for a great smelling machine! #oils4everyone
Great idea, let know how it turns out!
Thank You!!!
My washing machine was starting to smell like mildew and looking pretty bad (I thought I was the only one). I did clean it today with hot water, bleach, old toothbrush, towel and scrub brush. Most of the gunk came off. Now I wish I’d have come to Pinterest first!
I didn’t think of cleaning under the agitator blades like one poster stated – OOPS!
I will do your method tomorrow just to make sure it’s completely clean.
I hope it helped Penny Lee!! It definitely made big difference for our home!
Thank you for the post. Although I am pretty good about keeping the outside clean, I have never done a “deep clean” on the inside. My washer is 4 years old. Yep, 4 years of gunk and grime built up. When I was finishing up on the vinegar stage, I opened the lid and saw the water. YUCK! I feel like my clothes are going to be so much cleaner now. And I know my washer is thankful because it can do its job so much more efficiently. 🙂
Very good tips you sharing about how to clean top load washing.Its very good and helpful.
I would do this…but my top loader is one that has no center agitator and it locks once it starts. Any suggestions?
Does it not have an option to stop the cycle once it starts Nicole? If not I guess the best option would be to set it on a “soak” cycle or just the longest cycle it has. I don’t think the lack of the center agitator will affect anything.
I also have the same washer. I can’t set the water level. It goes by what’s in the washer. I get the largest towel and I get it wet so it’s heavy and tricks the washer into thinking it’s more. I use vinegar, in all the places. Bleach, soap, softner. And then I let it run on the deep clean cycle, with all the options. Fabric softner, extra rinse….
Great tip Shandi!!
Thanks Shandi. I have that same washer that is programed but has a clean cycle for washer only.
The build-up on mine is extremely thick, and I have been wanting to clean it but didn’t know how . Can’t wait to try this. Thanks Melissa!
You’re very welcome Lesia, I hope it works as well for you as it did for me!
You explain very nice and easily to understand that how to clean top load washer.
I cleaned my washer about a month ago but yesterday I put some sheets with hydrogen peroxide and water to bleach them, you are supposed to leave them overnight, in the morning they smelled really bad, do you think that the washer release anything struck by inside?
As a part of my nesting for baby # 4…I’m cleaning my washer right now! Up next, the dishwasher! Thanks for the tutorials!!!
I clean my pretty regular with just the vinegar cycle. I have done bleach before also but not like this. The problem with mine is no matter how many times I run these cleaning cycles my washer smells. It smells musty like I have left wet clothes in there for days. The clothes you take out don’t smell like this though. I don’t know what it is but it drives me crazy!
Do you keep it open when not in use Terri? I know I had that problem when I used to keep it shut all the time.
When you say to fill with hot water do you fill it up your self or let the cycle run on hot water?
Let the Cycle run on hot water Kacee but stop it after it fills to let it sit for a bit!
I haf recently moved in with my boyfriend and I was afraid to use his washer cause of how disgusting it was. There was mold inside the fabric softener spot. Thank you so much for the tips on how to clean it. Now the washing machine is all sparkly clean. It pretty much looks new. 🙂
Yay! So glad it helped Bethany!!
How do you get the guk off the outside of drum
I’m my experience, spray Greesed lighting all around the bowl, sides, and agitator. Run half a cycle, then wash a load of towels, problem solved. And with hard or well water use Greased Lighting and some CLR, ventilate, same, every other week. Also, world’s with dishwashers, better than jet dry.
Great tip Alicia! Thanks for stopping by! ~Melissa
Vinegar usually does the trick for me Phyllis! Thanks for stopping by! ~Melissa
Also, wipe it down every time you use, or when yor done with the last wash of the day. I wipe down my faucets in the kitchen and bathroom every time they get wet, that prevents water stains.
Great tip Celia! Thanks for stopping by! ~Melissa
To keep fixtures spotless, spray a cloth with furniture polish and wipe fixtures. Water beeds up for a long time. To remove built up lime deposits, use woolite. Dip a toothbrush in woolite and brush it on lime and calcium deposits and walk away. By the end of the day deposits will come off easily. Use tooth brush and water to scrub the deposits. Works wonders,
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon on a daily basis.
It’s always helpful to read articles from other authors and use a little something from other sites.
How do I do this for a front loading washer? Once the load starts – once it fills with water – the door locks.
I’m sorry Susan I haven’t had a front loader yet so I can’t offer any help on that front!
omg!!! Tried this. Washer is gleaming! I’m more than a little embarrassed, though, at how much yuck came out of it
I think we all get grossed out by how fast the gunk builds up Kristy! Glad it helped!
Pretty! This has been a really wonderful post. Thank you for providing this information.
I have done this in the past, but had let buildup get past me during an illness that sapped my strength. Feeling better at last & believe me my picture would have been much worse than yours in all the same places. My problem before & since the cleaning is small black flakes showing up on clothes coming out of the wash. Today I tried cleaning under the upper lip, not the top of the tub, but the frame overhanging that level. A lot of paint & rust flaked off and I am going to try another small load & see what happens, but do you have any ideas on how to prevent this residue from continuing to fall into the tub? Or anything to paint//coat it to seal off any more degradation of that area?
While trying to rinse the top edge of the tub I think I splashed too much water into the cavity between the tub & frame causing a leak that revealed wet lint bunnies all over the floor. So whole half of laundry room is getting a cleaning now too! At least we decided it was not a machine leak, just over ambitious cleaning! Ha Ha
Thanks for all the information. For some wondering how to let the water soak – leaving my lid up stops the [rinse] cycle. This lets the cycle sit & soak for as long as you want.
This is awesome! I moved into a home with a washer and dryer, and the washer is disgusting. I don’t even know how it got to that point, but I don’t feel like washing my clothes in it would yield any positive results with the state it’s in. I’ll go out and get some white vinegar today, thanks for the advice!
Good luck, I hope it helps!!!
Trying this out now! Thanks for the tips!! Mine was starting to smell pretty badly so hopefully this gets rid of that!
Great idea…I have been wanting to do this for awhile… Hopefully, this will get me motivated. Not only that, I need to get the cobwebs and dust around my machines too. I will hopefully get to all that one day this week. Thanks for the inspiration.
You’re so welcome Jeannie, I’m glad it can help! ~Melissa
I wonder has anyone experienced lighter co
ored towels getting dingy spots all over them, after washing? Hoping cleaning the machine will help. Ruined so many beautiful towels. So frustrating. Will try your tips. Thanks!
Sounds silly, but I throw the rinse container in the washing machine with the clothes. I’m pretty lazy and it cleans it up just fine. re. towels with spots…….Check, do you have a steel drum? .it might be rust?
Good idea Cait! ~Melissa
Amazing ! thanks for sharing how to Clean a top load washing machine. It`s very important subject for of all us. When I read this tips I am very excited because I have also a washing machine. This the best way to clean this top load washing machine. If you want to know about this tips you can follow this article.
This doesn’t clean the top edge of the tub rims though, right? Like is that dust or is it mold from water that gets on the top of the bin in the back area you barely see?
It’s hard to reach back there but technically it’s possible to wipe with a rag I’m guessing lol
I accidentally did mine backwards. In
Other words, I did the vinegar load first, then the bleach load. Does this matter or do I need to go in and do another vinegar load? I think I have a pretty clean washer machine at this point, I scrubbed every single spot in the inside and managed to get it pretty clean and there was a ton of mold build up in several spots. What do you think?
I am interested in looking for more of such topics and would like to have further information
I want you to know, your blog is my cleaning bible! Thank you so much for this post (and the dryer one too!) My washer looks brand new!
Thank you so much DeeDee, you made my day! ~Melissa
Question-
I am in college and just now have access to my own washer, how do I fill it up with hot water? Is it with the machine, or do I dump pitchers of water in?
Just run a load of wash empty and set the water to hot then stop it when it’s full. Some washers have a soaking mode built in as well. Hope that helps Jess! ~Melissa
You have to be joking!!!!! How did you ever make it to college.
This is rude. I’m 30 years old with two degrees and have never ran a cleaning load in a washer due to moving so often. I was reading the comments to also see how to fill a machine up with hot water as mine locks automatically too. I’m not sure what your motive was posting a mean remark other than to let others know how negative you are.
You are an ass. There ladies. I said it for you
I have scrubbed mine by hand with vinegar before but this sounds much easier, can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the great tip and by the way you might want to add a reminder to readers not to mix the bleach and vinegar.
It’s not the inside of the washer, if you take off the fabric softener thing, n then the agitator, that’s where the nasty stuff is at, I couldn’t believe all the nasty stuff that come out of there.
I keep saying, you say, bleach and vinegar. You cannot mix those two together. It could be very dangerous and caustic.
Hey, there! I’ve found myself in the same boat. We bought a washing machine in 2017 and I never knew I needed to clean it. Recently I have noticed a smell (and have been putting off all of the visual clues for far too long).
Will this method work on an HE washer that doesn’t have an agitator? Thanks! 🙂
Yes, it will work with an HE…check your machine though, a lot of HE washers have a cleaning cycle built in (my new one does)
Hi Melissa!
Thanks for the greatest post I’ve found on cleaning the washing machine. Quick question, when you say a quarter of bleach and a quarter of vinegar, do you mean 1/4 cup? Or 1/4 of the entire product bottle?
Thanks!!
Hi Viviana, it is a full quart of each, not quarter
It says quart
She means a QUART.
Hi
Thanx!
Just one question … won’t the bleach damage the metal parts/stainles steel of the mashine?
So I did this and it still smells. When I shake the drum, it sounds like there is still a ton of water in the bottom even after I run a second drain and spin cycle. Suggestions? Or does anyone know if it supposed to have water still? We can’t see the water but we can hear it. I imagine sitting water is why it smells, but I have never run across this problem before and googling it didn’t help.
Has anyone googled what happens when you mix bleach…with anything? Super not safe!!!! As in you can die!! Also hydrogen peroxide and vinegar is corrosive. Smh
I have the same problem/question!
you should never mix bleach and vinegar when cleaning. This is extremely dangerous and creates chlorine gas. If someone isn’t aware of just how incredibly dangerous these two chemicals are when mixed and they rush through this, it’s potentially creating a deadly outcome. You have no warnings about this on your page either, which is very ignorant in my opinion.
I never recommend mixing them, they are used in two separate washing cycles followed by rinsing cycles.