Washer Smells Like Mildew? How to Clean It and Keep It Fresh

Quick answer

A musty or mildew smell usually comes from detergent and fabric softener residue plus moisture left inside the washer, according to LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, and GE. It collects in the door gasket, the dispenser drawer, the hidden outer tub, and on front-loaders the drain pump filter. Run your washer’s cleaning cycle with the cleaner your brand names, then clean the gasket, drawer, and filter. To keep it away, unload wet laundry right away, leave the door and drawer open, measure HE detergent, and repeat the cleaning cycle about monthly.

First: what kind of smell is it?

Not every washer smell is mildew. Samsung’s odor guide names three kinds:

• Musty or mildew: residue and moisture inside the washer. This guide covers it.
• Sewage, sulfur, or rotten eggs: usually a drain hose pushed too far down the standpipe, so drained water siphons back into the washer. See step 5.
• Burning: the motor in a new washer can give off a burning smell for the first couple of cycles. If it keeps happening after that, Samsung says to request service.

Why washers start to smell

• The door stays shut. A front-loader’s door seals watertight, so keeping it closed between washes traps moisture and residue where odor-causing microbes can grow (LG). A closed top-loader lid keeps damp air from circulating, and it turns musty (GE).
• Too much detergent, or the wrong kind. Extra detergent makes extra suds, and leftover soap gets trapped in the outer tub and smells over time (GE). Samsung and Whirlpool say non-HE detergent leaves buildup or a film that smells.
• Fabric softener residue (Samsung, GE). Samsung suggests dryer sheets instead.
• Only cold washes. Detergent may not fully dissolve in cold water, LG notes, and Whirlpool and Samsung suggest a warm or hot wash now and then to slow buildup.
• Wet laundry left sitting, which Samsung calls one of the most common sources of odor.
• Water that doesn’t leave. A clogged pump filter can leave water in the drum (LG). An unlevel washer doesn’t drain water and additives properly, and an overloaded one leaves extra moisture behind (Samsung).

Step 1: Run your washer’s cleaning cycle

Each major brand has a cycle made for cleaning the tub. Samsung says it reaches areas a normal cycle may not, and Whirlpool and GE say theirs use more water. Use the cleaner your brand names, and nothing else with it.

Brand	Cycle name	What to add	How often the maker says
LG	Tub Clean (the display shows tcl)	A washing machine tub cleaner, used as its package directs. LG’s musty-odor guide specifies an oxygen-based cleaner.	Once a month (LG’s musty-odor guide says 1 to 2 times a month). If it already smells: once a week for 3 weeks in a row.
Samsung	Self Clean, Self Clean+, or Pure Cycle	Nothing for routine cleaning. For a mildew smell or visible mold: liquid chlorine bleach up to the MAX line in the detergent compartment, not the bleach compartment.	About once a month or every 30 to 40 loads. A reminder lights up after 40 washes on front-loaders and 20 on top-loaders.
Whirlpool, Maytag	Clean Washer (Clean Washer with affresh)	One affresh washer cleaner tablet in the bottom of the basket, not in the dispenser. Or 1 cup of liquid chlorine bleach, added where your manual says.	At least once a month or every 30 washes, whichever comes first. Whirlpool says more often with hard water or heavy use.
GE	Basket Clean (on models that have it) or Self Clean (UltraFresh front-loaders)	1 cup of bleach or a washer cleaner; GE recommends Tide Washing Machine Cleaner. Top-load Basket Clean and UltraFresh Self Clean also allow 1 cup of vinegar.	Once a month. UltraFresh: at least once a month or about every 40 cycles.

Cycle names, cleaners, and limits vary by model. Your owner's manual is the final word. Source: LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, Maytag, and GE support pages and a Samsung owner's manual, listed in Sources

The basic steps are the same on every brand:

1. Empty the drum of all laundry and loose items.
2. Add the cleaner where your brand says, and nothing else.
3. Start the cycle and let it finish. Whirlpool and GE say not to interrupt it. Samsung’s Self Clean takes about 4 hours on a front-loader and about 1 hour on a top-loader; GE’s UltraFresh Self Clean takes about 90 minutes.
4. Rinse if you used bleach. GE suggests a Rinse & Spin after a bleach Self Clean, and Samsung a Rinse+Spin to clear leftover residue. Bleach left in the drum for a long time can cause rust, Samsung’s manual warns.
5. Leave the door (or lid) and the drawer open afterward so the inside dries, as LG, Whirlpool, and Samsung all advise.

No cleaning cycle? Whirlpool says to use the cycle with the highest water level and hottest water. GE’s version: an empty front-loader on a large Heavy or Cotton cycle with 1 cup of bleach or a washer cleaner, or an empty top-loader on its longest hot cycle with 1 cup of bleach (baking soda or vinegar can be substituted). Samsung says any washing machine cleaner will do if you follow its directions.

Suds during the cleaning cycle? Detergent buildup in or behind the basket can make suds on its own. GE says to keep running Self Clean until suds stop forming. Samsung’s quick test: run an empty cycle with no additives. If suds appear, there is residue inside.

Already smells bad? LG says to run Tub Clean once a week for 3 weeks in a row. Samsung’s mildew routine starts with a Spin-only cycle to empty the tub. Then pour in the bleach and start Self Clean right away, wipe out any residue with paper towels when it ends, and run a Rinse+Spin. Repeat until no visible mold remains.

Step 2: Clean the door gasket (front-loaders)

The rubber seal around the door opening is a common odor spot. Lint and hair caught in it can hold water, which lets mold and odor form (LG).

1. Open the door and empty the drum.
2. Check inside the folds. Pull back the lip of the gasket (GE has you press it down with both hands) and remove anything trapped there. LG points to the groove at the bottom, at the six o’clock position. GE also says to make sure nothing blocks the holes behind the gasket.
3. Wipe it with a diluted bleach solution. Whirlpool, LG, and Samsung give the same mix: 3/4 cup of liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of warm water. Wear rubber gloves and wipe the seal with a cloth, including under the lip. Whirlpool and Samsung say to let it stand 5 minutes. Straight, undiluted bleach can wear out the gasket over time, LG warns.
4. Or use a milder cleaner. LG allows vinegar instead of bleach (never both), and its odor guide also suggests oxygen bleach. GE allows mild detergent, diluted bleach, or diluted vinegar, then says to wipe the solution off with warm water before you use the washer.
5. Dry it. Wipe the seal with a dry cloth and let it air dry with the door open (Whirlpool).

Step 3: Clean the dispenser drawer

Detergent and softener residue builds up in the drawer and the opening behind it. Clean it weekly (LG) or once or twice a month (GE). Samsung suggests a quick wipe after every wash session and a deep clean at least monthly.

1. Take the drawer out. Pull it open until it stops, then press the release tab or lever and pull it free. On Samsung front-loaders, push in on both ends of the drawer at the same time.
2. Wash the parts. Remove the inserts and rinse everything under warm running water, using a soft brush on any residue. Whirlpool says not to put the drawer parts in the dishwasher.
3. Clean the opening with a soft cloth, sponge, or soft brush and mild soap and water. Don’t spray water into the opening; Samsung’s manual warns of shock or fire.
4. Put it back and leave it slightly open between loads so it can dry, as Whirlpool suggests.

Step 4: Clean the drain pump filter (front-loaders)

A pump filter that isn’t kept clean will cause odors, Samsung says, and GE notes that small items can reach the pump and add to odors. Many top-loaders have no filter to clean; Samsung says its top-loaders don’t have one.

Unplug the washer, open the small panel at the bottom front, drain the leftover water into a shallow pan, then twist the filter out and clean it. Washer not draining has the full steps by brand.

How often: at least once a month or about every 40 washes, whichever comes first (Samsung); along with the monthly Tub Clean (LG); or every few months or as needed (Whirlpool).

Step 5: Check the drain hose

A drain hose pushed too far into the standpipe can siphon drained water back into the washer and cause a musty odor, GE explains, so it recommends clipping the hose to the side of the standpipe. Samsung’s odor guide gives a limit of 6 inches in its prevention steps and 8 inches in its sewage-smell steps, and says to secure the hose so it can’t slip down. Your installation manual has the limit for your model; the washer not draining guide compares brands.

While you’re behind the washer, check that it sits level. The leveling steps are in washer not spinning.

How to keep the smell from coming back

• Take laundry out as soon as the cycle ends. Wet clothes left in the basket can lead to mildew in both the clothes and the washer (Whirlpool, Maytag). Keep damp towels in a separate basket, not in the drum, LG suggests.
• Leave the door and the drawer open between loads (Whirlpool, Maytag, LG, Samsung). On a top-loader, GE says to leave the lid up.
• Wipe it dry. Samsung suggests taking a minute after the last load to wipe the gasket, drum, and drawer with a dry cloth.
• Measure HE detergent. Follow the detergent maker’s dose for the load size and soil level, and save larger pacs for large or heavily soiled loads (Whirlpool). The MAX line in the dispenser is a limit, not a target, GE notes. If the dose would go past it, Samsung suggests a more concentrated detergent or a smaller load.
• Go easy on fabric softener, wash warm or hot now and then, and don’t overload (see the causes above).
• Run the cleaning cycle monthly, or when the reminder light comes on. (Some GE UltraFresh front-loaders dry the basket with a vent operation after Self Clean, so GE says their door can stay closed.)

When to call for service

Dishwasher smelling too? See why a dishwasher smells bad and how to fix it. More laundry guides are in Washers and Dryers. Read the safety disclaimer before any repair.