Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Last updated on June 23rd, 2026 at 05:18 am
You pull a load of “clean” laundry out of the washer, and it smells… off. Not dirty exactly, but musty. Like a damp basement got into your towels somehow. If that’s happened to you, your washing machine drum probably needs a proper clean—and you’re definitely not alone in this.
The good news is how to clean a washing machine drum isn’t complicated, and you probably already have most of what you need in your kitchen cabinet. The bad news is that a lot of the advice floating around online treats every method as equally good, which isn’t really true. Some approaches work better for some problems than others, and there’s one spot almost everyone forgets that’s usually the actual source of the smell.
The Quick Answer
For most smelly-washer situations, run a hot empty cycle with 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda in the drum, then manually wipe down the rubber door seal, detergent drawer, and any visible gunk with a damp cloth or old toothbrush. Leave the door open afterward so it can dry out completely.
If that doesn’t fully fix it, or if you’re dealing with visible mold rather than just odor, a commercial cleaner like Affresh or OxiClean is worth adding to your monthly routine—but it’s not usually the first thing you need to reach for.
Why Your Washer Smells Like This in the First Place
Here’s the thing nobody really explains: your washing machine is basically a wet, dark, warm box that sits closed most of the day. That’s a pretty ideal setup for mold and bacteria, especially around the rubber gasket on front-load washers, in the detergent drawer, and inside the drum itself where detergent and fabric softener residue builds up over time.
High-efficiency washers actually make this worse in some ways. They use less water, which sounds great for your water bill, but it also means there’s less rinsing happening, so soap residue can stick around longer than it would in an older top-loader that just sloshes everything around with way more water.
None of this means your machine is broken or that you’re doing laundry wrong. It’s just what happens over time, and it’s fixable.
The Vinegar and Baking Soda Method (Start Here)
This is genuinely the best starting point for most people, and here’s how to do it properly:
- Set your washer to the hottest water temperature and the longest cycle—usually labeled “cotton,” “heavy duty,” or sometimes there’s a “clean washer” or “tub clean” setting if your machine has one.
- Pour 1 cup of white vinegar directly into the drum.
- Add 1 cup of baking soda to the drum as well. It’ll fizz a bit when it hits the vinegar—that’s normal and that’s actually part of what helps loosen grime.
- Run the full cycle with nothing else in the machine. No clothes, no towels.
- Once it’s done, leave the door open for a few hours so the drum can dry out. A damp, closed drum is exactly how you end up back here in a few weeks.
For anything that’s stuck on—soap scum rings, dark spots, that kind of thing—grab an old toothbrush or a small scrub brush and go at it directly while the drum is still damp from the cycle. It comes off a lot easier than when it’s dried on.
Quick note on whether vinegar is safe for the rubber seals: yes, in the amounts used here, it’s fine. White vinegar is mild enough that one cup diluted in a full cycle of water isn’t going to degrade rubber gaskets over time. Where people run into trouble is using vinegar at full strength repeatedly directly on the rubber, or using it constantly instead of as an occasional deep clean. As part of a monthly routine, it’s not a concern.
Do this every 3 to 6 months for general maintenance, more often (every month or so) if you’ve got hard water, a front-load washer, or you’ve noticed smells creeping back faster than that.
What About Commercial Cleaners Like Affresh or OxiClean?
These products definitely work, and they’re not a scam or just repackaged vinegar—they’re formulated specifically to break down the kind of residue that builds up in washer drums, including the stuff in places water doesn’t always reach well.
Here’s the honest verdict though: if your main issue is a musty smell and your washer hasn’t been cleaned in a while, start with the vinegar and baking soda method first. It’s free (or close to it), it works well for most odor problems, and it gives you a baseline to work from.
Once you’ve done that initial deep clean, commercial cleaners are great for ongoing monthly maintenance—they’re convenient (just drop a tablet in and run a cycle), and a box of Affresh tablets typically runs around $10-12 for a few months’ worth. OxiClean’s washing machine cleaner is similarly priced and works well for both standard and HE machines.
Where commercial cleaners really earn their keep is if you’re dealing with visible mold buildup rather than just a smell, or if you want a simple monthly routine you don’t have to think much about. Both Affresh and OxiClean are safe for HE washers and are generally septic-safe, which matters if that applies to your home.
A quick word on bleach: you’ll see bleach suggested sometimes, and it can work for killing mold, but it’s not the first thing to reach for. Bleach can be harsh on rubber seals and gaskets with repeated use, and it doesn’t actually break down the residue buildup the way vinegar or commercial cleaners do—it just kills what’s growing on top of it. If you use it, dilute it properly and don’t make it your go-to monthly cleaner.
The Part Everyone Skips: Seals, Drawer, and Filter
Here’s where most “my washer still smells” situations actually live, and it’s the step that gets glossed over in a lot of advice.
The rubber door seal (front-load washers especially): Pull back the rubber gasket around the door and look inside the fold. This is where water collects after every wash, and it’s an incredibly common spot for mold to grow—often before you can even smell it from outside. Wipe this out with a damp cloth or an old toothbrush, working all the way around the fold. You might be surprised what’s been hiding in there.
The detergent drawer: Most drawers slide or pop out completely. Take it out, rinse it under hot water, and scrub any caked-on detergent or fabric softener residue with a toothbrush. This stuff hardens over time and becomes its own little odor source, separate from whatever’s happening in the drum.
The filter (if your machine has one): A lot of front-load washers have a small drain pump filter, usually behind a little door near the bottom front of the machine. These trap lint, coins, and other debris, and they can hold standing water that gets stagnant and smelly. Check your manual for the exact location—it varies by brand—but it’s worth checking every few months.
Wiping down the drum and these areas with a damp microfiber cloth after a wash, especially if you’re doing back-to-back loads, makes a noticeable difference over time. It takes maybe two minutes and it’s the kind of small habit that prevents the bigger problem from building up again.
Front-Load vs. Top-Load: Does It Change Anything?
Yes, somewhat. Front-load washers are more prone to mold and odor issues because of that rubber door seal—it’s a perfect trap for moisture, and it’s not something top-loaders really have in the same way. If you have a front-loader, the seal-cleaning step above isn’t optional; it’s probably the single most important thing you can do.
Top-load washers (especially older agitator-style ones) tend to have fewer odor issues overall because there’s more water flow and less standing moisture. That said, newer high-efficiency top-loaders without an agitator behave more like front-loaders in terms of residue buildup, so the same vinegar-and-baking-soda routine still applies—you just might be able to space it out a bit more.
What If the Smell Won’t Go Away?
If you’ve done a full vinegar and baking soda cycle, cleaned the seal, drawer, and filter, and the smell is still there, a few things are worth checking:
- The drain hose: If it’s kinked, too long, or sitting in standing water at the bottom, that can cause odors that have nothing to do with the drum itself.
- Towels and gym clothes left sitting too long: Damp items left in the drum for hours (or overnight) before washing are a major contributor to ongoing smell issues—it’s less about the machine and more about what’s been sitting in it.
- Hard water buildup: If you’re in an area with hard water, mineral buildup inside the machine’s components can hold onto odors in a way that’s harder to clean with vinegar alone. In this case, a dedicated washing machine cleaner formulated for hard water deposits (some Affresh and OxiClean lines address this) tends to work better than vinegar.
If none of that helps after a couple of cleaning cycles, it might be worth checking your washer’s manual for a dedicated “tub clean” or “self-clean” cycle, which some machines have built in but don’t always get used. And if the smell is coming with actual visible mold that keeps returning despite cleaning, that’s usually a sign the gasket needs a deeper look—possibly worth a quick call to a washing machine maintenance specialist if it’s persistent enough.
For the bigger picture on keeping your laundry area mold-free in general, our guide on removing mold from bathroom and laundry areas covers some related spots worth checking, especially if you’ve got a damp laundry room.
FAQ
How often should I clean my washing machine?
Run a full vinegar and baking soda cycle every 3 to 6 months for general maintenance, and more often—closer to monthly—if you have hard water, a front-load washer, or notice odors returning quickly. A quick wipe-down of the seal and drawer after heavy use weeks is a good habit on top of that.
Can I use bleach instead of vinegar?
You can, but it’s not the best first choice. Bleach can kill mold but doesn’t break down residue buildup the way vinegar does, and repeated use can be harsh on rubber seals. If you use it, dilute it properly and don’t rely on it as your regular cleaner.
Why does my washer still smell after cleaning?
The most common reason is the rubber door seal on front-load washers—mold often grows in the fold where it’s not visible from outside. Other culprits include a clogged drain filter, a kinked drain hose, or leaving damp clothes sitting in the drum too long before washing.
Is vinegar safe for washing machine rubber seals?
Yes, in the amounts used for regular cleaning (about 1 cup per cycle), white vinegar is safe for rubber gaskets and won’t degrade them over time. It only becomes a concern if used at full strength repeatedly directly on the rubber.
What should I avoid putting in my washing machine to clean it?
Avoid dishwasher tablets—they’re formulated differently and can damage washing machine components. Also avoid overusing fabric softener, as residue from it is one of the main contributors to drum buildup and odor over time.
