How to Clean a Whirlpool or Maytag Washer: Clean Washer Cycle, Light, Seal and Filter
Empty the drum, put one BLITZ tablet at the bottom of the drum or basket (not in the dispenser) and run a regular cycle with the hottest water and the highest water level or largest load size, then leave the door or lid open to dry. Clean Washer (often named Clean Washer with affresh) is Whirlpool's own cleaning cycle, which its manuals pair with an affresh tablet or liquid chlorine bleach. Current Whirlpool and Maytag front loaders share one owner's manual, and KitchenAid is a Whirlpool Corporation brand too. The Clean Washer light is a reminder after 30 washes, not a fault. Whirlpool asks for at least monthly or every 30 washes; BLITZ is one tablet every two weeks, a year in a box of 24, about $1.04 a clean.
Shop BLITZ Washing Machine Cleaner, $24.95
In this guide: 8 sections
How to clean a Whirlpool or Maytag washer with a BLITZ tablet
Same steps on a front loader or a top loader, with an agitator or an impeller.
See the full steps
- Empty the drum. No laundry, detergent or bleach.
- Put one tablet at the bottom of the drum or basket, not in the dispenser drawer or softener cup. On a top loader with an agitator, beside the post is fine.
- Pick a regular cycle with the hottest water and the highest water level (or largest load size). On a top loader, the water should reach the rim.
- Let it run start to finish.
- Wipe the door seal and leave the door ajar (or the lid up) until the drum is dry.
Maytag gives the same setting for a washer without Clean Washer. Rim, lid and basket steps: how to clean a top-load washer.
What's in the tablet: BLITZ Washing Machine Cleaner & Descaler combines citric acid for mineral deposits with sodium percarbonate (an oxygen cleaner) and a surfactant for detergent residue and grime. No chlorine or bleach, unscented and septic-safe.
How often: one tablet every two weeks, so a box of 24 lasts a year: $24.95 / 24 = about $1.04 a clean (goblitzclean.com, October 24, 2026). That's twice Whirlpool's monthly minimum. Rated 4.9 out of 5 (14 reviews).
The Clean Washer cycle on a Whirlpool or Maytag washer
Clean Washer is Whirlpool's built-in cleaning cycle. It fills higher than a normal wash and, on steam models, adds steam. Most current models label it Clean Washer with affresh; on an All-In-One washer dryer it's under Tools, then Utility Cycles. Whirlpool's manuals pair it with an affresh Washer Cleaner tablet or liquid chlorine bleach.
Maytag works the same way: the Whirlpool WFW5605MW and Maytag MHW5630HW front loaders share owner's manual W11355369, and the top-load manuals give the same steps.
How to run Clean Washer
- Empty drum: the cycle checks for laundry. A front loader shows rL and unlocks the door; a Whirlpool top loader shows F0E7.
- affresh tablet: in the drum or at the bottom of the basket, never in the dispenser.
- Bleach instead: to the MAX line in both the bleach and softener compartments of a front loader, or 1 cup (236 mL) in a top loader's bleach compartment. Never thickened or no-splash bleach.
- Start: front loaders, touch and hold Start/Pause. Whirlpool top loaders, press Start (Maytag's top-load manual says touch and hold).
- Time: about 60 minutes on a WTW5057LW top loader, where it can't be paused. Steam front loaders start with 20 minutes of steam only.
- If you must stop it: touch Power, then run Rinse & Spin.
Careful: Bleach and a citric acid tablet never go in the same cycle, so run a bleach clean and a BLITZ clean on different days. Health Canada warns that bleach mixed with an acid releases toxic gases.
What the Clean Washer light means, and how to clear it
It's a wash counter, not a fault. Whirlpool's manuals say the Clean Washer with affresh light (or message) flashes at the end of a wash once the washer has run 30 wash cycles. Some Maytag front loaders show CL instead. Not every model has one.
To clear it: run Clean Washer; Maytag says CL clears once the cycle is done. Otherwise the light stops after three more regular washes. Our math: at 7 loads a week, 30 washes take about 4 weeks, so the monthly minimum usually comes first.
Door seal (front loaders)
Whirlpool's monthly routine: pull back the grey seal and check underneath for stains, lint and small objects.
- Mix 3/4 cup (177 mL) of liquid chlorine bleach in 3.8 L of warm water, with rubber gloves on.
- Wipe the seal with a damp cloth and let it stand 5 minutes.
- Dry it with a cloth and let the drum air dry with the door open.
Do this on a different day from the tablet cycle. Black spots that don't wipe off are stains in the rubber: BLITZ Mold Stain Remover is a gel you apply on dry rubber, leave 3 to 5 hours and wipe off, never with another cleaner. Full method: how to clean a front-load washer gasket.
Dispenser drawer and top-load dispensers
Front loaders: Whirlpool says every two to four weeks if you wash often; hard water builds deposits faster.
See the drawer steps
- Pull the drawer out until it stops, press the release tab or lever and pull it straight out. On the Optimal Dispenser, lift off the cover panel.
- Rinse the parts under warm running water, with a soft brush for buildup.
- Clean the housing with mild soap and a soft cloth, then slide the drawer back. A Load & Go bulk dispenser lifts out by its handle.
Dispensers are not dishwasher-safe. Top loaders: most dispensers don't come out, so wipe them with a damp cloth.
Drain pump filter (some front loaders)
Some Whirlpool and Maytag front loaders have a filter behind a drawer at the base. Whirlpool says to clean it every few months or as needed. Let hot water cool first (our advice).
See the filter steps
- Turn the washer off and unplug it. Pull out the drawer at the base and release the tab on each side.
- Drain the black hose into a broad, flat pan: unclip it, pull the plug, empty, dry the hose, replug and clip it back.
- Lay a cotton cloth under the filter and turn it counterclockwise to remove it.
- Pull off the lint and rinse it, then turn it clockwise as far as it goes, handle close to vertical.
- Slide the drawer back on both rails at once, until it clicks.
How often to clean a Whirlpool or Maytag washer
Whirlpool and Maytag's minimum is once a month or every 30 washes, whichever comes first; Maytag adds more often with hard water or heavy use. Brand by brand: how often to clean a washing machine.
Codes, smells and a tablet that didn't dissolve
What to do about a smell or tablet bits
- Musty smell: Whirlpool points to a door kept shut, wet laundry left in the drum, and non-HE detergent or too much of it. Use warm or hot washes sometimes, not only cold, its manuals add.
- Tablet bits left: Maytag says to check that the water ran as hot as possible and the cycle wasn't stopped. Running the hot tap nearest the washer first helps.
Other brands: Samsung Self Clean, LG Tub Clean and the tCL code, how to clean a GE washer with Basket Clean and how to clean a Frigidaire or Electrolux washer.
Why we pick BLITZ for a Whirlpool or Maytag washer
- One tablet, one hot cycle: unscented, no chlorine or bleach, for front-load, top-load and HE washers.
- A year in one box: 24 tablets for $24.95, about $1.04 a clean (goblitzclean.com, October 24, 2026). Rated 4.9 out of 5 (14 reviews).
- A Québec company in Laval, with service in French and English. Septic-safe. Also on Amazon.ca.
- Free shipping in Canada from $40 ($7.95 under), most orders in 2 to 3 business days, 10% back in store credit on goblitzclean.com and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Clean Washer cycle on a Whirlpool?
About 60 minutes on a Whirlpool top loader such as the WTW5057LW, per its cycle guide. Front loaders vary; steam models start with 20 minutes of steam.
How do I turn off the Clean Washer light?
Run Clean Washer with the drum empty. Otherwise the light stops flashing after three more washes and returns after another 30.
What goes in Clean Washer with affresh?
An affresh Washer Cleaner tablet or liquid chlorine bleach, per Whirlpool's manuals and cycle guides. For a BLITZ clean, put one tablet in the empty drum and run a regular cycle with the hottest water and the highest water level.
How do I clean a Maytag washer without a Clean Washer cycle?
Use the cycle with the highest water level and the hottest water, with the drum empty, as Maytag says. Put one BLITZ tablet in the drum first.
Do I clean a KitchenAid washer the same way?
Yes, KitchenAid is a Whirlpool Corporation brand too: one tablet in the empty drum, hottest and fullest cycle, door open afterwards.
Why does my Whirlpool front load washer smell?
Usually a door kept shut, laundry left wet, or too much or non-HE detergent. Leave the door ajar, unload right away, clean the seal and drawer, and run a BLITZ tablet on a hot cycle every two weeks.
Sources: Whirlpool and Maytag owner's manuals W11355369, W11354658, W11197727 and W11156985, with their cycle guides on whirlpool.ca and maytag.ca; Whirlpool and Maytag product help; Whirlpool Corporation; Health Canada; BLITZ product pages. All checked October 24, 2026. Button names vary by model.
Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, affresh, Load & Go, Samsung and LG are trademarks of their owners. BLITZ is not affiliated with them.
ONE TABLET, ONE HOT CYCLE
BLITZ Washing Machine Cleaner & Descaler
4.9(14)4.86 out of 5 stars, 14 reviews$1.04 a clean
One unscented tablet in the empty drum, then the hottest water and highest water level. Breaks down detergent residue, grime and mineral deposits in front-load, top-load and HE washers. 24 tablets for $24.95, about $1.04 a clean. Free shipping from $40, 10% back in store credit and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Septic-safe, from a Québec company based in Laval.
Black stains on the door seal? Run the tablet cycle first and let the washer drain, then use BLITZ Mold Stain Remover (never both at once). Also have a dishwasher? The Essentials Kit pairs 24 washer and 24 dishwasher tablets for $43.95, $4.95 less than buying both.
