How to Clean a Washing Machine, and How Often

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How to clean a washing machine, step by step

A cycle only reaches the drum and outer tub, so do the hand jobs first: about 20 minutes (our estimate).

1. Door seal, or lid and rim. Front loader: press the fold down, pick out lint, clear the drain holes, wipe with soapy water. Top loader: wipe under the rim.
2. Detergent drawer. Rinse it and brush the recess: slime hides on its roof.
3. Drain pump filter (most front loaders). Towel and pan down, drain the small hose, rinse the filter, screw it back firmly.
4. The drum. One BLITZ tablet in the empty drum (not the drawer), hottest cycle, or the largest load size on a top loader. First clean in months? Two cycles back to back.
5. Dry. Leave the door and drawer open.

How often to clean a washing machine

The drum: at least once a month. Every maker we checked asks for it, or sooner at the reminder: LG's tCL after more than 30 washes, Samsung's light after 40 cycles (20 on top loaders). We suggest every two weeks with hard water, a musty smell or 10+ loads a week.

How often to clean your washing machineEach maker's interval, the loads-per-week math, and water hardness by city.

Why your washing machine smells, and black flakes

Most smells sit where the cycle can't reach; a sewer smell while draining is usually a dry trap or siphoning hose, which no cleaner fixes. Black flakes are detergent and softener buildup, darkened by mould, breaking loose inside the tub.

Front-load washer smell: seal, drawer and drainMusty, sour or sewer: a 5-check sniff test finds the source. Washer still smells after cleaningThe 8 checks in order, and when to call a plumber. Black flakes in your washing machineBuildup, softener or a worn part, and how to get spots off clothes.

How to clean the washing machine rubber seal

Wipe the fold weekly, as Samsung Canada says, then leave the door open. Black dots that stay are mould stains: a gel such as BLITZ Mold Stain Remover goes on the dry seal for 3 to 5 hours, never with another cleaner.

How to clean a front-load washer gasketThe weekly wipe, what 7 makers allow on rubber, and when to replace the seal. Mould on a front-load washer gasketBlack stains that won't wipe off: the gel method, step by step.

How to clean an LG, Samsung or top-load washer

Samsung: Self Clean takes nothing added, or liquid chlorine bleach if there's residue, so a tablet goes in its own hot cycle. LG: LG's manuals list cleaning tablets for Tub Clean, so a BLITZ tablet goes in the empty drum, then Tub Clean. Whirlpool and Maytag: run the tablet in the hottest cycle, empty.

How to clean an LG washerTub Clean step by step, clearing tCL, and where the BLITZ tablet goes. How to clean a Samsung washerSelf Clean, the flashing light, and where a tablet fits. How to clean a top-load washerThe clean cycle by brand, the agitator and the hidden spots.

Washing machine cleaner tablets, vinegar or bleach?

A BLITZ tablet does both jobs: it breaks down detergent residue, grime and limescale, for $1.04 a clean, against $3.25 to $4.00 for Affresh (October 20, 2026; prices move). Bleach (about 30 cents a cup) has to be measured, does nothing for scale and never mixes with an acid. Vinegar has no detergent, and Whirlpool, Maytag and Bosch say to keep it out of the drum.

Are washer cleaner tablets worth it?Who gains the most (cold washes, HE machines, hard water) and the cost per clean. Washing machine cleaner vs vinegarWhat each maker says about vinegar, and the cost at each dose. Vinegar or bleach to clean a washing machineAmounts by brand, and what to do if you mixed them. Best washing machine cleaner in Canada (2026)8 options with Canadian prices, the cost per clean, and our pick. BLITZ vs AffreshIngredients side by side and the price per clean at Canadian stores. BLITZ vs ACTIVEWasher and dishwasher tablets: Canadian vs US dollars, delivery and price per clean.

Frequently asked questions

How often should you clean your washing machine?

Clean the drum at least once a month, or sooner when the reminder comes on, and wipe the door seal weekly. With hard water or heavy use, we suggest every two weeks. Details by brand: how often to clean your washing machine.

How often should you clean the washing machine filter?

Samsung Canada says monthly or about every 40 washes (its WF45T6000 manual: 5 or 6 times a year); Whirlpool, every few months or as needed. Water left after the spin, or OE on an LG, means now. Steps: front-load washer smell.

Can I clean my washing machine with vinegar?

Only if your maker allows it: GE, LG and Samsung give a dose, while Whirlpool, Maytag and Bosch say no vinegar in the drum. It loosens light scale but has no detergent, and never mixes with bleach. Read washing machine cleaner vs vinegar.

Are washing machine cleaner tablets worth it?

Yes, especially with cold washes, an HE or front-load washer, hard water or a musty smell. One BLITZ tablet breaks down detergent residue, grime and mineral deposits in one cycle, for about $1.04. See are washer cleaner tablets worth it.

Can I put a cleaner tablet in Samsung Self Clean or LG Tub Clean?

Not in Samsung Self Clean, which takes only liquid chlorine bleach or nothing: use a separate hot cycle. On an LG, yes: LG's manuals list cleaning tablets for Tub Clean, so put one BLITZ tablet in the empty drum and select Tub Clean. See how to clean an LG washer.

Sources: LG Canada help library and LG WM4000H and WT7005C owner's manuals; Samsung Canada support and the WF45T6000 and WA45T3200 owner's manuals; Whirlpool, Maytag, GE Appliances, Frigidaire Canada and Bosch support pages; Affresh; Health Canada; City of Toronto; EPCOR; prices on goblitzclean.com, Amazon.ca, Walmart.ca and canadiantire.ca. Checked October 20, 2026.

LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, GE, Frigidaire, Bosch, Affresh and ACTIVE are trademarks of their owners. BLITZ is not affiliated with them.