Your washing machine cleans your clothes every week, but when did you last clean it? Most people never do, and that's where problems start. Over time, detergent residue, lint, mineral deposits, and organic matter build up inside the drum, seal, and drain filter. The result: musty-smelling laundry, reduced performance, and eventually a breakdown that costs far more than a few minutes of monthly upkeep. If you're already noticing a smell or seeing black buildup on the door gasket, the good news is it's almost always fixable at home. This guide covers the three areas that matter most. For more serious issues, the washing machine repair team at Home Appliance Care handles everything from Ottawa to Gatineau, but preventive cleaning can put that call off for years.
Why Washing Machines Get Dirty in the First Place
Modern front-loaders and high-efficiency top-loaders use less water than older machines. That's great for your utility bill, but it means there's less rinse action to flush the interior clean. Detergent, fabric softener, and body oils accumulate in places you can't see: behind the drum, in the rubber gasket folds, and inside the drain pump filter.
Cold-water washing makes it worse. Hot water helps break down soap residue and kills bacteria. When most of your loads run cold, that residue just sits there and slowly turns into a biofilm. According to research published in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, the warm, moist environment inside a washing machine drum can support significant microbial growth, including the mould species responsible for that characteristic musty smell.
Hard water compounds everything. Ottawa sits in an area with moderately hard water, which leaves calcium and magnesium deposits on heating elements and drum surfaces. Those mineral scale layers trap even more debris over time.
Cleaning the Drum
The drum is the easiest part to clean and the one that makes the biggest difference to laundry smell.
What you need: Washing machine cleaner tablets (like Affresh), or alternatively 2 cups of white vinegar and half a cup of baking soda. Nothing else.
Front-loaders: Run the machine empty on the hottest cycle available. If using a tablet, drop it directly in the drum (not the dispenser). If using vinegar, pour it into the detergent dispenser and add the baking soda to the drum. Let the cycle complete fully. Then run one additional rinse-only cycle to clear any residue.
Top-loaders: Fill the drum with the hottest water setting, add your cleaner or two cups of vinegar, and let the machine agitate briefly. Pause the cycle for an hour to let the solution soak, then complete the cycle. Follow with a rinse cycle.
Do this once a month if you do 5 or more loads per week. Once every two months works fine for smaller households.
Cleaning the Door Seal (Front-Loaders)
The rubber gasket around the door opening on a front-loader is the most common hiding spot for mould and mildew. It's dark, permanently damp, and folds over on itself in a way that traps debris. Most people don't know to clean it until there's already visible black growth.
Pull back the gasket folds and look inside. You'll likely find lint, hair, coins, and probably some dark discolouration. Mix one part white vinegar with one part water in a spray bottle. Spray liberally into the folds and let it sit for five minutes. Then wipe everything out with a microfibre cloth. For stubborn black mould spots, make a paste with baking soda and a small amount of dish soap, scrub gently with an old toothbrush, then rinse.
For heavier mould buildup, a diluted bleach solution (one tablespoon bleach per litre of water) is more effective. Apply, wait five minutes, wipe thoroughly, then run a rinse cycle before doing any laundry. Avoid mixing bleach and vinegar as the combination produces chlorine gas.
After cleaning, dry the gasket completely with a clean cloth. Leaving moisture behind defeats the purpose.
Cleaning the Drain Filter
The drain pump filter catches lint, coins, hair, and small objects before they reach the pump. When it clogs, water drains slowly, the machine may stop mid-cycle, and error codes like E18, F21, or 5E appear depending on the brand. Cleaning it takes about ten minutes.
On most front-loaders, the filter access panel is at the bottom front, behind a small rectangular cover. On top-loaders, some models have a removable lint filter inside the drum; others require accessing the pump from underneath. Check your model's manual if you're unsure.
Step by step:
- Put a shallow tray and some old towels on the floor in front of the access panel. There will be water.
- Open the panel and locate the drain hose cap (if present). Pull this out over your tray to drain remaining water.
- Unscrew the filter counterclockwise. More water will come out.
- Remove any debris from the filter, rinse under a tap, and scrub off any slime with a brush.
- Check the filter housing for anything stuck inside.
- Reinsert the filter, screw it clockwise until snug, and close the panel.
Clean the drain filter every three months. If you wash a lot of pet bedding or towels, do it monthly. A clogged filter is one of the most common causes of service calls, and it's one of the simplest things to prevent.
FAQ
How often should I clean my washing machine?
Clean the drum monthly, the door seal every two weeks, and the drain filter every three months. If you notice smell or performance issues, clean everything immediately regardless of schedule.
Can I use bleach and vinegar together to clean my washer?
No. Never mix bleach and vinegar. Combined, they create chlorine gas, which is harmful. Use one or the other, then rinse thoroughly before switching.
My clothes come out smelling musty even after washing. What's wrong?
This almost always means there's mould or biofilm inside the machine. Clean the drum, gasket, and filter as described above. Run two hot cycles with machine cleaner. If the problem persists after thorough cleaning, the issue may be inside the drum bearings or pump, which needs professional assessment.
Does using too much detergent cause problems?
Yes. Excess detergent doesn't rinse away fully, especially in HE machines. It leaves residue in the drum and dispenser, feeds mould growth, and can cause over-sudsing that triggers error codes. Use the amount specified on the detergent packaging for HE machines, which is typically much less than you'd expect.
When should I call a technician instead of cleaning myself?
If cleaning doesn't resolve the smell, if water isn't draining after you've cleared the filter, if the drum isn't spinning, or if error codes keep reappearing, it's time to call a professional. Home Appliance Care serves Ottawa and Gatineau with same-day appointments in most cases.
Conclusion
A clean washing machine runs more efficiently, smells better, and lasts longer. The three areas covered here, the drum, the door seal, and the drain filter, take maybe 30 minutes combined if you do them on schedule. Do the drum monthly, check the seal every couple of weeks, and hit the filter quarterly. That's it. Most washing machine service calls in Ottawa are for problems that routine cleaning would have prevented. If yours is already past that point, the technicians at Home Appliance Care are TSSA-certified and have been repairing appliances in the region since 1987.
Download Washing Machine Cleaning Checklist (PDF)