How to Clean the Inside Rubber on a Front-End Loader Washer

Preparation

• 1

  Obtain a chemical cleaning solution. Chlorine bleach and vinegar may already be in your possession. Alternatively, purchase a washing machine cleaner recommended by the manufacturer of your washing machine. Most of these suggestions not only dissolve the built-up residue on the rubber, but they also reduce or eliminate odor-causing mold, mildew and bacteria.

• 2

  Determine whether to manually program the cycle or use an automated cycle. General instructions for cleaning the inside of most front-loaders involves selecting the "Regular" or "Normal" wash cycle and letting the machine run as normal. However, high-efficiency front-loading washers use a low water level across most washing cycles; the lack of water means that the cleaning solution may not reach all the rubbery areas in the washer. Instead, read your owner's manual and determine if the manufacturer included a "Clean Washer" cycle.

• 3

  Put on cleaning gloves, if available. Fill a bucket with water that is very warm to comfortably hot. Don't handle water that is boiling or scalding hot. Place a sponge, rag or plastic scrubbing pad in the water. Allow the fabric or material in the sponge or rag to soak in the bucket for a few seconds, absorbing the heat. The combination of scrubbing and heat will help with loosening built-up residue in later steps. Do not add any chemical cleaning solutions to the bucket of water.

Begin Cleaning

• 4

  Open the door of the front-loading washer. Use the heated sponge or rag to carefully scrub around the rubber seals inside the machine or on the door. Don't wipe so hard that the seal becomes loose or detached. Dip the sponge in the bucket of hot water to rinse off residue and to also reapply heat.

• 5

  Add the chemical cleaning solution to the front-loading washer according to manufacturer instructions. If you are using branded washer cleaners, the instructions are printed on the bottle or packaging. Use regular chlorine bleach or vinegar based on the manufacturer's instructions in the owner's manual. As an example, for odor removal one appliance manufacturer states that users should simply add 1 cup of chlorine bleach to the tub, but do not manually add any water.

• 6

  Start the cycle. Select the "Clean Washer" cycle if your high-efficiency washer has a button on the control panel labeled as such. When using bleach or vinegar, you may simply choose the "Normal" wash cycle. Wait for the cycle to complete.