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With a family of 5, 2 of which are teenage girls and 2 that play hockey (which produces the worst stinky clothes ever!), I do a whole lot of laundry.  A whole lot.  I love my front load washer and dryer.  I’m able to do considerably larger loads which means I do fewer loads which means I spend less time doing laundry. Woo hoo!

I had my own front load washer and dryer for 3 years before we moved.  I had no problem with keeping it clean.  I simply wiped out the gasket with a cloth each time I was done with laundry for the day.  I also made sure that I left the door to the washer ajar when I wasn’t using it so that air could circulate.  The washer remained clean and fresh smelling the entire 3 years.

Cue scary music.
Then we moved into our present rental house which came with a front load washer and dryer. When we moved into the house the door of the washer was closed tight. I opened the door to find a terrible mildew smell and mold growing on the rubber gasket.  Remember I inherited this mold in a rental house. I did not cause it.

Eeewww!  This is the bottom of the gasket that your clothes drag across as you load and unload the washer.  Remember I inherited this mold in a rental house. I did not cause it.

I pulled the gasket out and found more mildew.  Double eeewww!   Remember I inherited this mold in a rental house. I did not cause it. (Can you tell I’m paranoid that some one might think that I caused this mold?)

Long story short, the landlord’s warranty company would not do anything about it.   I ran numerous loads of hot water and bleach through the washer.  I spent 1 1/2 hours soaking the gasket with paper towels soaked in bleach.  Then I scrubed this gasket with straight bleach and a scrubber sponge. 

After all that work, I was only able to get the mold to fade but it never went away.  It kept coming back the way mold will.  I had to continue to run at least one load a week with bleach and then scrub the gasket every 2-3 months just to stay ahead of the mildew.

I spoke to several appliance repair folks and learned some tips.  Ironically, just as I was sitting down to start writing this, the landlord decided to replace the washer and dryer (no, I did not tell him I was about to air his “dirty laundry” on my blog.  It was a happy coincidence).

So, now my washer gasket looks like this

To keep yours looking like this and not like the disgusting washer I started with,  faithfully follow these simple steps.

• Use only HE detergent.  Because your HE washer uses less water than a normal washer, you need a detergent that will perform in less water.  You can read a 16 page pamphlet on the topic {here}.  One of the important differences in HE detergent is that it will rinse away in less water.  If you don’t use HE detergent, you can end up with a residue build up from the non-HE detergent that can lead to mold and odors and even damage to your machine.

• Always leave the door to the washer ajar when you’re not using it so that air can circulate and allow any remaining water to evaporate.

• After washing with warm or hot water leave the detergent drawer slightly ajar so that the steam can rise and evaporate.  If you leave the drawer closed, the steam can condense on the drawer and cause mold to grow there.

• Wipe the door and gasket off after your last load of laundry for the day.  Be sure to pull the gasket out and wipe any water out of this area.

• Run a maintenance cycle to clean your washer at least one a month.  Check the maual for your particular washer for directions

• After you run the maintenance cycle, pull the detergent drawer out and clean it to prevent mold from growing here.

This may seem “hum bug” or too much extra work.  But let me tell you it is well worth it. I never had any problems with mold or unpleasant odors in my own washer that I used and cared for in the 3 years that I had it.  But having to deal with the mold issues on the washer in this rental house for 2 years has been a real pain.  It has stained clothing, caused lots of extra cleaning and it is just plain gross!  This is definitely a situation where “a stitch in time saves nine”. 

Susan

I’m a mom of 3, a veteran and military spouse. I’ve moved into 20+ homes all around the world. My passion is helping busy people make the space and time for what’s really important to them.