The Secret to Fresh Smelling High Efficiency Front Loading Washers?

The secret to a fresh smelling HE Front Loading Washer will also help stretch it's life span, which is important because they are pricier than the Top Loading Machines available. The Secret? Regular Maintenance. 

In order to reap the maximum benefits from our energy efficient, money saving machines, we need to give them a little monthly loving. 

First lets talk about how High Efficiency Front Loading Washers a little. They save us money by using less water. Because they use less water, they require special detergent that is low-sudsing. The detergent will have a "HE" logo on it. The reason for this special detergent is because of the way HE Front Loading washers clean. They use small, high speed water pumps. HE detergent won't create a lot of suds, however, if you use a regular detergent, this very fast water pumping motion along with the spinning of the drum will cause a lot of suds to develop in your washer. What will happen when there are too many suds is that the pump will lock down. When the washer senses this lock down, the washer will then shut down. This can cause your machine to malfunction and require a service call. Luckily, you can avoid this problem completely by using HE detergent.

The most common reason a Front Loading Washer becomes musty or smelly is because of lack of maintenance. Above I mentioned they use less water and energy (less hot water) which has money saving pros. With saving money comes a little monthly maintenance. If you do not maintain your washer monthly, detergent residue, dirt, mildew and minerals can build  up in the machine, which is the cause of the odors.

But there is an Easy Fix!

The easiest way, is to use a product called Affresh. It is a washer cleaner and it removes and prevents odor-causing residue that can occur. One tablet a month.

The next thing to do is to wipe the rubber gasket. The easiest thing for me is just wiping it down after every use and leaving the door open while it dries. If you do not maintain this piece, you may need to replace it later. Read more about that here. We will discuss a deeper cleaning method for the rubber seal in more detail in a bit. 

Cleaning with Vinegar

If you don't have any Affresh on hand, but you do have vinegar available, this method is a little more time consuming but works.

Long & Hot Cycle

1. Pick a long cycle that uses hot water (if your machine doesn't have a clean cycle that is, if it does, use that one) 
2. Do not put any clothes in, you will be running your washer without any clothes inside.
3. Pour 1 cup of vinegar (if you have a large machine you can use a little bit more) in place of the detergent. (Do not mix the vinegar with the detergent)

Door and Gasket Cleaning

1. Use a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 1 part water to wipe down the door seal, gasket, and door interior with a rag.
2. Next you will use a wet rag without any vinegar to wipe down the door seal, gasket, and door interior with a rag. This is to wipe off the excess vinegar to prevent deterioration.

Run another Hot Cycle 

This will sanitize and rinse out any leftover vinegar. 

Air Dry

Wipe the wet surfaces and allow to air dry completely. It will help if you leave the door open during the air drying process.

Bleach and Fabric Softener Dispenser

1. Remove the bleach dispenser and the fabric softener dispenser and soak them in warm water.
2. After a good long soak, about 20 minutes will work, remove them from the water and clean them gently with a mild dish detergent or a mild all-purpose cleaner. 
3. Dry and then return the dispensers to the washer.

Tips for Ongoing Maintenance:

• Occasionally running a hot cycle (this is good for a load of towels)
• Remove clothes after the washer has finished. If you leave clothes in there damp, you are inviting the smell back. Washers do come with an option, such as the Fan Fresh Option, that will tumble your clothes until you take them out. This will prevent your clothes from mildew if you have to pop out for a second.
• After use, wipe the rubber gasket.
• After the washer is finished, allow it to air dry by leaving the door open (but be cautious if you have small pets or children)
• Perform the regular maintenance with Affresh (is ideal)