How to Clean a Washing Machine (Plus Lint Traps, Irons, and Bedding)

Your washing machine cleans everything else in the house, so it is easy to forget that it needs cleaning too. Detergent residue, fabric softener, minerals from hard water, and lint build up inside the drum, gasket, and dispenser over time. The result is musty smells, gray-looking whites, and clothes that never feel quite fresh. This guide starts with how to clean a washing machine step by step, then covers the rest of the laundry routine: the dryer lint trap, your iron, comforters, and pillowcases.

How to Clean a Washing Machine

Plan to deep clean your washer about once a month, or more often if you notice an odor. Before you start, check your owner’s manual. Many newer machines have a dedicated “clean washer” or “tub clean” cycle, and some manufacturers recommend specific cleaners or warn against others.

Front-Loading Washers

1. Wipe the door gasket. Pull back the rubber seal around the door and wipe out hair, lint, coins, and slimy residue with a damp microfiber cloth. For mildew spots, use a solution of warm water and a little dish soap, or a diluted bleach solution if your manual allows it.
2. Clean the dispenser drawer. Most drawers pull out completely. Soak it in warm, soapy water, scrub the corners with an old toothbrush, rinse, and dry before replacing it. Wipe the cavity the drawer sits in, too.
3. Run a hot cleaning cycle. Run the empty machine on its hottest setting or tub clean cycle with either a washer cleaning product or about two cups of white vinegar in the drum. Some people prefer a half cup of baking soda instead. Use one approach per cycle and do not combine products.
4. Clean the drain pump filter. Many front loaders have a small access panel near the bottom front. Put a towel and a shallow pan down first, since water will come out, then unscrew the filter, clear debris, and replace it.
5. Leave the door open. After every load, prop the door and drawer open so the drum and gasket can dry. This one habit prevents most front-loader odors.

Top-Loading Washers

1. Fill and soak. Set the machine to the largest load and hottest water. If your model allows it, let the tub fill, add your cleaner (a washer cleaning product or a few cups of white vinegar), agitate for a minute, then pause and let it soak for about an hour.
2. Scrub while it soaks. Use a cloth or soft brush on the lid, the rim of the tub, the agitator, and the bleach and softener dispensers.
3. Finish the cycle and rinse. Let the cycle complete, then run one more empty rinse to clear any loosened residue.
4. Wipe the exterior. Clean the control panel and outside surfaces with a damp cloth. Avoid spraying liquid directly onto buttons or displays.

A Critical Safety Note

Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia, or other cleaners. The combination can release toxic gases. If you use bleach in one cleaning cycle and vinegar in another, run a plain rinse cycle in between, and keep the laundry room ventilated.

Habits That Keep Your Washer Fresh

• Use the amount of detergent the label recommends. More soap does not mean cleaner clothes; extra suds leave residue that feeds odors.
• Use HE detergent if your washer is high efficiency.
• Move wet laundry to the dryer promptly.
• Empty pockets so tissues, coins, and pens do not end up in the filter or gasket.

How to Clean the Dryer Lint Trap

A clogged lint trap makes your dryer work harder, lengthens drying times, and is a recognized fire hazard. It only takes a few seconds to maintain.

After Every Load

Pull out the screen, roll the lint off with your fingers or a dry cloth, and slide it back in. Make this part of unloading the dryer so it never gets skipped.

Every Few Months: Wash the Screen

Dryer sheets and fabric softener can leave a nearly invisible film on the mesh that blocks airflow. To test, run a little water over the clean screen. If water pools on top instead of passing through, it needs washing. Scrub it gently with warm water, dish soap, and a soft brush, rinse, and let it dry completely before putting it back.

Clean the Lint Trap Housing and Vent

Lint also collects in the slot the screen sits in. With the dryer unplugged, use a vacuum crevice attachment or a narrow lint brush to clear it out. At least once a year, check the vent hose behind the dryer and the exterior vent flap for buildup. If clothes take much longer to dry than they used to, a blocked vent is a common reason, and a dryer vent professional can clean the full duct run.

How to Clean an Iron

A dirty iron soleplate can drag across fabric, leave brown marks on a white shirt, or spit mineral flakes from the steam vents. Always unplug the iron and let it cool before cleaning, and check your manual first, since some soleplates (especially nonstick or coated ones) need gentler care.

Cleaning the Soleplate

• Light residue: Wipe the cool soleplate with a soft cloth dampened with warm water and a drop of dish soap, then wipe with a clean, damp cloth.
• Stubborn buildup: Make a paste of baking soda and a little water, spread it on the soleplate, and rub gently with a soft cloth. Avoid getting the paste into the steam holes. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
• Clogged steam vents: Clear residue from the holes with a cotton swab dipped in white vinegar.
• Avoid steel wool, scouring pads, and abrasive powders, which can scratch the plate and make it snag fabric.

How to Clean an Iron with a Wet Cloth

For quick touch-ups between deeper cleanings, many people use the wet cloth method. Set the iron to a low or medium setting with steam off, lay a damp, clean cotton cloth (an old towel works well) on the ironing board, and run the warm iron across it several times. The moisture and gentle friction lift light residue. Then unplug the iron and wipe the soleplate dry.

Descaling the Water Tank

If your iron sputters or leaves white flecks, minerals have built up inside. Follow the manufacturer’s descaling instructions; many irons have a self-clean button. If your manual allows vinegar, fill the tank partly with a mix of vinegar and water, steam it out over an old towel, then repeat with plain water. If you live in an area with hard water, using distilled water (when your manual permits it) can slow buildup.

How to Wash a Comforter

Comforters collect body oils, skin cells, and dust, and most benefit from washing a few times a year. Start with the care label. Some comforters are dry clean only, and the label will tell you the right water temperature and drying method.

Can It Fit in Your Machine?

A comforter needs room to move so detergent can rinse out fully. Large front loaders and top loaders without a center agitator often handle a queen comforter. If yours is a tight squeeze, a laundromat’s oversized machine is the better choice and will be easier on the seams.

Washing Steps

1. Check for loose seams or tears and mend them first so filling does not escape.
2. Pretreat visible stains with a small amount of detergent.
3. Use a mild detergent, a little less than you would for a full load, and choose the gentle or bulky cycle with the water temperature on the care label.
4. Add an extra rinse cycle to clear any remaining soap.

Drying Thoroughly

Dry on low heat, and add a couple of clean tennis balls or wool dryer balls to keep the filling from clumping. Stop every 30 minutes or so to fluff and redistribute it. Down comforters in particular can take several hours. Make sure the comforter is completely dry inside before putting it back on the bed; trapped moisture leads to mildew and odors.

How to Clean Pillowcases

Pillowcases spend every night against your face and hair, so they pick up oils, sweat, and skincare products quickly. Washing them weekly along with your sheets is a good standard, and some people with sensitive skin switch them more often.

• Cotton and linen: Wash with your sheets in warm water, or the warmest the care label allows.
• Silk and satin: Hand wash or use a mesh bag on the delicate cycle in cool water with a gentle detergent, then air dry away from direct sun.
• Yellowing or makeup stains: Pretreat with a stain remover or a little dish soap before washing. On white cotton, an oxygen-based brightener can help, following the product label.
• Turn them inside out before washing to help remove oils from the side that touches your skin.

Pillowcases are only one layer. For the pillow itself, see our guide on how to wash a pillow, and for the layer underneath it all, read how to clean a mattress.

A Simple Laundry and Bedding Cleaning Schedule

• Every load: Clean the lint screen; leave the washer door open to dry.
• Weekly: Wash sheets and pillowcases.
• Monthly: Run a washer cleaning cycle; wipe the gasket and dispenser.
• Every few months: Wash the lint screen; clean the iron soleplate; wash comforters and pillows per their care labels.
• Yearly: Check the dryer vent and hose.

Want Help Keeping the Rest of the House Fresh?

Laundry is a lot to keep up with on its own. If you would rather spend your weekends on something other than scrubbing, Virginia Housekeepers’ bonded, insured, background-checked housekeepers can take care of the rest of your home on a regular recurring cleaning schedule, following a written checklist every visit. Request a free written estimate to see what that could look like for your home.