How to Clean a Top Load Washer: Best Methods and Tips

If your laundry comes out smelling worse than it went in, the washer itself is the problem, not your detergent. How to clean a top load washer properly takes 90 minutes once a month and uses about $3 in supplies. Skip it and you build up a film of detergent residue, body oils, and biofilm that no amount of fabric softener can mask.

Top loaders fall into two categories: traditional agitator models and high-efficiency (HE) models without an agitator. The cleaning method differs, and using the wrong one wastes time.

Why Top Load Washers Get Dirty Inside

Modern detergents are formulated for cold water, but cold water does not dissolve everything. Powdered detergent leaves grit. Liquid detergent leaves a slick film along the inside of the tub and under the agitator base. Add lint, dead skin cells, and the microfibers from synthetic clothing, and you have a perfect substrate for mold.

HE top loaders are worse than agitator models because they use less water. The same soil load gets less rinse, so residue accumulates faster. If you smell mildew when you open the lid after a wash, you are at least two months overdue for a full cleaning.

Method 1: Distilled White Vinegar (Cheapest)

White vinegar costs about $3.50 a gallon at Walmart and dissolves mineral scale plus light mildew. This works well for routine monthly cleaning when your washer is not actively smelling bad.

1. Empty the drum completely, including the lint trap if your model has one
2. Set the cycle to the hottest, longest, largest-load setting
3. Pour 4 cups of distilled white vinegar directly into the drum
4. Start the cycle and let the tub fill for two minutes, then pause for 30 minutes to soak
5. Resume and run the full cycle
6. Wipe the lid, gasket, and detergent dispenser with a cloth dipped in the vinegar water before it drains
7. Run a second hot cycle with no additives to rinse

Skip vinegar if your model has rubber seals — long-term vinegar exposure can dry out gaskets. For HE models with rubber bellows, switch to one of the methods below.

Method 2: Bleach (Strongest for Mildew)

If your washer reeks of mildew or you can see black streaks under the lid, bleach is what you need. Use regular Clorox or any 6 percent sodium hypochlorite bleach.

1. Set the washer to hot, largest load, longest cycle
2. Pour 1 cup of bleach into the drum (not the dispenser, which dilutes it too much)
3. Let the tub fill, agitate for two minutes, then pause for 60 minutes
4. Run the full cycle
5. Run a second full cycle with hot water and nothing else
6. Wipe down all visible surfaces with a microfiber cloth and clean water

Never combine bleach and vinegar in the same cycle, even minutes apart — the reaction releases chlorine gas. Run separate empty cycles between them if you want to use both.

Method 3: Affresh or Tide Washing Machine Cleaner

The dedicated washer cleaning tablets from Affresh ($8 for three at Target) and Tide ($10 for five) are formulated specifically to break down detergent residue and biofilm. They are gentler on rubber components than bleach and stronger than vinegar.

Drop one tablet into the empty drum, run the hottest longest cycle, then run a rinse cycle. Most washer manuals now specifically recommend Affresh, and it is the safest choice for new HE models still under warranty.

Cleaning the Agitator and Fabric Softener Dispenser

Many traditional top loaders have a fabric softener dispenser that twists off the top of the agitator. Pull it off and look inside — that black gunk is mold feeding on softener residue. Soak the dispenser in a bowl of hot water plus 1/4 cup bleach for 30 minutes, scrub with an old toothbrush, and rinse.

Agitator bases collect lint and coins underneath. Pop off the cap with a flathead screwdriver and look. A vacuum hose pulls out anything loose, and a damp microfiber cloth wipes the rest.

Cleaning the Lid, Hinge, and Gasket

The lid hinge area on top loaders traps detergent splash and grows mildew you only see when you crouch and look up. Wipe weekly with a 50/50 vinegar-water spray. On HE top loaders with a glass lid and rubber gasket, run the gasket with a microfiber cloth and a mild bleach solution monthly.

Pay special attention to the area where the lid sits when closed. Lift it fully and inspect both surfaces with a flashlight.

Monthly Maintenance Routine

• Run a hot empty cycle with vinegar or Affresh once every 30 to 45 days
• Leave the lid up between loads so the drum dries — closed lids trap humidity and grow mold within a week
• Wipe the gasket, lid, and dispenser dry after each load if you live in a humid climate
• Use less detergent than the bottle says — most modern HE detergents call for 2 tablespoons per load, not the full cap
• Skip liquid fabric softener entirely and switch to wool dryer balls, which eliminates one major source of buildup

When the Smell Will Not Go Away

If you have done two bleach cycles and the washer still smells, the residue is in places you cannot reach with a normal cycle. Common hideouts include the drain pump filter (some models have one accessible from the front bottom panel) and the water inlet hoses.

Pull the washer out and inspect the back. Disconnect the inlet hoses and clean the small mesh screens at the connection points. Check that the drain hose has not sagged into a low spot that traps standing water. If the smell persists after all of this, the inner tub may have biofilm on the underside that requires a service call to remove the agitator and clean.

Quick Reference for Each Wash

The single biggest habit change that prevents the cleaning problem in the first place is using less detergent and using hot water once a week instead of always cold. A weekly hot wash with whites flushes out residue before it bonds to the tub. Pair that with leaving the lid open between loads and your monthly cleaning becomes a quick maintenance run instead of a rescue mission.