How to clean your washing machine

We recommend that you clean your washing machine once a month.

Cleaning process

Start by reading your machine manual.

Clean the parts

Wipe down rims and seals. If your machine has a removable agitator, take it out to clean.

Clean the filter

Remove the lint filter and clean it.

Clean the drum

Use chlorine bleach/heat to thoroughly clean the drum.

  • Run an empty 90°C drum clean cycle without detergent (chlorine bleach is optional), or
  • Run a 90°C cycle with detergent and load with towels/ tea towels/ nappy inserts, or
  • Select a long cold cycle with no detergent and chlorine bleach*

Use a commercial descaler if you live in a hard water area and have flakes in your laundry.

Note: chlorine bleach is effective while the water is heating. Even in hot water, the rate of degradation is not significant enough to render it immediately ineffective. 

*Use approximately 1/2 cup of 4.2% bleach or 2 cups of 1% bleach.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Why are there sometimes bubbles during a drum clean cycle if no detergent is used?

This is completely typical of a drum clean. Some of that is agitation bubbles, some of it will be detergent that’s been stuck somewhere and is being cleaned out by the cleaning cycle. It’s not something you need to be concerned about.

Do I need to run a drum clean cycle if I regulary wash towels at 90/95°C?

No need to run an additional drum clean cycle. Remember to wipe down the rims and seal as well as checking your filter.