How to Clean Your Washing Machine (and When to Call a Pro)

Before you grab the vinegar and bicarb, it helps to know what professional servicing costs so you can decide which tasks to handle yourself and which to leave to a technician. Across 234 washing machine repair businesses in Australia (averaging 4.4 out of 5 stars), here is what you can expect to pay.

Ark Appliance Repairs offers capped labour costs (one-hour cap) with a 10% discount for pensioners and seniors, plus a 90-day service guarantee and 12-month parts warranty. Alpha Appliance Repairs also provides a 12-month parts warranty and 100% workmanship guarantee, which gives peace of mind if something goes wrong after a service.

Australian humidity, particularly in Brisbane, Sydney, and the Gold Coast, creates perfect conditions for mould inside your washing machine drum and door seal. If you only ever wash on cold (as most of us do to save energy), bacteria and soap residue build up in a slimy biofilm that causes that unmistakable musty smell on your towels.

How to do it

1. Remove all clothes from the drum.
2. Add 2 cups of white vinegar directly into the drum (not the detergent dispenser).
3. Select the hottest cycle available, usually 60°C or 90°C. Use the longest wash duration.
4. Once the cycle finishes, sprinkle half a cup of bicarb soda into the drum and run a second hot cycle. This neutralises the vinegar and lifts mineral deposits.
5. Wipe the drum interior with a dry microfibre cloth once complete.

This takes about 5 minutes of hands-on time (plus the machine running). Do it once a month, or fortnightly if you live in a high-humidity area.

Why skipping this causes problems

Soap scum and fabric softener residue trap moisture against the drum's stainless steel interior. Over months, this creates black mould colonies that transfer onto clothes as grey or black smudges. Several Reddit users report grease stains appearing on clothes from machines that haven't been cleaned, often mistaking the problem for a mechanical fault and paying for an unnecessary service call.

The rubber gasket around a front loader's door is the single biggest source of washing machine odours in Australian homes. Water pools in the folds after every cycle, and within a week or two, black mould takes hold.

Step-by-step cleaning process

1. Pull the rubber seal forward gently with your fingers so you can see into the folds. You will likely find hair, coins, lint, and sometimes slimy residue.
2. Remove any debris by hand.
3. Dip a microfibre cloth in a solution of equal parts warm water and white vinegar. Wipe every surface of the seal, getting into every fold.
4. For stubborn black mould spots, apply a paste of bicarb soda and a few drops of water directly onto the mould. Leave it for 15 minutes, then scrub with an old toothbrush.
5. Wipe clean with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly.

Total time: about 10 minutes.

The critical habit that prevents mould entirely

After every single wash, leave the door ajar. This is the simplest and most effective thing you can do. Front loaders with closed doors trap moisture for hours, creating a warm, damp environment that mould loves. If you have small children or pets and cannot leave the door open, at minimum wipe the seal dry with a towel after each load.

Pull out the detergent drawer completely. On most machines (LG, Samsung, Electrolux, Westinghouse, Simpson), you press a release tab at the back of the drawer to remove it entirely. Check your manual if you are unsure.

What you will find

Congealed liquid detergent, fabric softener residue, and often pink or black mould growing in the softener compartment. This gunk partially blocks the water jets that flush detergent into the drum, meaning your clothes get less detergent than you think. The result: poorly cleaned laundry and wasted product.

Cleaning method

1. Soak the drawer in a basin of hot water with a tablespoon of bicarb soda for 20 minutes.
2. Scrub every compartment and the underside with an old toothbrush. Pay special attention to the fabric softener siphon cap (the small cylindrical piece that sits in the softener slot).
3. While the drawer is out, shine a torch into the cavity where the drawer sits. Wipe any mould or residue with a damp cloth sprayed with white vinegar.
4. Rinse the drawer, shake off excess water, and slide it back in.

This is the most commonly neglected cleaning task, and it is the one most likely to cause a breakdown. The drain pump filter (sometimes called a lint trap or coin trap) catches small objects before they reach the pump impeller. Hair ties, coins, tissues, bra underwires, and lint all accumulate here.

How to access and clean it

1. Locate the filter access panel. On front loaders, it is usually at the bottom right behind a small door or panel. On top loaders (Fisher & Paykel, Simpson), the filter may be inside the drum or accessed from the back.
2. Place towels down. Open the panel.
3. If your machine has a small drain hose next to the filter, pull it out and uncap it to drain residual water slowly into your container.
4. Twist the filter cap anti-clockwise and pull it out.
5. Remove all debris. Rinse the filter under running water and scrub with a brush.
6. Check inside the filter housing with a torch. Remove any objects lodged near the pump impeller.
7. Replace the filter (clockwise), close the panel, and run a quick rinse cycle to confirm there are no leaks.

Time: 10–15 minutes.

What happens if you skip this

A blocked filter forces the pump to work harder, which burns out the motor. Pump replacement is one of the most common washing machine repairs, costing $150–$300 including parts and labour. A monthly clean prevents this entirely and keeps your machine draining quickly.

Australian water varies enormously by region. Melbourne has soft water, but Adelaide, Perth, and parts of regional Queensland and NSW have hard water with high mineral content. Limescale deposits coat heating elements, reduce efficiency, and eventually cause the element to fail.

How to descale

1. Purchase citric acid powder from the cleaning aisle at Coles or Woolworths (about $3–$5 for 250g).
2. Add 2 tablespoons of citric acid directly into the drum.
3. Run a 60°C or 90°C empty cycle.
4. After the cycle, wipe the drum interior with a dry cloth.

Citric acid is more effective than vinegar at dissolving calcium carbonate deposits and is gentler on rubber seals than commercial descaling products. It also works well for the inlet valve screens.

Clean the inlet hose filters annually

Turn off both hot and cold taps at the wall. Unscrew the inlet hoses from the back of the machine. Inside each hose connector, you will find a small mesh filter screen. Pull it out with needle-nose pliers, rinse under a tap, and refit. Clogged inlet filters cause slow filling and error codes on brands like Bosch, Miele, and Asko.

Wipe the exterior of your machine weekly with a damp microfibre cloth. Pay attention to the control panel area where detergent splashes accumulate and corrode button contacts over time.

Top loader agitator cleaning

If you have a top loader with a central agitator (common on older Simpson and Whirlpool models), the agitator cap often unscrews or pops off. Underneath, you will find a buildup of lint, hair, and grey sludge. Clean this out with hot water and a brush every 2–3 months. Some Fisher & Paykel top loaders use an impeller instead of an agitator. These do not need the same maintenance but still benefit from monthly hot wash cycles.

Cleaning schedule at a glance

Regular cleaning handles odours, mould, and minor performance issues. But some problems need a qualified technician. Call a professional if you notice any of the following:

• Loud banging or grinding during the spin cycle — likely worn drum bearings or a failing shock absorber. These involve disassembling the machine.
• Water leaking from underneath — could be a cracked tub, failed door seal, or loose hose connection.
• Machine not draining despite a clean filter — the pump itself may have failed.
• Error codes that persist after a power reset — consult your manual first, but persistent codes (particularly on Bosch, Miele, and Asko machines) often indicate control board or sensor issues.
• Burning smell during operation — stop the machine immediately and unplug it. This could indicate a motor fault or wiring issue.

Highly rated businesses across Australia include Fallon Solutions (4.6 stars, 7,764 reviews) for Brisbane and South-East Queensland, Nationwide Appliance Repairs (4.6 stars, 2,030 reviews) for coverage across multiple cities, and Sydney Appliance Service (4.8 stars, 1,057 reviews) for Sydney-based repairs. Around 72% of listed washing machine repair businesses offer emergency or same-day service.

EPL Appliance Repair offers upfront pricing with no hidden fees, which is helpful for budgeting. The Home Appliance Doctor provides a free estimate with repair, so you only pay the call-out fee if you choose not to proceed. Appliance Professionals offers a 12-month warranty on labour with parts covered by manufacturer warranty.