Day 22: Clean Washer and Dryer

Updated on June 4, 2024

Welcome to day 22 of the ‘31 Days of Deep Cleaning Your Home‘ series!

Today’s task is to clean your washer and dryer.

The first step is to start by cleaning the inside of your washing machine. Using the longest, hottest water wash cycle, fill your washer with hot water. Add 1 cup of vinegar to the wash water. Allow to agitate for one minute and then let the wash cycle sit for 1 hour.

Now, using the warm vinegar water solution, dip your cloth into the wash water and wipe down the entire exterior or your washing machine. Pay special attention to the knobs, the bleach and fabric softener dispensers, door and the underside of the washer drum. You can use a q-tip or toothbrush to get in all the nooks and crannies.

Optional: If you still notice any kind of odors coming from your washer and you don’t normally use bleach with your washer, complete the following steps. Again, using the hottest, longest wash cycle fill your washer drum with water. Add 1 cup bleach to the water. Allow to agitate for one minute and then let the washer sit for 1 hour. Complete the wash cycle.

Tip: Be sure to remove wet clothes promptly from the washer and leave the door open after a wash load to keep the mildewy, musty smell down.

Once you have completed the above steps, be sure to wipe down any remaining residue on the inside of your washer, paying close attention to the agitator.

Now, onto the dryer. Using an all purpose cleaner (I use a mixture of half vinegar and half water) wipe down the top and front of your dryer to remove dust and lint. If yours is really dusty, you can vacuum with the brush attachment first.

Next, pull out your lint filter and remove any lint.

Scrub your lint filter with a scrub brush and a mild soap and water solution. Allow to dry before replacing in your dryer. Your lint filter can build up a film from using dryer sheets and fabric softener. This can be a fire hazard.

Wipe down the inside of your dryer with a damp cloth.

Now have your helper pull out your washer and dryer from the wall and clean the sides and back. Vacuum the floor behind the washer and dryer.

Unplug your dyer. Remove the clamp holding your vent hose onto your dyer. Pull out any lint build up. You can also use your vacuum to remove even more lint build up.

Also, be sure to check inside the vent hose for any lint build up. You can use your vacuum here as well, just be careful as the vent hoses can tear. If you notice any tears or rips in your vent hose, it may be time to replace it. These are inexpensive and can be purchased from any home improvement store.

It is a good idea to check where your dryer exhausts to on the outside of the house. Clean out any built up lint on your outside vent as well.

After cleaning it out, replace the hose on your dryer and to the wall, plug your dyer back in and put your washer and dryer back into place. Be sure your washer and dryer are level after moving them back. Usually you can adjust the legs in the front and the back. If they are not level, especially the washer, you can get a lot of extra noise from your machine.

Remember to always follow any manufacturer care and maintenance instructions for your particular machines!

See you back here tomorrow for day 23 of 31 Days of Deep Cleaning Your Home.