Before our LG, we had a Whirlpool front loader for eleven years. It arrived the summer our oldest learned to walk and left the house on a dolly the week she started middle school, and I will admit I patted it goodbye.
It washed everything from newborn onesies to muddy shin guards, and it taught me more about washer smells than any manual. Some of those lessons I learned the hard way.
Here is how to clean Whirlpool washer models the way I actually did it, what I would change today, and where Whirlpool’s current instructions agree with me.
Why Affresh And Whirlpool Go Together
For years I assumed Affresh was just another cleaner that happened to sit next to the washers at the store. Then I noticed that the cycle on our Whirlpool was literally called Clean Washer with affresh, and I got curious.
Affresh is a Whirlpool Corporation brand of appliance cleaners. Whirlpool designs its Clean Washer cycle around affresh tablets, though its instructions also allow liquid chlorine bleach as an alternative.
I tracked down the original company press release that introduced affresh as a line of Whirlpool Corporation appliance cleaners, and it confirmed my suspicion. The tablet is not a random upsell. It is the product the cycle was built around.
My honest opinion is that for routine monthly care, you can use affresh tablets and stop overthinking it. No measuring, no fumes, no guessing. The real work of learning how to clean Whirlpool washer models is everything the tablet never touches.
How Often Whirlpool Says To Clean The Washer
Our old Whirlpool had no reminder light, so the schedule lived on a sticky note inside the laundry cabinet door. Newer models are more organized than I was, and Whirlpool now puts its numbers in writing.
| Task | What Whirlpool recommends |
| Clean Washer cycle | At least once a month or every 30 wash cycles, whichever comes first |
| Clean Washer light | Appears on some models when the cycle is due |
| After the cycle | Leave the door or lid open to dry |
| Detergent | HE detergent only, in the amount the maker recommends |
In practice, I ran it every three weeks during soccer season and monthly the rest of the year. For households that use the washer more or less often than ours, I compare the major brands’ recommendations in my guide to how often you should clean your washing machine.
A Samsung washer Self Clean reminder waits for about 40 washes, so Whirlpool asks for attention sooner, and I think it is right to. If you wash mostly in cold water, I would not stretch past 30 loads.
How To Clean Whirlpool Washer Front Loaders With Affresh
I have read Whirlpool’s guide to removing odors from the inside of a washer, and it matches the routine I followed for years.
- Empty the washer completely.
- Drop one Affresh tablet at the bottom of the drum, never in the dispenser.
- Close the door and start the Clean Washer cycle.
- Leave the door open afterward so the inside can dry.
My tip is to start it after dinner and open the door before bed. The first time, I found chalky bits on the drum and panicked.
Whirlpool’s front load cleaning instructions explain that steam models spend the first 20 minutes on steam alone, so the tablet may not fully dissolve. When friends ask me how to clean Whirlpool washer drums, I tell them a little residue is normal.
Using Bleach In The Whirlpool Clean Washer Cycle
In eleven years, I used bleach in the Clean Washer cycle exactly twice, both times after a smell had already moved in. Whirlpool allows it, but the limits are easy to miss, and its odor guide gives 1 cup for the cycle, with no detergent.
- Skip thickened, easy-pour or no-splash bleach in the Clean Washer cycle, because it can cause excess suds.
- Never pair chlorine bleach with color-safe bleach or Oxi products in the same cycle.
- Measure with a pour-spout cup instead of guessing from the jug.
For everyday loads, Whirlpool’s notes on using bleach in the front load dispenser cap the compartment at 2/3 cup, so check your manual. I would only use bleach if a tablet has stopped working, never as a monthly habit.
I also wrote a separate guide on how to clean a washing machine with bleach, including the precautions I follow before I reach for the bottle.
Cleaning The Rubber Door Seal On A Front Loader
Our Whirlpool taught me to respect the door seal. After a rainy week of soccer practice, I pulled back the bottom fold and found a gray ring, two hair elastics and a very flat crayon.
Whirlpool’s own steps for cleaning the front load door seal are the ones I trust. Mix 3/4 cup of liquid chlorine bleach into 1 gallon of warm water, wipe the pulled-back seal, wait 5 minutes, then dry it and leave the door open.
My recommendation is to clean the seal before running the Clean Washer cycle, not after, so the cycle rinses away whatever you loosened. Wear gloves too.
The lower crease deserves extra attention. My washer gasket guide shows how to reach the hidden folds and check the small drain holes.
I skipped them once, and my hands smelled like a swimming pool through dinner. Anyone figuring out how to clean Whirlpool washer seals should learn from that.
The Habits That Kept Our Front Loader Fresh
For a while, we kept the door shut between loads, because our toddler treated the drum like a fort. The smell came back within weeks, and I learned that no cleaner can outwork a closed door.
I later wrote about why a washer starts to smell, because a closed door is only one part of the problem.
Later I read Whirlpool’s advice on removing front load odors, and it lined up with my experience. Leave the door open, take clothes out promptly, and use only HE detergent, since too much detergent causes excess suds and poor rinsing.
Our fix was a child lock on the laundry room door, so the washer door could stay open safely. If I had to rank everything in how to clean Whirlpool washer front loaders, an open door would come first and the cleaner second. Cleaning only helps if the machine gets a chance to dry.
How To Clean Whirlpool Washer Top Loaders
My mother-in-law still has a Whirlpool top loader, and I clean it whenever we visit, mostly because I cannot help myself and partly because she lets me. Top loaders forgive more than front loaders, but they still get stale. Hers smelled like a damp basement towel the first time I lifted the lid.
Her manual matches Whirlpool’s guide to cleaning the inside of a top load washer, which calls for a monthly Clean Washer cycle with affresh or liquid chlorine bleach and unloading as soon as the cycle ends.
Whirlpool’s note on the Clean Washer light explained her musty smell. Non-HE detergent can leave a film that causes odor, and she had been buying regular detergent for years. Knowing how to clean Whirlpool washer top loaders starts at the store.
Getting Rid Of Grime Under The Top Load Rim
Most advice on how to clean Whirlpool washer top loaders stops at the cycle, which never reaches the underside of the rim. Whirlpool does not spell out this step, so here is my own routine, done with the washer unplugged.
- Shine a flashlight under the rim before touching anything.
- Wipe the rim, the lid underside and the hinge area with a damp microfiber cloth.
- Scrub the gray line where the tub meets the rim with an old soft toothbrush.
- Leave the agitator cap alone if it does not lift off easily.
The first time, my cloth came back looking like it had cleaned a chimney. In my opinion, the rim is where most top load smells really live. My mother-in-law now keeps the toothbrush on her laundry shelf.
The same dark film can also break off inside the tub. I explain why it leaves black flakes on clean clothes in a separate guide.
What I Would Do With A Whirlpool Today
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Our old Whirlpool did not die of mildew. The bearings finally gave out, and the repair estimate cost more than the washer was worth. The drum still smelled fine on its last day, which I count as a personal victory.
If I bought another one tomorrow, I would run an affresh tablet monthly, wipe the seal first, and leave the door open overnight. That is really all how to clean Whirlpool washer models comes down to.
Our LG now has its own Tub Clean routine, but I still swear by the open-door habit.
My sister still teases that her Samsung washer Self Clean button is easier than my sticky notes. For any other brand, start with my front load washer cleaning guide.