How to Remove Mold From a Washing Machine Seal

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It’s surprisingly easy to remove mold from a washing machine seal.  These 3 simple steps will get your washing machine gasket clean in a flash!

What do you see when you open your washing machine?  If you see mold or mildew when you open your front-loading washing machine, then we need to talk.

Something that’s supposed to clean your clothes should be clean too!  I’ll show you how to remove mold from a washing machine seal, so you can do your laundry in a clean machine.

Mold in the washing machine is super gross.  Keeping your washing machine free of mold is also an important part of washing machine maintenance.  The good news?  It’s fairly quick and easy to remove mold from a washing machine seal.  Let’s get started!

Supplies Needed

You only need a few supplies to remove mold from a washing machine seal.  In fact, you probably already have all of them!

• Distilled white vinegar
• Cotton pads or cotton balls

You might also need:

• Q-tips
• A clean, dry rag

Although this project is fairly quick and easy, you might want to check out my suggestions on how to make cleaning fun.

How to Remove Mold From a Washing Machine Seal

First, you should understand that mold leaves stains, especially on surfaces like the rubber seal on your washing machine.  As a result, it’s normal for mildew stains to remain on the rubber, even after you clean it.

The seal is also called a gasket, so you might see me refer to it as a gasket in this post.

Step 1

First, you should open the washing machine door as widely as possible.

Dampen a cotton pad or cotton ball with white vinegar.

Use the damp cotton pad or ball to gently scrub away mildew on large areas of the rubber gasket.

The picture below shows what a big difference this makes when compared to the picture above!

Step 2

The next step to remove mold from a washing machine seal or gasket is to clean the crevices of the gasket.

You’ll probably find it easier to do this with a Q-tip rather than a cotton pad or cotton ball, because you’ll be able to get into the crevices more easily.

Dip the end of a Q-tip in white vinegar.

Pull the fold of the rubber gasket back with 1 hand, as shown below.

Use the Q-tip to clean mold and debris from the inside of the gasket with the other.  It will take several Q-tips to fully clean the inside of the gasket.

Between our cats’ hair and my hair, our washing machine gets lots of debris inside the gasket after just a few loads, as you can see above.

You should remember to clean the inside of the gasket all the way around, because there is probably mold all over it.

You can use a clean, dry rag to wipe away the vinegar.

Step 3

The final step in how to remove mold from a washing machine seal is to cleanse the machine of the vinegar/mildew mixture.  You can either run the empty machine through a cycle on warm or hot water, or use the self-cleaning function.

As the picture shows below, the self-cleaning function on my washing machine takes about 4 hours to complete.

Here’s how my washing machine looked after I’d cleaned it with white vinegar and ran the self-cleaning cycle.

How to Prevent Mold on a Washing Machine Seal

It might seem counterintuitive, but the best way to prevent mold on a washing machine seal is to leave the door open.  This allows the inside of the machine, including the gasket, to dry quickly.  As a result, there usually isn’t enough moisture on the gasket to allow mold to grow.

My washing machine got gross and moldy because a family member (you know who you are!) always shuts the washing machine door after use.  Keep your door open after each load, and you shouldn’t have to worry about mold.

Another great way to keep mold from growing on your washing machine gasket?  Take proactive steps so that you do less laundry to begin with.

How to Remove Mold From a Washing Machine Seal:  Conclusion

Cleaning your washing machine seal is an important part of washing machine maintenance.  It’s easy and fairly quick to do.  Here’s a quick recap of how to remove mold from a washing machine seal, as well as how to prevent it from coming back.

• Clean the inside and outside of the rubber seal (also called a gasket) using distilled white vinegar, cotton balls or pads, and Q-tips
• Run the empty washing machine on a warm or hot water cycle, or use the self-cleaning feature, to rinse the machine
• Keep the washing machine door open between loads to prevent excessive moisture, which causes mold

Now that you know how to remove mold from a washing machine seal, you should clean yours as soon as possible.  Gather your supplies (or scroll up to the supplies list and order what you need), and get to work!

P.S. – Speaking of laundry, do you end up with baskets of wrinkled (but clean) clothes?  Check out my tips on how to conquer wrinkled laundry!