If you catch a whiff of musty odor from your clean laundry, it’s time to check the seal on your washing machine door. The flexible seal around the door might have water and residue trapped inside, causing odors on everything that gets passed through.

Learn more about what’s causing the odor and how to clean your washing machine seal so the problem doesn’t continue

The One Part of Your Washing Machine You’re Forgetting to Clean

Call it a seal, gasket, or door boot, but we’re talking about the flexible piece of rubber around the lid of a top-loading washer or the door of a front-loading washing machine. The seal is there to help prevent leaks during the washer’s cleaning cycles.

When the washer is in use, water, laundry product residue, and body soil land in the folds of the seal. If the seal is not allowed to dry thoroughly after each laundry session and cleaned at least monthly, the warm, humid environment inside the washer is the perfect breeding ground for mildew and mold to form.

How to Clean Your Washing Machine’s Seal

1. Mix a solution of 1 part warm water and 1 part distilled white vinegar in a small bowl. Dip a microfiber cloth or sponge in the solution.
2. Use the dampened cloth or sponge to thoroughly wipe around edges, seams, folds, and all sides of the rubber seal. Use your fingers to gently stretch the seal to reach hidden crevices.
3. Dip an old toothbrush or small, nylon-bristle bottle brush in the vinegar solution to reach tight spots.
4. Use a dry microfiber towel to remove the cleaning solution, ensuring the seal is completely dry.

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How to Maintain a Washing Machine

Every washing machine should have an overall cleaning at least every three months to remove trapped body soil, laundry product residue, and water mineral buildup. If you wash heavily soiled or greasy clothes, clean your washer monthly to remove odors and prevent soil from redepositing on your laundry.

Start with an empty washer. If you have dispenser drawer(s), consult your washer’s online manual on how to remove them.

Fill a sink or bucket with hot water and allow the drawer components to soak for 10 minutes to remove traces of accumulated products. Rinse well. Dip a small soft-bristled brush in a 1:1 water and vinegar or water and chlorine bleach solution to clean the drawer opening on the washer to remove residue and any mold. Replace the dispenser drawer.

Clean the door and seal as recommended above. Finally, use a commercial washer cleaner, 2 cups of distilled white vinegar, or 1 cup of chlorine bleach and hot water for a complete cleaning. Add your selected cleaner directly to the washer drum. Many washers have a cleaning cycle or use the longest wash cycle, and be sure hot water is selected.

While the washer is running a cleaning cycle, wipe down the outside of the machine to remove dust and grime. When the cycle is complete, open the door and dry the door seal. Leaving the door open, open the dispenser drawer, and allow the machine to air dry.

4 Other Things That Make Clothes Mildewy

It’s not just a moldy washing machine seal that can leave clothes smelling sour or like mildew. Here are some other common culprits.

Tossing Wet Items in the Hamper

Leaving wet or damp items like gym wear or towels in the hamper for several days gives mildew fungus plenty of time to grow and cause odor. If you can’t wash wet things right away, hang them to air dry before adding them to the hamper.

Storing Damp Clothes

Whether the clothes are freshly washed or damp from rain, storing them in a dark closet or drawer can cause mildew growth. This applies to shoes and boots as well as clothes.

Keep in mind that mildew spreads from one garment to the next, especially if there are stains from food. Allow laundry, shoes, and clothes to dry completely before you store them.

Leaving Towels in a Heap

Add plenty of towel bars to your bathroom so damp towels can be spread out smoothly to dry more quickly. Even if you hang them up from a hook, the bunched-up fabric can take too long to dry and allow mildew to form. Use your bathroom exhaust fan to speed drying.

Leaving Dry Cleaning in the Plastic Bag

Dry cleaning is a misnomer because there is a liquid cleaning solution used in the process. Garments may still be damp when the cleaner puts a plastic bag over them to protect them until you can get home. Always remove the thin plastic bag immediately when you get home so the fabric can breathe and dry completely.

If you have a pet at home, you know what it’s like to look down and see a layer of hair instead of your actual floors. In summer especially, our furry friends may start shedding even more to get rid of their winter coat and stay cool. So, with extra hair in the air, on the ground, and all over your furniture, how can you keep your home fresh throughout the hotter months?

We tapped two cleaning professionals for their top tips on how to maintain a pet hair-free home that you and your fur babies can enjoy.

Groom First, Always

The key to minimizing pet hair in the home to prevent it in the first place rather than cleaning it up later.

“I always say, brush the dog before the dog brushes you,” says cleaning expert Patricia Duarte. “Summer heat ramps up shedding—especially in double-coated breeds—so investing five to 10 minutes a day with a regular brush for surface hair and once a week with a [deshedding] tool for the undercoat is well worth it.”

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Clean as You Go

Having tools handy throughout your home for everyday cleanups can stop hair from building up.

“[I] recommend keeping a lint roller or pet hair remover brush by the couch or bed for quick daily touch-ups,” says cleaning expert Jessica Gonzalez. “Little habits like these go a long way when you’re trying to keep up with summer shedding.”

Cordless vacuums are also great for high-traffic areas your pet regularly walks through.

“It’s light, self-standing, and easy enough to use daily without dreading,” Duarte explains. “[It] is also a lifesaver for zapping fur from the bathtub—pups’ hair is truly everywhere. A quick once-over before running the bath keeps the drain happy and saves a plumber’s bill.”

Mitigate Mess at the Door

Before your pet can even make their way to the living room, an absorbent mat can keep pet hair contained.

“They trap paw prints, water, and fur before they get cozy in the carpet or slide into hidden areas under appliances and beds,” Duarte says. “They trap so many furball floaties—I can’t imagine what my home would look like without them.”

Treat Hard Surfaces and Carpet Differently

For hardwood or tile floors, a dry microfiber mop or an electrostatic dust mop works wonders.

“They’re great for picking up pet hair fast without having to haul out a vacuum every time,” Gonzalez says. “Try to avoid sweeping with a bristle broom since it tends to scatter the hair around instead of picking it up.”

The key to mopping hardwood or tile floors is to go slow, boxing out an area and moving in an M-pattern. Carpet, on the other hand, traps more hair and requires a different kind of diligence.

“Vacuum daily with a quick cordless [and] deep clean weekly,” Duarte suggests. “Wash throw rugs weekly. Fur loves to embed itself in fibers, so staying ahead is key.”

Vacuum the Furniture

It’s not just the floors you have to worry about—furniture fabrics can be hotspots for fur, too.

“I suggest a handheld vacuum with a pet brush attachment or even a damp rubber glove to grab hair off cushions,” Gonzalez says. “It sounds odd, but the glove trick works well.”

Pet-proof covers or a designated blanket are also an easy solution to prevent hair from accumulating all over.

“They protect your furniture and wash well, which matters because ‘that’s the dog’s spot now’ shouldn’t be a life sentence for your stylish chaise lounge,” Duarte says.

Wash What Your Pet Lays On

Whatever your pet lies on—whether it be throw blankets or pet beds—should go through the wash weekly.

“I toss in silicone laundry discs to trap extra hair in the washer and dryer, and one-fourth cup of Borax to soften hard water,” Duarte says.

Microfiber towels make simple yet effective cleaning tools against some of your home’s biggest messes. Whether you’re battling a dirty oven, shining up your stainless steel, or cleaning streaks off a television screen, those tiny-but-mighty fibers are highly effective at trapping dust, dirt, and bacteria. However, if you aren’t sure how to wash your microfiber cloths properly, you actually might be making your home dirtier.

Luckily, our cleaning professionals are here to share the best way to care for these tidying superheroes.

Materials Needed:

• Large sink or washer
• Mild liquid detergent 
• Mesh laundry bag 
• White vinegar
• Dryer or dryer rack

Cleaning Instructions for Microfiber Towels

Whether you’re using microfiber cloths to polish silver or soak up spills, it’s important to follow these cleaning instructions to keep them performing.

1. Separate Your Microfiber Towels 

While an additional laundry load may take a bit of time, it’s worth the effort to wash microfiber towels separately. As laundry professional Melia Long explains, cotton, fleece, and any other garments that produce lint could harm your cleaning cloths. “The microfiber acts like a magnet and will grab onto those particles, reducing its effectiveness,” Long explains.

“Treat microfiber like its own laundry category. If you have just a few, consider using a mesh laundry bag to keep them contained during the wash.”

2. Consider a Pre-Rinse

If you are washing heavily soiled towels, rinse them by hand in cold water before tossing them in the machine, suggests Scott Schrader, cleaning expert at CottageCare. This will help get them thoroughly clean—as well as protect other, less-dirty towels in the load.

3. Choose Your Detergent Wisely—and Use Sparingly

Use a detergent that’s free of fabric softeners, fragrances, or optical brighteners, says Long. “Those leave a coating that clogs the fibers and ruins absorbency,” she explains. “A little detergent goes a long way with microfiber, as too much can actually leave residue behind.”

4. Use the Gentle Cycle

Microfiber doesn’t need heavy agitation to get clean, says Long. “Using a gentle cycle helps preserve the structure of the fibers over time and avoids wear,” she suggests. 

5. Add Vinegar

“Do not use a fabric softener,” warns Elizabeth Shields, operations manager of Super Cleaning Service Louisville. “Instead, toss in a half cup of white vinegar during the rinse cycle.” Among all of its cleaning uses, vinegar can help naturally soften and deodorize the fabric.

6. Assess an Extra Rinse

Ensure all detergent is rinsed out completely, advises Alicia Sokolowski, co-CEO of AspenClean. “Residue can reduce absorbency and cause streaking when cleaning,” she says. “When in doubt, run an extra rinse cycle.”

7. Minimize Heat

Air dry or tumble dry on low or no heat. “High heat is microfiber’s enemy, as it can melt the synthetic fibers and leave the towels feeling stiff or slick—a sign that they’ve lost their effectiveness,” says Long. “Air drying works great and is gentler in the long run.” 

If you’re determined to machine-dry your cloths, Shields suggests throwing in a few tennis or dryer balls to help break up stiffness and speed up drying. “Always take them out right after the cycle ends,” says Shields. “If you can’t dry right away, at least hang them over something to air out. Don’t let that damp swamp smell take over.”

8. Skip the Dryer Sheets 

If you’re machine drying, avoid dryer sheets since they coat the towels in residue, warns Long.

Special Precautions to Take with Microfiber Towels

To help extend the longevity of your microfiber towels—and make cleaning them even easier—heed the following precautions and expert tips.

• Avoid bleach, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets: Fabric softener and dryer sheets are the biggest microfiber killers, according to Long. “They leave behind a waxy residue that destroys the towel’s absorbency and grip,” she says. “Bleach also breaks down the fibers over time.”
• Don’t overload the machine: “Microfiber needs room to move in the washer,” says Shields. “If you overload the machine, the towels don’t agitate properly and end up not getting fully clean.”
• Keep away from heat: Avoid ironing or using hot water since high heat damages the structure of the microfiber. 
• Store away from contaminants: “Microfiber towels should be stored away from dust, dirt, and moisture—preferably in a clean, dry place,” says Schrader. “This maintains their static-charged cleaning ability and extends their life.”