Do I need to replace the gasket or the entire washer?

October 7, 2021 12:10 PM

The front-loading washing machine in my new house has a moldy gasket (i.e. rubber door seal). Here's a picture. It's gross, it smells, and it's presumably a health hazard. This seems like a pretty bad case. Will replacing the gasket ($300 or so) solve this problem, or is it likely to have metastasized into the entire thing such that the entire washer is a lost cause? I would prefer to repair the gasket rather than replace the entire washer, but I would also prefer not to waste my time and money.

I'm not looking for tips about how to clean the current gasket (unless you have personal experience of a case this bad, I've already tried the suggestions you get on Google). Also not looking for advice about how to prevent this happening in future (I know! It was like this when I got here!)

posted by caek to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

Replacing the gasket should solve 90% of the problem.

If you have this much mold in the gasket, check the soap dispensing drawer as well. Pull it out completely and check the underside of the drawer as well as the inside of the compartment (example). A toothbrush with some hydrogen peroxide will get that clean.

You will also want to remove the drain filter and clean that trap. Again, peroxide and a toothbrush.

Then run a tub clean cycle a few times with some bleach in the dispenser. There should be a special button to run this cleaning cycle without adding clothes.

There's not much inside a front loading washer besides these parts. Going forward, leave the door open between cycles so it can dry out but I'm sure you know that already. Good luck with the new house.
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:29 PM on October 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

I was in the same boat you were, with a gasket less moldy. The washer had gotten to the point where even after tub clean cycles, it was causing our roommate problems. After we replaced the gasket and did a cleaning, his problems stopped.

We were able to replace the gasket on our own (no appliance person would get back to us about our requests so it was up to us) using a part ordered from GenuineReplacementParts.com. We also ordered the special spring holder tool. This all came out to way less than $300 and took us a few hours. However, we also had two people working to get the tricky part back on and I think it was easier than with a single person (one person holding the spring tool, the other person working the holder on).

After we did that, we used some of those cleaning tablets, and went through the instructions to really soak it and then did another tub clean cycle run. Also cleaned out the drain real good and checked that the soap drawer wasn't at issue.
posted by foxfirefey at 12:35 PM on October 7, 2021 [3 favorites]

Oh--this was the video we used as instruction.
posted by foxfirefey at 12:36 PM on October 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

I can't comment on what will fix your washer, but I will say that I recently had to replace the gasket on my dishwasher. The "official" part in the manufacturer's catalog cost some absurd amount of money - like $75 for a 5-foot piece of soft rubber. A little searching involving the part # and terms like "alternative" or "generic" or "universal," eg, yielded a gasket of exactly the right size and shape for SIX BUCKS. So I encourage you not to just buy the manufacturer's replacement part, especially for something as simple as a gasket.
posted by Dr. Wu at 12:37 PM on October 7, 2021 [5 favorites]

I'm sorry I got a front-loading machine, but I did. I keep the door open for a while after washing a load. I have a small towel I lay in the door to keep it ajar and absorb moisture. When I have a load of white stuff, maybe the shower curtain and the towels I use for grotty stuff, I use hot water and some bleach, which helps a fair bit.
posted by theora55 at 12:49 PM on October 7, 2021

Our gasket wasn't quite that bad, but we did have it replaced.

Our technician, who replaced the gasket, had following tips

After he replaced the gasket, he left us direction on how to clean the machine. We alternated vinegar /baking soda washes, with the clean cycle tablets you can buy. He got us to run 2 of each. We used a couple of towels so it would fill. Then one empty (no chemicals) with the towels to check for suds. IF there were suds, then run another couple of cycles of vinegar/baking soda, and the cycle tablets. The goal was to clean the machine of all the soap in it.

Once we got to no suds, we could start using the machine again.

HIs suggestions:
- powder is better than liquid. Use 1/2 the powder, and 1/4 liquid, of the directed measurement.
- keep door open. I use two magnets and a bit of bungee cord to keep the door open.
- run the vinegar/baking soda and clean cycle tablet once a month.

If we keep up with that regime, our machine is fine. If we don't do it once a month, the mould will creep back in, and machine will start to smell again

Cutting back the detergent was the hardest, as we were worried clothes wouldn't be clean. But they are. When I can find it, I use Persil powder (per technician direction).

He has a drum in his truck that showed the caked on soap. It was awful, and smelled terrible.
posted by Ftsqg at 1:56 PM on October 7, 2021 [3 favorites]

Cutting back on soap is indeed one of those things that seems counter-intuitive, but in a HE machine, it works. I am using this soap, and that $30 pail has lasted the two of us three years. I use 1 tablespoon for a small / light load, or 2 tablespoons for a full load of towels. Everything comes out clean and fresh.
posted by xedrik at 4:52 PM on October 7, 2021

We bought a house with a really stinky front loader. We didn't have to replace the gasket but this Eco-Swirlz, used as directed, completely took the smell away. I had to find something septic safe and this did the trick (just be sure to put it in the machine and not the detergent dispenser). It took 3 or 4 cycles I think.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:36 PM on October 7, 2021

I have replaced a gasket on a washing machine. Here is a tip that will save you much pain and bruised finger tips. When trying to re-fit the circular spring clip thingy that actually keeps the gasket in place, a tiny dab of washing up liquid (dish soap in the US I think?) run around the clip will let it pop over the metal rim of the drum relatively painlessly. This allowed me to finish a job in five minutes that I’d been struggling with for well over an hour.
posted by Happy Dave at 11:47 PM on October 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

It's not clear to me that your gasket needs to be replaced. Most of the front-loading machines I've seen have some discoloration like the picture, which is helped but not entirely avoided by leaving the door open after loads and running the monthly cleaning cycle with a quarter cup of real bleach. But the rest of the drum is basically stainless steel, so if you're worried about what's in there, removing the gasket is a good way to make sure there's not a huge amount of gunk underneath. And once you have the gasket off, there's no reason not to replace it. They do eventually get stiff and leak so it's a reasonable thing to do. As far as major appliance repairs go, it's one of the trickiest I've felt qualified to do. Not only do you have to pull the washer out and remove the entire front, but there's the tension and positioning of the gasket itself, which took some doing. I got it all done and then had to reposition it (from the outside, thankfully) so it wouldn't squeak. But it's almost certainly far cheaper, even if you have to pay someone, than replacing a quality front-loader, which seems extreme.
posted by wnissen at 2:19 PM on October 8, 2021