The washer’s own cleaning cycle is the alternative that works in every brand. Run it with the drum empty, on the schedule the brand sets, and use only the product that the brand’s own support page documents. No single product appears across all five brands covered here: LG, Samsung, Maytag, Whirlpool, and Bosch. Leaving the door open after use is the one step all five share. Confirm cycle names in the model’s manual, since labels vary by model.
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Table of Contents
The 5 alternatives across brands
| Option | What is documented | Which brands confirm | Where it fits |
| Another brand’s washing machine cleaner | A washing machine tub cleaner is used per its package. Any washing machine cleaner on models without Self Clean | LG, Samsung | LG TUB CLEAN. Samsung models without Self-Clean |
| White vinegar | In place of bleach on the gasket and for soaking inlet filters. Dispenser drawers and exteriors only, not the drum or a cycle. | LG, Maytag. Bosch advises against | LG gasket and inlet filters. Maytag drawers and exteriors |
| Liquid chlorine bleach | Diluted for the gasket. In the detergent compartment for mold and mildew. 1 cup (236 mL) in the Clean Washer cycle | LG, Samsung, Maytag, Whirlpool | LG gasket. Samsung mold procedure. Maytag and Whirlpool Clean Washer Cycle |
| Citric acid | Not named. Bosch advises against it for descaling. | None. Bosch advises against | Not documented for any of the five |
| Baking soda | Not mentioned | None | Not documented for any of the five |
LG washers
Cycle name: TUB CLEAN.
LG’s guide calls for a washing machine tub cleaner, used as the package directs, and does not name a brand. Placement depends on the product form. Powder goes in the main wash compartment of the dispenser, with the liquid cup insert removed if the washer has one. Liquid goes in the cup insert. A tablet goes directly in the drum.
Empty the drum, close the dispenser drawer and the door, select TUB CLEAN, and press START/PAUSE. Afterward, open the door and the dispenser so moisture can dry.
Frequency: monthly, along with cleaning the drain pump filter, dispenser, inlet filters, and door gasket. If a musty smell is already present, run TUB CLEAN once a week for three weeks.
Parts around the cycle:
- Gasket (front-load): mix ¾ cup (177 ml) of liquid chlorine bleach into 1 gallon (3.8 L) of warm or hot water, or use vinegar in place of the bleach. No separate vinegar amount is given, so confirm the dilution in the manual.
- Inlet filters: soak in white vinegar or a limescale remover.
- Drain pump filter: front-load only.
Cautions: Never use bleach and vinegar together, and never use undiluted bleach on the gasket, since it can wear the rubber over time. Turn the washer off and unplug it before cleaning the drain pump filter or the inlet filters.
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Samsung washers
Cycle name: Self Clean, also called Self Clean+ or Pure Cycle.
Samsung’s page says Self-Clean needs no added cleaner. Make sure the washer is empty, press Self Clean, then press Start. The cycle runs about 1 hour on top loaders and about 4 hours on front loaders. If suds or residue appear during the cycle, run Self Clean again afterward.
Models without Self Clean: any washing machine cleaner will do. Follow that product’s instructions, since they vary between products.
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Mold or mildew smell: this is the only case where bleach is added to Self Clean.
- With the tub empty, run a Spin-only cycle to remove remaining water.
- Pour liquid chlorine bleach into the detergent compartment up to the max line. Do not use the bleach compartment.
- Start self-cleaning immediately. Do not leave bleach sitting in the washer.
- When the cycle ends, wipe the tub with paper towels, then run Rinse+Spin.
- Leave the door or lid and the detergent drawer open to dry.
Frequency: monthly. A reminder light appears after 20 washes on a top-load model or 40 on a front-load model.
Cautions: Never run Self Clean with laundry in the tub. On front loaders, clean the pump filter at least monthly or about every 40 washes. After a hot cycle, wait one hour before opening it so the water can cool.
Maytag and Whirlpool washers
Cycle name: Clean Washer, shown as “Clean Washer with Affresh®” on select models.
Maytag and Whirlpool publish the same cleaning instructions, so they are covered together. The cycle uses a higher water volume with an Affresh tablet or liquid chlorine bleach.
Affresh tablet: place one tablet at the bottom of the washer basket, not in the detergent dispenser. Add no detergent or other chemicals. Start the clean washer cycle.
Bleach alternative: add 1 cup (236 mL) of liquid chlorine bleach to the compartment, add no detergent, select Clean Washer, and touch and hold START/PAUSE for 3 seconds. More bleach than that could damage the washer over time. Thickened, easy-pour or no-splash bleach can cause excess suds, so it is not used.
Frequency: monthly or every 30 wash cycles, whichever comes first. Whirlpool front loaders show a CL reminder after 30 cycles.
After the cycle: unload the washer as soon as the cycle is complete, and leave the lid or door open so the interior dries. Do not interrupt the cycle. If it must be stopped, touch POWER, then run Rinse & Spin to clear the cleaner.
Maytag’s information hub adds two points: bleach should not be used in certain front-load models, so check the owner’s manual first. Vinegar stays out of the drum and the cycle, though dispenser drawers can be soaked in equal parts water and white vinegar, and exteriors wiped with a vinegar-water solution.
Bosch washers
Cycle name: Drum Clean.
Bosch’s support page names the drum clean cycle. Follow the instructions that come with the washing machine cleaner.
Cleaner: Bosch’s drum cleaning page points to the Bosch Washing Machine Cleaner for greasy residue buildup every few months. That page gives no placement steps, so follow the instructions that come with the cleaner. A Bosch Descaler is named for limescale and hard water deposits, also every few months.
After each wash, wipe the rubber gasket dry and leave the door and detergent drawer open so the remaining water can evaporate.
Cautions: Bosch advises against vinegar and citric acid because they may degrade the rubber parts over time and advises against homemade cleaners in favor of its own products.
When to contact support
- LG: If a musty smell persists after three weekly TUB CLEAN cycles, contact LG support through chat or a repair request.
- Samsung: if the odor or mold remains after several attempts, request service through the Samsung Support Center.
- Maytag and Whirlpool: no threshold is given. Contact Maytag or Whirlpool support.
- Bosch: no threshold is given. Contact Bosch Support.
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FAQs
Does every brand allow vinegar?
No. LG allows white vinegar in place of bleach for wiping the door gasket and for soaking the inlet filters. Maytag’s information hub limits vinegar to dispenser drawers and exterior surfaces and keeps it out of the drum and cleaning cycle. Bosch advises against vinegar because it may degrade rubber parts. Samsung’s washer cleaning pages and Whirlpool’s product help page do not mention vinegar. Check the model’s manual before using vinegar on any part of the washer.
Can I use Affresh in a washer that is not a Maytag or Whirlpool?
It depends on the brand. LG’s guide calls for a washing machine tub cleaner without naming a brand, so a cleaner of that type fits. Samsung accepts any washing machine cleaner on models without Self Clean. Bosch’s pages name only Bosch’s own cleaner. Maytag and Whirlpool pages name Affresh for their own Clean Washer cycle. Follow the package instructions, since placement and cycle choice can vary between products.
What if my washer has no self-clean cycle?
Samsung’s cleaning page says some models have no self-clean or pure cycle. For those, any washing machine cleaner will do, and the cleaner’s own instructions should be followed because they vary between products. Maytag and Whirlpool say to use the cycle with the highest water level and the hottest water temperature available when using Affresh in a washer with no Clean Washer cycle. LG and Bosch pages do not give a fallback.
Can I use citric acid?
Only Bosch addresses citric acid, and its page advises against it for descaling because it may degrade the rubber parts of the machine over time. Bosch points to its own descaler instead. LG, Samsung, Maytag, and Whirlpool do not mention citric acid in their cleaning pages. LG names a Limescale remover for soaking inlet filters but does not specify the type.
Can I use baking soda?
No brand’s cleaning pages document baking soda. LG’s TUB CLEAN steps call for a washing machine tub cleaner, and its gasket step names diluted bleach or vinegar. Samsung’s Self-Clean needs no added cleaner. Maytag and Whirlpool name an Affresh tablet or liquid chlorine bleach. Bosch advises against homemade cleaners and points to its own cleaner. Baking soda is therefore undocumented for all five brands.
Can I use a dishwasher tablet?
No brand’s cleaning pages list a dishwasher tablet for a washer. LG calls for a tub cleaner made for washing machines, Samsung accepts a washing machine cleaner, and Maytag and Whirlpool name Affresh or liquid chlorine bleach. Bosch advises against homemade cleaners and points to its own cleaner. Without a brand instruction, a dishwasher tablet is outside what any of the five documents say, so stay with a product made for washing machines.
How often should I clean my washer?
LG advises a tub be cleaned monthly or weekly for three weeks when a musty smell is already present. Samsung’s Self-Clean is monthly, with a reminder after 20 washes on top loaders and 40 on front loaders. Maytag and Whirlpool call for the Clean Washer cycle monthly or every 30 wash cycles, whichever comes first. Bosch’s Washing Machine Cleaner is every few months, so Bosch differs from the other four.
Bottom line
No single product is documented across all five brands, but the routine is shared: run the washer’s own cleaning cycle with the drum empty, on the brand’s schedule, and leave the door open afterward so the drum dries. LG’s TUB CLEAN takes a washing machine tub cleaner of any brand. Samsung’s Self Clean needs no cleaner, and any washing machine cleaner will do on models without it. Maytag and Whirlpool document an Affresh tablet or 1 cup (236 mL) of liquid chlorine bleach for the Clean Washer cycle.
Bosch names its own Washing Machine Cleaner, used every few months, along with its Drum Clean cycle. Vinegar is where the brands split: LG allows it on the gasket and inlet filters, Maytag limits it to dispenser drawers and exteriors, Bosch advises against it, and Samsung and Whirlpool do not address it. Only Bosch speaks to citric acid, and it advises against it. No brand documents baking soda. An alternative the brand does not document is untested for that washer, so confirm it in the owner’s manual first. If a smell remains after the steps in the brand’s section, contact that brand’s support.