If your gasket is in need of a deep clean, wear gloves to sponge a solution of one third cup bleach per gallon of water onto the gasket, reapplying it as needed to keep the gasket wet for six minutes, she says. After, rinse with a little water and continue cleaning the interior of the machine.The gasket of a front-loading dishwasher can get very dirty.Photo: lma is/Getty ImagesFor a regular cleaning of a front loader, you can clean it with a white microfiber cloth and bleach mixed with Dawn dish soap, especially around the rubber seal. Set the washing machine to the highest water and temperature setting and run a full cycle with one cup of white vinegar and around five drops of lavender essential oil, Gazzo suggests. When it comes to the quarterly deep clean of a front-loading washing machine, follow the same process but this time, instead of vinegar and essential oil, use two cups of washing soda and two cups of borax. Let sit for an hour and then run a full cycle. During that hour the washing soda and borax will soften up the minerals and residues enough to deep clean the drain and the washer drum, Gazzo says.Once youre finished wiping down the inside of your front loader, you should run distilled white vinegar through it. Measure out two cups of distilled white vinegar and pour them directly into your washing machines liquid detergent dispenser. Set your front-loading machine on its longest cycle with the hottest water. When the cycle has finished, sprinkle half a cup of baking soda directly into the drum of the washing machine and run it on the same settings (highest and hottest). For a top-loading washing machine, a hot setting cycle with white vinegar will do the trick.To help prevent soap scum buildup, Gazzo likes to use eco-friendly products like white vinegar instead of fabric softener. Vinegar wont leave any soap or fat residue on the drums or the drain,he says.How to clean a top-loading washing machineSet your washing machine to the highest and hottest water setting. Add in four cups of white vinegar, and start a cycle. Once the washing machine is filled up and barely started, pause it and allow the water and white vinegar to soak the drum for an hour. When the first rinse cycle has ended, pour in a cup of baking soda and turn your top loader back on for one more powerful cycle with the hottest settings. And when thats done, leave the top open to let it air dry.How to Clean the Exterior of a Washing MachineTo make sure that the front and sides of your washing machine are clean, youll want to regularly swipe a disinfecting wipe across them to pick up things like hair, lint, and debrisas well as any bacteria that may develop into an odor over time. Once youre finished with the wipe, dry off the damp surface with a microfiber cloth for good measure, particularly if your washer is in an enclosed space without air ventilation.How do I clean a smelly washing machine?The quickest way to get rid of a washing machine smell is to tackle the surfaces and any areas where water may pool, creating a hospitable environment for mold, mildew, and bacteria. Spritz white vinegar onto a damp cloth and run it along the top and bottom of the lid of the top-loading washing machine, the sides, and the front of the washer until youve touched every square inch of your appliance. Then use an old toothbrush to get into the dirty nooks and crannies of your machines detergent and fabric softener dispensers.