Keeping a GE Front-Load Washer Fresh: Gasket, Detergent and Drying Out

Front-load washers clean well and use little water, and that is exactly why they can smell. The door seals shut against a rubber gasket, the tub is tucked behind it, and when the cycle ends there is still warm, damp air and a film of soap sitting in the folds. Leave the door latched for a day and you have a perfect environment for mildew. The good news is that the fix is almost entirely about habits and a bit of cleaning, and you do not need to open a single panel.

This guide applies to the GE and GE Profile front-load washers, the models that carry the GFW and PFW prefixes. Examples on this site include GE GFW850SSNWW, GE GFW550SPRRS and the compact GE GFW148SSMWW. The routine below suits all of them, and you should always follow the cleaning instructions in your own owner manual where they differ.

Where the smell actually comes from

There are four usual sources, and a washer can have more than one at once.

• The door gasket. The large rubber ring around the opening has a deep fold at the bottom where water sits. Lint, hair, a stray sock fragment and soap residue collect there and turn slimy.
• Too much detergent. Soap that does not rinse out coats the drum, the hoses and the inner tub. It feeds the same growth you are trying to avoid.
• A closed door. With the door shut tight, moisture has nowhere to go. A washer in a small closet or a hall cupboard dries even more slowly.
• A dirty filter or slow drain. If water lingers in the bottom of the tub, the smell gets worse quickly. Our guide on water left in the drum covers that side.

The gasket routine

Do this when the drum is empty and the washer is cool. A few minutes is enough.

1. Pull the gasket lip back gently and look into the fold all the way around. Check the lowest point most carefully.
2. Remove any visible debris by hand. Small items such as hair ties, coins and tissue bits hide here.
3. Wipe the whole inner surface with a cloth dampened in warm water and a mild dish soap. For dark spots, follow the manual: many manufacturers allow a diluted cleaner on the rubber. Never mix cleaning products together, and never combine bleach with anything containing ammonia or acid, because that releases harmful fumes.
4. Rinse the cloth and wipe again so no cleaner is left behind.
5. Dry the gasket and the glass of the door with a clean towel.
6. Leave the door open.

Run your finger along the gasket while you do this. Look for tears, cracks, or places where the rubber has gone sticky or crumbly. A damaged gasket is not a cleaning problem, because it can leak water and it holds smell no matter how much you scrub. Take a photo of the damage for when you contact us.

Getting the detergent dose right

People often add more detergent when they smell something, and that makes it worse. A modern front-load washer uses a small amount of water, so it needs a small amount of soap. Too much leaves residue, and too much can also cause oversuds and long rinse times.

• Use detergent labeled for high-efficiency machines in a front-load washer, and measure it with the cap or scoop provided.
• Start with the lower amount shown on the bottle, especially for a small load. Increase only if clothes are truly soiled.
• Softer water needs less soap than harder water. San Francisco tap water is on the soft side, so many households here use less than they think; some East Bay and South Bay homes with harder water need a bit more. If your clothes feel stiff or look dulled, try less before trying more.
• Put detergent in the drawer compartment meant for it. Do not pour liquid detergent straight onto laundry unless the manual says so.
• Fabric softener is a common source of buildup. If you use it, use a little and clean the dispenser regularly.

Clean the dispenser drawer

The drawer is a quiet culprit. Pull it out as the manual describes, rinse it in warm water, and scrub the compartments and the recess behind it with a soft brush. Slimy residue in the softener compartment is typical. Let it dry before you slide it back in, and leave it slightly open between loads if the design allows it.

Dry out the drum between loads

This is the habit that matters most. After the last load of the day, wipe the gasket dry, then leave both the door and the dispenser drawer slightly open. If the washer sits in a closet with a door, leave that open too. Take wet laundry out promptly, because a damp pile in a closed drum is the quickest way to bring the smell back.

In foggy neighborhoods near the ocean, such as the Sunset and the Richmond, the air itself is damp for much of the year, so washers there dry out slower than in sunnier parts of the city. A small fan pointed at an open washer in a laundry closet can help, and so can leaving the room door open. If the machine sits in a stacked laundry closet in a condo, check building rules before adding anything that changes the venting.

Use the cleaning cycle if your model has one

Many GE front-load washers offer a tub-cleaning option or recommend a periodic maintenance run with a washer-cleaning product. Check your manual for the exact name, frequency and product it recommends. Run it with the drum empty. Do not add clothing, and do not add extra detergent to try to boost it. After the cycle, wipe the gasket again and leave the door open.

Pump filter and drain hose

Some GE front-load models have a small drain pump filter behind a panel at the lower front. If your manual tells owners to clean it, do it carefully: place towels and a shallow dish under it, since some water will come out, and clear out lint, coins and other debris. If the manual does not describe an owner-accessible filter, do not remove panels. Check the visible drain hose at the back to make sure it is not kinked and is not pushed too far into the standpipe. A restricted drain leaves standing water, and standing water smells. For GE Profile UltraFast combination units, the drain pump filter is specifically called out: the GE Washer Dryer 18 code and the Check and Clean Drain Pump Filter message both point there, and the 353 code is usually a lint filter clogged with softener residue.

Quick diagnosis table

When odor means something else

A musty smell is a cleaning problem. A burning smell, a hot-plastic smell, or a sharp electrical smell is not. Turn the washer off, pull the plug if it is within easy reach, and book a diagnosis. Likewise, if water keeps leaking from the door or the washer will not drain, see our guide to a washer that will not stop filling or leaks. If a code is showing, our page on the GE Washer H2O SUPPLY / IE code explains the supply-side message.

For anything beyond what the manual says owners can do, our GE washer repair page explains the process: the washer is checked in place, you get the findings on paper first, and work begins only once you agree. For a general overview of types, see GE washers. And if you are comparing top-load and front-load models, a top-load such as GE GTW540ASPWS has no door gasket to worry about, but has its own cleaning habits.

A weekly and monthly rhythm

• After every load: take clothes out, wipe the gasket if it is wet, leave the door ajar.
• Weekly: glance into the gasket fold; wipe the glass; pull the dispenser if it looks grimy.
• Monthly: clean the dispenser drawer and recess, and run the maintenance cycle if your manual recommends one.
• Every few months: check the filter if the manual allows, and look at the drain hose.

Frequently asked questions