How to Disinfect Your Washer and Dryer

Before you gather up those dirty duds and head to the laundry room, take a moment to think about the machines themselves.

Your washer and dryer clean everything else in the house. But after a stomach bug sweeps through, a camping trip ends in poison ivy, or a week of fevers fills the hamper, the machines need a turn, too. A surprising number of hardy germs can survive a warm-water swim.

Here's how to disinfect your washing machine and dryer, when to do it, and the one dryer job that matters more than any germ.

Cleaning vs. Disinfecting: Which Do You Need?

•      Cleaning removes detergent buildup, grime and that musty smell. Do it once a month. Here's how: How to Clean a Washing Machine.

•      Disinfecting kills germs. Do it after someone's been sick, and whenever contaminated laundry has gone through the machines.

When to Disinfect Your Washer and Dryer

Why cold water matters: if you only wash in cold, detergent and fabric softener residue build up in the machine and give germs and bacteria a place to live. These buggers can transfer back to your clothes, causing odor. A monthly hot or bleach cycle keeps them in check.

Clothes with gasoline, motor oil, cooking oil or other flammable substances on them don't belong in the dryer at all. Wash them until the oil is gone, then hang them to dry. They can catch fire in the dryer.

How to Disinfect a Washing Machine With Bleach

1.     Check your manual. Most washers have a sanitize or clean washer cycle, and many manufacturers say exactly how much bleach to use. Follow it.

2.     Empty the washer. No clothes, no detergent.

3.     Add chlorine bleach, usually about 1 cup. Pour it into the bleach dispenser on a front-loader, or into the drum on a top-loader.

4.     Run the sanitize or clean washer cycle on hot. No sanitize cycle? Use the hottest, longest setting, like heavy duty or cotton.

5.     Check the gasket and lid when the cycle finishes. If you see mold or grime, scrub it with a soft brush and a bleach solution: 4 teaspoons of bleach in 1 quart of water.

6.     Run a rinse cycle to clear out any leftover bleach before your next load.

7.     Leave the door or lid open so the drum dries.

Never use bleach and vinegar together, and never add one right after the other without a rinse cycle in between. Mixed, they release chlorine gas.

Don't Forget the Dispensers and the Outside

•      Dispensers: pop out the detergent, bleach and fabric softener drawers, and wash them in warm, soapy water. Rinse, dry completely and put them back.

•      The outside: wipe the top, front, sides and knobs with the bleach solution, wait at least 1 minute, then rinse with a damp cloth and dry. Use an electronics-safe disinfecting wipe on touch controls.

How to Disinfect a Dryer

Wait until the dryer is completely cool. Then:

1.     Remove the lint screen, clear the lint, and soak it in warm, soapy water in the sink.

2.     Mix the disinfecting solution: 4 teaspoons of chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water. Or use a disinfecting wipe.

3.     Wipe the drum, the inside of the door, and the door seal. Use enough solution to leave the surfaces visibly wet.

4.     Let it sit for at least 1 minute, or as long as the product label says.

5.     Rinse the lint screen while you wait, shake it off, and let it air-dry.

6.     Wipe the drum again with a cloth dampened with plain water, then dry it with a clean towel. Leave the door open until everything's completely dry.

7.     Wipe the outside, including the knobs, handle and door, with the same solution, then rinse with a damp cloth. Use an electronics-safe wipe on the control panel.

8.     Put the lint screen back once it's dry.

For poison ivy, oak or sumac, wipe the drum with rubbing alcohol or soapy water instead. The oil that causes the rash (urushiol) can stick to surfaces, and bleach doesn't break it down as well. Let the alcohol evaporate completely, with the door open, before you run the dryer.

The Dryer Job That Matters Most: Lint

Germs are one thing. Fire is another. Failure to clean is the leading cause of home dryer fires, according to the NFPA.

•      Clean the lint screen after every load. Every one.

•      Wash the lint screen every few months with warm, soapy water and a soft brush. Dryer sheets leave an invisible film that clogs the mesh.

•      Check the vent every six months, and have it cleaned at least once a year. Even with a clean lint screen, the finest lint slips past and builds up in the vent.

•      Watch for the warning signs: clothes that take more than one cycle to dry, a dryer that's hot to the touch, or a burning smell.

•      Never run the dryer when you're asleep or out of the house.

Laundry Tips When Someone Is Sick

•      Wear disposable gloves when you handle a sick person's laundry, and wash your hands afterward, even if you wore gloves.

•      Don't shake dirty laundry. It sends germs into the air.

•      Wash in the warmest water the fabric allows, and dry everything completely.

•      It's OK to wash a sick person's laundry with everyone else's, except after a stomach bug. Then wash those items separately with bleach, if the fabric allows.

•      Disinfect the hamper or laundry basket, too, or use a washable liner.

For more tips see Surface Disinfecting After Illness.

Frequently Asked Questions

 How do you disinfect a washing machine?

Run an empty sanitize or clean washer cycle on hot, with about 1 cup of chlorine bleach in the bleach dispenser or drum, following your manual. Then run a rinse cycle, wipe the gasket and lid, and leave the door open to dry.

Does vinegar disinfect a washing machine?

No. Vinegar can loosen detergent buildup, but it isn't a registered disinfectant. Use chlorine bleach or the washer's sanitize cycle to kill germs.

Should I disinfect my washer after a stomach bug?

Yes. Norovirus is hardy. Wash the sick person's laundry separately, in hot water with bleach if the fabric allows, then run an empty bleach cycle and wipe the dryer drum.

Does the dryer kill germs?

High heat kills many germs, which is why the CDC recommends drying laundry completely after someone's been sick. For stomach bugs and bodily fluids, also wipe the drum with a disinfectant.

How often should I disinfect my washer and dryer?

After illness or contamination. For routine care, clean the washer monthly, clean the lint screen after every load, and have the dryer vent cleaned once a year.

Keep Going

The machines are germ-free and the lint is gone. Keep the laundry room running with these related guides:

•      How to Clean a Washing Machine: The monthly cleaning, and how to get rid of that musty smell.

•      Laundry and Stain Removal Guide: Everything about washing clothes and getting stains out.

•      Laundry Temperature: Hot, Warm or Cold?: When hot water is worth it.

•      Laundry Detergent: Liquid or Powder?: Which one leaves less residue in your washer.

•      How to Remove Mold in the Bathroom: The same bleach-solution rules, for the shower.

•      Grease Stain Removal: Including why oily clothes stay out of the dryer.

•      Doing Laundry With Kids: Teach them the lint screen rule early.

•      Home Maintenance: The yearly jobs, dryer vent included.

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