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olympiceagle

LG Washer Owners useful cleaning tips

17 years ago

We bought a LG washer, model WM2455, from Sears about three months ago. We have been extremely satisfied with its performance so far, but like most FL owners, want to do everything possible to avoid any mildewy smells. Our model has a special TubClean cycle, but we havenÂt figured out how to run it, so today I called LG Customer Service to find out what weÂre doing wrong.

In addition to clarifying how to run the TubClean cycle, the Customer Service rep offered several other useful tips that I thought might be worth passing on.

1. The TubClean cycle. If you have this cycle on your model, the UserÂs Guide (at least, in ours) is woefully inadequate in its explanation. First, press the Power On button. Second, press and hold the TubClean button (same as the Extra Rinse button) for 3 seconds until the PreWash button light comes on. Third, add bleach to the bleach dispenser. Fourth, press the Start button. I ran this today and was stunned to notice a fair amount of suds sloshing around the drum. Since this cycle is run with only the bleach (no detergent, softener, or clothes), it appears that detergent residue was still in there. Normal washing might not remove all the detergent residue, so it seems to make sense to take these extra measures to keep the residue from building up. Also, as new FL owners, we might be using more detergent than is needed, so weÂll try to cut back a bit more.

2. WhirlOut. The LG web site recommends using WhirlOut periodically. It was originally made for spas and whirlpool baths; we found it at Home Depot. The CS rep said to use it every 3 months as follows: Start the TubClean cycle. Instead of adding bleach into the bleach dispenser, put 4 oz. of WhirlOut into the DRUM. Then press the Start button. If your model does not have a TubClean cycle, just use the hottest available cycle with WhirlOut in the drum.

3. Drain Pump Filter. The CS rep said to clean this filter monthly (the UserÂs Guide says nothing about frequency, and we had completely overlooked this step). I just did it and drained out 2 cups of water. ThereÂs also a pump filter that should be cleaned out as it traps lint and other foreign objects. Ours was pretty clean. Whole process took about 2 minutes. The CS rep said that this liquid sits there and provides moisture that fosters mildew.

The CS rep summarized as follows:

1. Leave the door open for about 15 minutes after every wash. Not necessary to wipe gaskets dry, although it certainly wouldn't hurt to do so.

2. Use WhirlOut every 3 months.

3. Drain and clean the pump filter every month.

I know that calling any Customer Service department can be a real hassle, and we have had our share of horror experiences with other appliances. However, this guy was absolutely super.

Anyway, FWIW, I thought the info I learned might be helpful to other LG washer owners, and possibly to FL owners of other brands, too.

Comments (18)

  • 17 years ago

    Be sure you use regular, cheap bleach - none of the no-splash, fancy scented ones. The no-splash ones will create a lot of suds, which may look like left-over soap.

    I would also leave the door open for more that 15 minutes. It takes much longer that that to dry out the gasket and the dispenser, which I also leave open a bit.

  • 17 years ago

    I leave mine open pretty much all the time. And the drawer if I remember.

  • 17 years ago

    We've had out LG WM2688 washer & DLG8388 gas dryer for about 9 months and no problems

    Service Manuals for most LG products

    LG service manuals

    http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/index.action

    http://www.repairclinic.com/

  • 16 years ago

    Just bumping this up to the top as it contains some very good information for any new LG owners out there.

    Janet

  • 16 years ago

    One LG owner here too. I don't do tub clean but I drain the bottom line and clean filter every couple of months. No sign of mildew or smell.
    Use only sanitary and hot cycles and extra rinses.
    CS, Persil,baking soda and vinegar.
    Leave the door open in between washes.

  • 16 years ago

    You know. I have a question. The drain pump ALWAYS has water in it..........Yes, we leave our dispensers and doors open to let the tub and the boot dry out but water will ALWAYS be in the drain pump.........What's to stop mildew from growing there? I never thought of that.

  • 16 years ago

    I personally never worried about the leftover water in the drain pump/filter. I think if the laundry is properly washed and rinsed, the water should be clean. Plus the vinegar in last rinse might help. I'm using FL for past 30 years and never had any problem w/mildew. I was told to use the hottest water possible for laundry and I believe that w/proper rinse it will not cause smells and mildew in the little leftover water or the drum or elswhere.
    My dishwasher has little water left on the bottom too-I air dry the dishes, and nothing smells b/c it was washed right and w/ hot water.
    It is no brainer. All the sweats, lotions,deodorants etc. and then the spot treatments,bleach and other chemicals like FS will not be washed away in warm (forget cold)water and without extra water to be rinsed properly.
    I would suggest to everybody who has any laundry problems to use the hottest water they can for a month. It will clean the tub inside too, skip bleach, add extra rinse or two and problem is solved.
    In europe we never experined smelly washers. Yes back then they used more water too but very hot water is number one ingredient.Number two-detergent choice and proper dosage.
    Hey I washed cloth diapers at home for my kids so I had some stains. Boiling them w/ detergent took care of it. And no bleach.I am alergic to it plus I can't stand the smell of bleach anyway.
    Now, not many people are washing diapers at home but HOT water is still important. Even if you soak your laundry first in cold, wash it in hot water or better yet sanitary cycle and add extra rinse.

  • 16 years ago

    Thank you so much for bringing this subject up again. I just had my new LGs delivered Friday and, even though I did my research on them first, need and want any advice I can get! This forum rocks!

  • 16 years ago

    I agree about the hot water. My Duet is almost 4 yrs old and it NEVER smells. The one repair I had to have on it was the circuit board (covered under warranty) and the repair guy that was replacing it said that my washer was the cleanest smelling front load washer..... he had seen a lot that were bad smelling that he had worked on. A) Don't over load. B) Hot water. C)right amt of detergent. D) extra rinse E) leave door open couple inches and dispenser drawer pulled out/or taken completely out and put on top of machine.

  • 16 years ago

    mark40511, you are absolutely right! I always feel I sound like broken record when I talk about washing laundry but just those simple steps will prevent any smells.

  • 16 years ago

    An additional point to mention:

    Thanks to everyone's advice on this forum, we learned many great tips that manuals either don't mention or they gloss over. Several posters have mentioned to empty the remaining water from the detergent dispenser in order to reduce the chance of mildew. Along with wiping down the gasket, leaving the door open, etc., we dutifully emptied the detergent dispenser (usually about a teaspoon or so of water left in there.)

    Only recently did we accidentally find that we can remove not only the dispenser that holds detergent, but the entire drawer that includes the detergent, bleach, and softener dispensers. And when we empty the entire drawer, we easily get a quarter cup of water. That's way more water than what's left around the gasket or on the inside of the door.

    This may have been mentioned in previous posts and we just missed it, but maybe mentioning it again might help a few more folks. Of course, we may just be the last folks in the universe to find this out! :)

  • 16 years ago

    No need to remove the water in the Dispenser Drawers if the Washing Machine will be used often (within a few days)

  • 16 years ago

    If I'm buying something that I know it will shrink, I buy bigger size. This goes basicaly for t-shirts, some jeans.

    I don't ever empy out the dispenser. The little water will not do anything. I don't even keep it open in between. I do take it out once a year and see if anything got build up under. So far no problem. The rubber gasket dries up quick without wipping, there isn't any standing water left after the wash. But every couple of months I wipe the inside, there is little lint in there dried up.I always leave the door open.
    I do drain and clean the bottom pump filter every few months. It collects lint and hair and it will get slimy if you let it go.
    I wipe the glass door from inside every now and than. The other day it had some dried up lint like film on it.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    I have an LG front loading washer from 2012 and it does not have a "Tub Clean" mode. Is there another way to get this done?

  • 8 years ago

    Run the longest, hottest cycle available (no prewash or soak) with either a dose of chlorine bleach or a washer cleaning product such as Affresh or Tide Washer Cleaner. No detergent.

    If using chlorine bleach, add it at the start to the main wash detergent cup, not to the designated bleach dispenser. Bleach dispensers release either toward the end of the wash period or into the first rinse.

  • 5 years ago

    i recently bought an LG front load 10.5 kgs washing machine and it does not have a bleach dispenser. How do i use bleach on my whites? Is it safe to put the bleach in the soap dispenser?

  • last year

    I am going to ttry whwhat you have mmentioned iin this post so i would like to tthank you vvery much