Troubleshooting:
Washer Cleaning

It’s laundry day. You’re ready to tackle it. But you realize there’s an odor coming from your washer. Or you take your clothes out of the washer and see some white streaks.

We’re here to help. Here are a few tips for keeping it fresh on laundry day.

Amana® washer with clothes spinning

Keep your washer fresh

The Clean Washer cycle should be run once a month, or every 30 washes. This cycle cleans by using higher water volumes in combination with affresh® washer cleaner or liquid chlorine bleach.

To run this cycle, place an affresh® Washer Cleaner tablet (or a cup of liquid chlorine bleach) in the bottom of your empty washer, and select the Clean Washer cycle. Press and hold the Start button to begin. After the Clean Washer cycle has stopped, run a Rinse & Spin cycle to rinse cleaner from washer.

Washer not cleaning or rinsing well

Fabric Softener
Fabric softener is great, but a little can go a long way. Make sure you select the Fabric Softener option when you use it. This allows more water into the cycle for a better rinse. Also try diluting it and adding it only to the rinse portion of the cycle.

Bleach
Undiluted chlorine bleach can damage any fabric it touches. Measure carefully to avoid damaging loads. To avoid accidental spotting, wipe down the dispenser and surrounding area after dispensing.

Person putting clothes into washer
Amana® washer and dryer pair with dryer door open
Interior of washer showing agitator

Water Temperature and Hoses
Make sure you’re using the right cycle – using the wrong temperature on certain garments can cause discoloration. For help with choosing the right cycle for each garment, see our chart on laundry care symbols here. If you’re using the right cycle and the water temperature still seems too warm, check your hoses. Hot and cold hoses being reversed can cause warmer rinse water.

Hard Water and Detergent
Detergent can soften hard water, but too much can leave clothes with residue. For best results, use an HE detergent and follow the manufacturer’s recommended detergent amounts.

Load Size
Make sure you’re not packing a large load too tightly. When items can’t move freely in the washer, they can be left with detergent residue. If a large load is particularly dirty, you may want to increase the wash time by pressing the Soil Level pad.

Still having cleaning issues?

You may need a professional repair. Or, if your appliance is more than 10 years old, it may be time for a replacement. Amana has great washers at a great value — check out the latest.