I would first try bicarb & vinegar, then hydrogen peroxide indeed. Better still is prevention; after you’ve done a wash, dry the rubber seal and leave the door of the washing machine open at all times

Hydrogen peroxide to get off what is there and then oil of cloves to kill the mould spores. If you can take it off and out in the sun to dry out. Leave the door open after the load for a couple of hours so it doesn’t stay wet and shouldn’t happen again.

Thanks for asking this question and for the helpful answers; have a similar problem.

thanks for the tips – i will be trying this soon myself too

How did you go?

I had the same problem but as I use bi carb powder to clean a lot of my household items I made a paste and a soft cloth rubbed it in on the surface and then put some dry bi carb into my washing powder dispenser set it on a long wash and that way it cleaned it. this method always gets rid of a lot of soap build up in our washers….hope this is helpful for you.

Try hydrogen Oxide!!

If it’s definitely mold, hydrogen peroxide works well on mold without destroying rubber – my husband uses it to clean and sterilize the rubber on his welding respirator. You can buy hydrogen peroxide at the chemist or supermarket. Try to get the 6% strength – it is about $4 a bottle. If it doesn’t work on the mold on your front loader – take heart – it has plenty of other uses around the home. We use it for putting on wounds, treating gingivitis, sterilizing toothbrushes, misting in the air when people have bad colds, cleaning mold off bathroom surfaces and so on.

Hardware stores often sell products to kill and prevent mildew – Concrobium springs to mind, but there are probably other products.

Steam kills mold spores and shouldn’t damage the rubber seals unless they are already on the way out anyway. There’s a small machine you can buy which has a trigger and wand and creates steam – it can also be used to remove ice from the freezer, kill weeds and kill mold in bathrooms. Before you invest in the machine you could try steam from a kettle or steam iron so see if it works on this mold.

You could also try white spirit – it is a solvent used as a dry cleaning fluid and removes many hard to remove stains like chemipen and permanent markers as well as mold from surfaces like canvas and tents. You can buy White Spirit at the supermarket or hardware store.

Full strength dynamo (or similar liquid laundry detergent) might also work – dunk an old toothbrush into the dynamo and scrub away.

Have you contacted the manufacturer or the Customer Service Dept. of the Store you bought it from at all? I think it not only concerns the seal but may involve whatever that section of the door or frame is made of. Cleaners could cause damage to that part of the washing machine too.

vinegar and water works for me you might need to do it a few times depending on how mouldy it is

Vinegar or baking soda on a cloth and rub the stain. You will need to do it several times probably.
To keep it from reoccurring though you need to leave the door open after your last load so that the moisture can escape.
There are products available to do a clean on your washing machine too but I don’t think that will get rid of the mold totally either.

first get a soft cloth soaked in vinegar or lemon juice, rub firmly over all the affected areas, Clean with a clean cloth soaked in hot water.May need to do several times. when done make sure that the rubber surround stays soft by rubbing vaseline into the rubber and wiping with a soft dry cloth.

White vinegar and bicarb soda, also run a wash with vinegar in the water ( no cloths) from time to time as this cleans the machine ( WILL NOT DAMAGE) also washing soda or epsom salts is also great to clean machine ( will not damage) washing machine mechanics recommend all this as well. Good LUCK. 🙂

I had the same problem, most of the answers are what I have used, and yes, leave the door open after you have done the last load 🙂

will refer back to this page, answers will come in handy, thanks

I would try using Tea tree oil or Ecalyptus Oil it is really good for getting rid of anything sticky that won’t come off with conventional cleaning products.

I’d use Bleach to kill it and then vinegar with some lemon juice and bi carb to remove it (in both cases spray on and let it sit for a while before wiping off. As one of the other mum’s said – adding vinegar to the wash cycle is good for both the clothes and your machine’s cleanliness.

Have you tried using eucalyptus oil? I also find Jiff cream is great for getting hard stains and mould out. Hope this helps jeannie bliss

I also had this problem with my previous washing machine and found white vinegar and bicarb works the best. Put both on a damp cloth over a butter knife or similar and wiper around the rubber seal inside and out. I now have a new front loader and after following advice of leaving the door open and wiping around the seals with a dry cloth after each load it is mould free.

Try cleaning vinager. I have used it to clean mold and it works great. Also helps prevent and slow down it coming back on things like washing machine seals.