How to Clean and Unclog Your Washer's Drain

When your washer has finished a cycle, do you notice standing water, bad odors, or sopping wet clothes? A clogged washer drain will cause those things to happen, and finding the root cause of the clog is the most important aspect to clearing it. Effectively cleaning and unclogging your washer may require you to disassemble parts of your washer, like the drain filter, the drain hose, or in the drain pipe. You can follow this guide as we explain why the clog is happening, how to tell where it is, what tools and materials you need, and then how to effectively clear it!

Why is Your Washer Drain Backing Up?

Any appliance with a drain pump can experience a clog of some sort. Washer drains, however, deal with many more variables in the form of items that you leave in your clothes pockets. Those small items can get caught in the drain of your washing machine's drain filter, drain hose, or drain pipe, and cause all of the dirt and debris from your clothes to buildup with excessive detergent and fabric softener and eventually cause a clog. Different washer models have different types of filters and filter locations, and because each home is different, your drain and its plumbing layout will also differ. But we will ensure you have the knowledge to find out what's causing your washer's clog and clear it!

How to Tell What in Your Washer is Clogged

As previously mentioned, finding the root cause of your washer's clog is the crucial piece of information you need to unclog it. There's no definitive way to understand whether your washer is experiencing a clog in one place and not another, but by inspecting its parts you can come to understand what is causing it. Note: If your washer displays any error codes, be sure to look them up in your washer's user manual, so you have a more clear understanding of what's going on in your machine, and to avoid bigger issues and further damage.

How to Tell if Your Washer's Coin Trap/Drain Filter is Clogged

• Your washer isn't fully draining, and there's standing water left after the cycle is finished.
• Rattling noises coming from the location of the coin trap/drain filter.
• Washer drains slowly and overall cycle takes longer.
• Clothes are extremely damp and smell musty when the cycle is over.
• Soap residue is left on clothes when they're removed after the cycle is finished.

How to Tell if Your Washer's Drain Hose is Clogged

• Gurgling and bubbling noises coming from the hose and drain pipe.
• Bad odors emanating from the drain.
• Cycle ends with the tub filled with water and clothes are still wet.
• Water is leaking onto the floor near the washing machine.

How to Unclog Your Washer's Drain Filter

The drain filter is the first place you would visit to check and inspect for a clog, because it's designed to be accessed and cleaned easily. Inspecting your drain filter for excess lint, dirt, and gunk is essential to getting it clean, and unclogging your washer's drain.

What is a Washer Filter and Where is it Located?

Emptying your pockets out before putting your clothes in the washer is an important task, but sometimes items can get missed. Luckily, the filter in your washer, also known as a coin trap, is a device that is used to prevent small objects like coins or keys from entering the drain pump and damaging it. However, this filter can become severely clogged if not cleaned regularly. It's recommended to clean your washer's filter once every 3 months, or more if you average more than 1 wash a day.

The location of the filter in your washer will depend on the make and model of it, but there are are a few common locations to check on top-load and front-load washers. Newer model machines have easier to access filters, and in most cases they're easy to find. But if your washer doesn't have a filter in the following locations, we recommend using your washer's model number to find specific diagrams for it.

Common Filter Locations for Top-Load Washers:

• Inside the agitator at the center of the washer drum.
• Older models will likely have the filter underneath the agitator.
• Along the top rim or wall of the drum.

Common Filter Locations for Front-Load Washers:

• At the end of the drain hose.
• Behind the access panel at the lower front portion of the appliance.

What You Need to Unclog a Washer's Drain Filter

• Distilled white vinegar or Bleach
• Boiling water
• Drain snake/auger
• Screwdriver
• Bowl
• Towels
• Mild soap

How to Remove and Clean a Front-Load Washer's Drain Filter

A clog in your front-load washer's drain filter means it will begin to drain slower, leave standing water in the tub, and not fully wash your clothes.

1. Start by pouring a half cup of bleach or distilled white vinegar in the dispenser drawer, and running a short cycle with warm water and no clothes in the washer. You can also use a store-bought cleaner.
2. During the washing cycle, listen for abnormal noises or sounds, or anything out of the ordinary (i.e. rattling, water leaking, etc.).
3. When the cycle ends, turn off the washer and disconnect it from the wall outlet.
4. Open the door and note any standing water.
5. Locate the coin trap/drain filter. If your model doesn't have a filter in the front portion, skip to the Drain Hose section.
6. Put a bowl and towel down underneath the opening to the filter.
7. If your model has a tube for excess gunk and lint, loosen and drain it into the bowl, and then close it.
8. Rotate and remove the drain filter with the bowl underneath, and then clean it with warm water and mild soap.
9. Before using your washer again, ensure the drain filter and tube are properly seated and secured.

How to Clean and Unclog a Top-Load Washer Drain Filter

Top-load washing machines normally employ a filter that, like front-load washers, can become built-up with gunk and other debris. When this happens, you will notice longer cycle times and water left at the bottom of the washer's drum.

1. Start by pouring a half cup of bleach, distilled white vinegar, or a store-bought cleaner in the dispenser. Run a short cleaning cycle with warm water and no clothes in the washer.
2. When the cycle is over, open the washer's lid and note any standing water.
3. Inspect the top of the lid or drum wall for a filter. If none are there, locate the filter in the agitator.
4. Depending on when your washer was made, you should simply be able to rotate and lift the filter out of the agitator to clean.
5. However, if your model was made before 2001, you will want to rotate the agitator until a securing nut appears.
6. Take a socket wrench to unthread the nut and remove it, then lift the agitator out. Below should be a filter which can be removed and cleaned.
7. Ensure the filter is cleaned properly with mild soap and warm water before you reinstall it and use your washer again.

How to Unclog Your Washer’s Drain Hose

A clogged washer drain hose can translate to water backing up into to the washer drum, foul odors, and water even leaking into your home. Ensuring it's cleaned and free of clogs will allow you to wash your clothes with assurance and ease.

What You Need to Unclog a Washer's Drain Hose

• Distilled white vinegar
• Baking soda
• Boiling water
• Drain snake/auger
• Screwdriver
• Bathtub or Bucket
• Towels
• Flashlight (if necessary)
• Wrench (if necessary)

Steps for Unclogging a Washer's Drain Hose

1. Turn off and and disconnect the water lines and power to your washer.
2. Remove the washer from the wall and pull it into an open space. Now, inspect the drain hose for any kinks or damage. If it's damaged, ensure you replace it with a new one.
3. Place towels around your washer, and then using a screwdriver and/or wrench and pliers, disconnect the drain hose from the washer. This may require you to access the drain hose in the same panel as the drain filter.
4. With the drain hose disconnected from your washer, ensure it's disconnected from your home as well and inspect it for any filters on either end. If it has a filter, remove it and clean it with warm water and soap.
5. Put your drain hose in a bathtub or large bucket, and carefully pour 4-5 cups of boiling water into it.
6. Once the water has fully flushed, pour a half cup of basking soda into the hose and shake it slightly to ensure its fully coated inside.
7. Then, pour 1 full cup of vinegar into the hose and wait until the mixture stops bubbling. This may take a few minutes.
8. Once again, rinse with 4-5 cups of boiling water.
9. With the hose's interiors loosed, insert a drain snake into the hose and crank the handle until the clog is found and removed. Retract the cable to dislodge to clog.
10. Reconnect the drain hose to your washer but do not yet connect it back within your home.

How to Unclog Your Washer's Drain Pipe

The drain pipe in your home is essential to the waste water management of your washer and other appliances. But drain pipes can get clogged on their own, and when that occurs your washer will experience draining issues and water will get backed up into it.

What You Need to Unclog a Washer's Drain Pipe

• Distilled white vinegar
• Baking soda
• Boiling water
• Drain snake/auger
• Flashlight (if necessary)

Steps for Unclogging a Washer's Drain Pipe

1. With the drain hose removed, inspect your home's drain pipe and plumbing. Use a flashlight if necessary.
2. If any gurgling or bubbling noises occurred during the draining process of your washer from the drain pipe, there is a chance it's clogged.
3. If you suspect there's a clog in it, you can follow the same process as before and pour warm water, baking soda, and vinegar into it before dislodging any clogs with a drain snake.

Once you've inspected your drain pipe, hose, and filter, you can reconnect your washer's drain hose, water lines, and power, to reassemble your washer. After it's all together and turned on, run a quick test cycle and see if any of the previous symptoms you were experiencing return. If they do, you likely have to replace the drain pump itself or contact a repair technician to diagnose your washer.

How to Prevent Clogs in Your Washer’s Drain

It's impossible to guarantee that you washer won't get clogged again, but there are ways you can maintain your washing machine to avoid experiencing another clog.

• Clean Your Filter: Every 6 months, or depending on how often you run your washer, you will need to clean the filter. This means removing it and inspecting your washer overall for gunk and dirt.
• Inspect the Drain Hose: For many people, the drain hose can get kinked when the washer is pushed into place in your laundry room. Make sure before every wash that the drain hose isn't pushed and kinked into a small area, and has room to allow the waste water to exit.
• Washer Issues: Along with making sure your washer can drain properly, take note of any issues your washer has and address them then and there. Leaving your washing machine with problems for longer and create larger and more complex situations that your future self will have to deal with, and likely pay more to fix.

And now that your washer is clog free, your clothes and home will thank you! Now that you know how to keep your washer clog-free, you understand why it's so important and you get to enjoy the benefits of a fully operational washing machine. If you want to enjoy the benefits of our other PartSelect blog articles, you can find other helpful guides for your home's appliances and interesting DIY activities to do in your home!