The problem
Detergent and fabric softener don’t all rinse away. Over months, the leftover residue builds into a sticky, sometimes waxy layer on the drum, in the detergent drawer and along the internal pipes. This build-up traps dirt and bacteria, feeds mould, causes odour, and eventually leaves white or grey marks on your clothes. Clearing it — and then dosing correctly — keeps the machine fresh.
Why build-up happens
- Overdosing: using more detergent than needed leaves the excess behind.
- Cold, short washes: not enough heat or water to dissolve and flush detergent away.
- Thick fabric softener: neat softener congeals into gunk in the drawer and pipes.
- Hard water: minerals combine with detergent to form a scummy deposit.
Step-by-step: clearing the build-up
- Clean the detergent drawer. Remove it, soak it in hot water, and scrub every channel and the siphon cap. Clean the recess it sits in too.
- Wipe the drum and seal. On a front-loader, pull back the rubber gasket and wipe out sticky residue with a vinegar-and-water cloth.
- Run a hot empty wash with vinegar. Add 250 ml white vinegar to the drum and run the hottest cycle to dissolve residue in the drum and pipes.
- Follow with baking soda (optional). Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in the drum and run a second hot rinse to neutralise odour.
- Wipe dry and leave the door and drawer open.
How to prevent it coming back
- Measure detergent to the dose on the pack — adjust for load size and water hardness.
- Dilute fabric softener, or skip it and use a splash of white vinegar in the softener compartment instead.
- Run an occasional hot wash (60°C+) rather than always washing cold.
- Descale regularly in hard-water areas.
- Leave the door and drawer ajar to dry between washes.
Build-up shows up first in the drawer — see how to clean the detergent drawer. It’s also the usual cause of white marks on clothes, and a full clean is covered in our drum and filter guide.
When to call a technician
Severe build-up can clog the internal hoses and the pressure chamber that tells the machine how much water is inside, causing odd water-level behaviour or errors. If a deep clean doesn’t fix these symptoms, an engineer can flush or replace the affected hoses.