Dirty Washing Machine Filter

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Not really directly HI related but I learned something I thought I’d share - Our washing machine is nine years old and we inherited it from the past owners when we bought a couple years ago. I’m pretty sure the filter had never been cleaned. My office is right around the corner from the laundry room and when the washer was running I started to notice a nasty smell. So, after a bit of “Googling” it turns out modern-day washing machines have filters that get all gunked up and start to stink. I should have taken a picture of mine but this one I found online is about what it looked like.

Different machines have different levels of complexity to access and clean the filter but it usually fairly easy. Of course, the YouTube video I found didn’t turn out to be my machine and when pulling the appliance off the wall and taking the back off I found that the filter is actually accessed from the front. However, removing the front looked like a crapload of work (control panel, door gasket, door hinges, etc.) so I just struggled a bit and did it from the back. The key is to be ready for how much water comes out when you remove the filter (turn off the supply, of course). I probably got around a gallon. Since I was going at it from the back I actually unhooked the rubber hose going into the pump as it was an easier place to put a pan than where the filter unscrews but in most cases you just need a low-profile casserole dish or similar.

Anyway, I can’t believe the difference it makes getting all the nasty hair and general crap cleaned away. I think it’s a byproduct of the low water usage of these newer washers. They recirculate a lot of water and run it through the filter. I imagine my clothes are getting a bit cleaner too.

Washing Machine Filter
Washing Machine Filter1068×1068 109 KB

8 Likes
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Looks like an LG design.

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@mfellman
Great information. Thanks for posting.

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not really a filter, its a drain trap, a filter would be on the inlet. You might want to clean that too. Take off the hoses and clean off the inlet screens. the stuff in the drain trap has nothing to do with your water quality in the washer. Just catches the stuff you might not want going down the drain, like money, jewelry etc. I clean mine out about every 6 months. Just make sure to put a towel down to catch all the water that might come out first as the little drain hose is usually not very long to drain into a bowl or dish.

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Here’s what mine looked like before I dumped American made washers for good and went with a European model:
image

On the Whirlpool site the part is called a “coin trap” and indeed I found some change in there. It’s to protect the motor : it’s not a filter at all.

That said it can accumulate crap and the vendors seem to make zero provision for ready access, and zero provision for catching the gunky water that will be found there.

The Meile and Bosh washers take things to a completely different level. The Meile is built for longevity, unlike the LG/Samsung and various brands supposedly made in the USA.

1 Like
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Yeah, I undid the rubber hose/boot leading into it as it was higher than the filter/catcher so I could get most of the water with a shallow foil pan. That way all I had to deal with was the roughly 6-8oz in the housing.

And yeah, the manufacturers sure don’t make it easy.