A washing machine does not clean itself. It is warm and damp most of the time, and detergent residue, body oils and lint build up in the places water sits: the drum, the seal, the dispenser and, on a front loader, the pump filter. Left alone, that build-up is what makes a load come out smelling worse than it went in.
Fisher & Paykel machines make this easier than most, because nearly all of them have a dedicated cleaning cycle built in. Top loaders call it BOWL CLEAN, front loaders call it DRUM CLEAN, and the machine prompts you when it is due. What follows is F&P's own guidance, plus the parts of the job the cycle does not reach.
Use a machine cleaner, not a scoop of detergent
This is the instruction that has changed. Older F&P guides told owners to tip powdered detergent into the dispenser and run the cleaning cycle. Current F&P support says to use a premium washing machine cleaner and follow the directions on its packet, both for the top loader bowl clean and the front loader drum clean.
The difference matters because the two products do different jobs. Detergent is built to lift soil off fabric in a full load. A machine cleaner is built to break down the biofilm and detergent scum on the drum, the outer tub and the hoses, where there is no fabric to scrub against.
How to clean a Fisher & Paykel top loader
Top loaders are the simpler of the two. There is no pump filter to unscrew, and on F&P's CleanSmart models the lint is separated from the water during the wash rather than collected in a trap you clean out.
1. Run the bowl clean cycle. Add a washing machine cleaner as directed on the packet, select BOWL CLEAN and start it. F&P's machines flag the cycle when it is due, so the prompt is the schedule.
2. Turn the machine off at the wall and close the taps. Do this before you put your hands inside it. Closing the taps is standard F&P advice for any time the machine is not in use, because a burst inlet hose floods a laundry very quickly.
3. Wipe the bowl dry and look for what the cycle missed. Marks left behind after a clean cycle usually mean it is due more often, not that the cycle failed.
4. Clean the dispensers. The drawer wipes out with a damp cloth. On most top loaders the compartments are not fully removable, but the tops of the wash boost and fabric softener dispensers lift off, which is enough to get at the residue underneath.
5. Wipe the outside with a soft damp cloth only. Household cleaners and solvents mark the paint and the control panel.
How to clean a Fisher & Paykel front loader
Front loaders smell more often than top loaders because the door seal traps water and lint in the fold at the bottom, where nothing dries out.
1. Run the drum clean cycle. Put a washing machine cleaner in the main wash compartment of the dispenser drawer, select DRUM CLEAN and start it. The cleaning icon flashes when the machine wants one.
2. Wipe the door, the seal and the seal catchment. F&P is specific about this: wipe the seal, remove any lint or debris from the catchment at the bottom of it, and wipe out any water sitting there. Their own troubleshooting names an uncleaned catchment as a cause of odour.
3. Clean the pump filter. This is front loaders only. Unhook the small drain hose beside the filter and let the water run into a shallow dish, then turn the filter anticlockwise to remove it, rinse it under the tap and refit it lined up with the marks on the housing. A blocked pump filter is also what throws most drainage fault codes, so it is worth doing monthly whether or not the machine smells. F&P publish a video walkthrough of the job on their support site.
4. Rinse the dispenser drawer. Wipe it regularly, and pull it right out every so often to rinse the residue away under the tap.
5. Leave the door ajar between washes. This is the single habit that prevents the problem rather than treating it. F&P add a safety note worth repeating: keep children and pets away from an open washer.
What actually causes the smell
F&P's own troubleshooting lists three causes, and only one of them is the machine being dirty.
Too little detergent, or the wrong one. Under-dosing leaves soil in the machine instead of carrying it out with the water. F&P suggest using a good detergent at the dose on the label for your load size, trying a higher dose, or alternating between detergents, since different products use different chemistry and a change can shift a smell a single product has left behind.
Washing everything cold. Cold cycles save power and are kinder to clothes, but they never get hot enough to clear the oily film that builds up inside the machine. A regular warm or hot wash keeps it in check.
Debris and mould on the door seal. Covered above, and the most common of the three on a front loader.
What not to do
Vinegar is not in Fisher & Paykel's guidance. It is the internet's default answer and it appears nowhere in theirs. Vinegar is an acid, and the machine's seals, hoses and gaskets are rubber and plastic; the risk is slow degradation rather than instant damage, which is exactly the kind of harm that is hard to connect back to the cause. A washing machine cleaner costs a few dollars and is the product F&P name.
Do not use bleach on the agitator or the drum. Bleach in contact with the machine's metal parts causes staining and corrosion, and no F&P instruction calls for it.
Do not leave metal objects in the drum. Coins, hair clips and underwire will rust where they sit and mark the drum permanently.
FAQ
How often should I run the cleaning cycle?
When the machine asks. F&P's machines count washes and light the cleaning icon when a clean is due, which is the schedule they intend you to follow. If it smells before the prompt, the cycle can be run at any time.
Can I use a washing machine cleaner tablet instead of a liquid?
Yes. F&P's instruction is a premium washing machine cleaner used according to its own packet, which covers tablets, powders and liquids alike.
My top loader has no pump filter. Have I missed something?
No. The pump filter is a front loader part. On a CleanSmart top loader the lint is separated out during the wash and goes down the drain with the water, so there is nothing to empty.
Who services Fisher & Paykel in Australia?
Haier. F&P has been part of the Haier group since 2012, and F&P's Australian support pages book service through Haier's Australian operation.
