UltraFresh Front-Load Washer - Self-Clean Cycle

Front-Load Washers with the UltraFresh Vent System With OdorBlock™ have a Self Clean wash cycle to clean the basket of residue and odor. This cycle uses more water, in addition to bleach or a washing machine cleaner, to control accumulation of soils and detergent build-up in your Washer. It is easy to use, and should be run at least once a month or about every 40 wash cycles.

How to Clean the Interior of Your Washer

1. Remove any items from the wash basket. It needs to be empty when running the clean cycle.
2. Open the washer door and pour one cup (250 ml) of liquid bleach or other washing machine cleaner directly into the wash basket. If not using bleach, 1 cup (250 ml) of vinegar or a store bought washing machine cleaner can be used.
   • Note: SmartDispense does not dispense detergent for this cycle.
3. Close the door and select SELF CLEAN.
4. Press the Start pad. The cycle takes about 90 minutes and the display shows the estimated cycle time remaining.
   • Note: When the Self Clean cycle starts, it is normal to hear two quick engagements of the pump. The door then unlocks and relocks to satisfy a safety protocol. These quick engagements of the pump do not evacuate the liquid bleach that has been placed in the tub.
5. On some models, the Washer will automatically start an ULTRAFRESH VENT operation to dry the basket so that the door can remain closed until the next time you use the Washer.
6. If using bleach, we recommend running a RINSE & SPIN or a light color load after the Self Clean cycle.

Interrupting the Self Clean Cycle

It is best to let the Self Clean cycle run without interruption. However, if the cycle does need to be stopped, press the Start pad once to pause, and again to start it.

• If for any reason the cycle needs to be interrupted, the door will not open immediately. The door will open after the water is drained to a level where it would not flood the floor. Do not force the door open.
• If interrupted and it did not finish the cycle, run a complete Self Clean cycle before using the washer.
• If the Power pad is pressed during Self Clean, the cycle will be lost. A power outage in the house might also interrupt the cycle. When the power supply is back, the Self Clean cycle resumes where it had stopped.

What to Do If Suds Are Left in the Wash Basket After the Self Clean Cycle

It can be normal to see suds remaining in the wash basket after running Self Clean. If you are using SmartDispense, it does not add detergent to Self Clean. If you have a good deal of detergent build-up in or behind the wash basket, suds can be created just from the residue.

• To clear the suds (and leftover detergent residue), you may want to continue to run the Self Clean multiple times until you do not have suds forming.
• If this happens often, consider adjusting your detergent level. Many times owners use more detergent than needed to get clothes clean.
  • The Max line in the detergent compartment does not mean that you have to add that much. An effective amount is normally well under the Max line.
  • If you are using SmartDispense, change the selection from More down to Auto, or Auto down to Less.
• Make sure you are using a High-Efficiency (HE) detergent.

Additional Appliance Support

The Owner's Manual provides instructions for running the Self Clean cycle. It also provides directions for cleaning the outside and inside of the Washer, detergent drawer, under the door gasket, and the pump filter. We also recommend that you check your washer's water inlet hoses regularly. You will also find this in the Owner's Manual under the Care & Cleaning section.From a repair to a replacement, reach out to us for guidance along every appliance journey. We are here to help with every appliance need.