Black Marks on a Washing Machine Seal: Clean Them and Keep Them Away

Why the seal marks

Water sits in the fold of the seal after every wash, along with lint and a little detergent. When the door stays shut, it never dries. The dark lines that follow sit in the rubber itself, so wiping does not shift them.

What you need

Nothing special. The list is short, and most of it is waiting time.

• A dry towel and paper towels
• Our stain gel and its brush
• Rubber gloves
• Four to eight hours when the washer is not needed

Step by step

1. Pull the seal back and dry every fold with a towel. Gel slides off wet rubber.
2. Run a thick bead of gel along each dark line. Do not spread it thin: the thickness is what keeps it in contact.
3. Leave the door open and wait. Our bottles give 3 to 8 hours, depending on the one you have. Old marks like the longer end.
4. Brush lightly, then wipe the gel away with damp paper towels until none is left. Run a rinse or cleaning cycle before you wash clothes.

Stopping the marks coming back

Cleaning is half the job. The EPA is plain about the other half:

For a washer, that means leaving the door ajar after each wash, wiping the seal dry once a week, and pulling wet laundry out promptly.

When it is more than a seal

A washer seal is a small area. If you find damp and marks spreading across a wall or a floor, the job is bigger than any gel:

This guide is general information about cleaning. It is not medical, legal or safety advice.

Which bottle for a washer

The bottles below all work on a seal. The table uses our last price update.