How to Clean an LG Front Load Washer Using Tub Clean

The first time our LG flashed “tcL” at me, I assumed it was an error code and that the washer had picked a terrible week to die. I stood there with damp towels on my hip, reading three letters like a ransom note.

Nothing was broken. It was asking to be cleaned, which is a request I can respect. LG front loaders have a built-in Tub Clean cycle, and LG’s own notes on how to clean LG front load washer models made the job much less mysterious.

If your washer is a Samsung rather than an LG, I have a separate guide on how to clean a Samsung front load washer and how to use Self Clean correctly.

What tcL on an LG washer actually means

On many LG front loaders, tcL is just a reminder. LG’s front loader tub cleaning instructions say to run Tub Clean after every 30 uses of the washer, or whenever the display shows tcL.

The same letters also stay on the screen while Tub Clean is running, which confused me a second time a few weeks later. Thirty loads goes fast in a house with two kids, sports uniforms, and the towels my husband insists were “barely used.”

Tub Clean is a dedicated maintenance cycle that soaks, washes, rinses and spins an empty drum to break down detergent buildup, fabric softener residue and other film. It is designed for an empty washer only, never for a load of laundry.

So if tcL appears, nothing needs fixing. The washer is simply keeping count better than I do. On ours, it shows up roughly every five or six weeks.

How often LG recommends running Tub Clean

I wanted LG’s own numbers for an LG washer tub clean rather than the ones floating around cleaning forums. LG’s help library article on cleaning the tub recommends a monthly Tub Clean and suggests cleaning the pump filter, dispenser, inlet filters and gasket at the same time.

I treat the monthly run and the TCL reminder as whichever comes first. I tried weekly runs once and noticed no difference.

That timing also lines up pretty well with how often you should clean your washing machine, although the exact schedule depends on how heavily you use it.

What to add to your LG washer for Tub Clean

LG’s general advice is to use a washing machine tub cleaner and follow the directions on its package. Where it goes depends on its form, and this is exactly where I once dropped a tablet into the wrong spot.

• Powder: take out the liquid detergent cup if your drawer has one, then pour the amount on the package into the main wash compartment.
• Liquid tub cleaner: pour it into the liquid cup in the main wash compartment.
• Tablet: place it directly in the empty drum, never in the drawer.

Our old Whirlpool also took an Affresh tablet directly in the drum, but its cycle had a different name. I explained the full routine in my guide on how to clean a Whirlpool washer.

LG’s Tub Clean video tutorial also lists liquid bleach as an option, loaded into the compartment labeled for liquid bleach. Its front loader guidance, though, recommends an oxygen bleach tub cleaner and warns that cleaners producing excessive foam may cause leaks.

I learned that the hard way, when an off-brand cleaner left a puddle under the door and I briefly mourned the pump.

What I keep out of the washer during Tub Clean

I love a cheap fix, but the washer is where my experimenting stops. The internet is full of “a cup of this plus a cup of that” recipes, and LG’s instructions are much narrower.

LG’s detergent and additive guide says the bleach compartment takes liquid chlorine bleach only, and never above the max line. Color-safe bleach does not belong there, liquid or powder.

Laundry stays out too, because Tub Clean is for an empty drum. In our laundry room, one bottle of chlorine bleach lives on the top shelf, and nothing color-safe sits within reach of the drawer.

Never use chlorine bleach and vinegar together. LG’s own cleaning instructions say to choose one or the other, and mixing bleach with acids can release toxic chlorine gas.

If you are torn between bleach and a dedicated cleaner, I am working through when to use bleach to clean your washing machine in its own post.

Running an LG washer tub clean, step by step

1. Empty the drum completely, including the lone sock hiding at the back.
2. Add the cleaner where its form belongs, as described above.
3. Close the dispenser drawer and the door.
4. Select Tub Clean with the dial or button, then press Start/Pause.
5. When it finishes, open the door and the drawer so the inside can dry.

On some models, the cycle runs hot. LG’s front loader support notes for Hong Kong say Tub Clean holds the water at about 140°F, using the washer’s own heater when hot water is not supplied, and adds steam on steam models. That is one more reason my kids stay away from the door until it unlocks.

The first time I ran it, I opened the door too early and got a face full of warm, faintly chemical steam. Now I wait for the lock to click off. Afterward, if your model came with a magnetic door holder, use it to keep the door slightly open.

How to clean LG front load washer gaskets by hand

Tub Clean is good at the drum. It cannot fish out whatever is wedged in the gasket groove at six o’clock, which is where LG tells you to look first. Ours has produced hair ties, a Lego wheel, and a sock that had clearly been on vacation. After a week of beach towels last summer, that fold also held a gritty line of sand.

For the rubber itself, LG’s tub cleaning article suggests diluting 3/4 cup of liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of warm or hot water, or using vinegar instead if you prefer. Wipe the surface, then pull the lip back and clean underneath it.

For a closer look at the bottom fold, see my front load washer gasket method for debris removal and care of the narrow creases.

Did you know? LG warns against wiping the gasket with undiluted bleach, because full-strength bleach can make the rubber deteriorate over time. I wear gloves, open the laundry room window, and finish with a cloth dampened in plain water.

Cleaning the detergent drawer

The drawer is the part I ignored for years, and I am a little embarrassed about that. LG points out that tiny debris you can barely see can stop the drawer from dispensing properly and make a compartment overfill and leak.

To remove it, pull the drawer out until it stops, press the tab between the bleach and softener compartments, and slide the tray free. Take out the inserts and scrub every piece with warm water and a soft brush, including the underside of the tray.

Then shine a flashlight into the empty housing and wipe it down before anything goes back. The first time I did this, the ceiling of that cavity had a gray, gummy film that explained a smell I had been blaming on the drain for months.

If that residue starts to break apart, you may also see black flakes in the drum or on clothes after a wash.

Now I pull it every other Tub Clean and let the pieces dry on a dish towel.

Cleaning the drain pump filter on LG models

Only LG front loaders and washer-dryer combos have this filter. LG’s drain pump filter instructions recommend cleaning it monthly, and sooner if draining slows or the display shows an OE code.

1. Turn the washer off and unplug it.
2. Open the service panel on the lower left.
3. Unclip the small drain hose without pulling it out too far, remove its cap, and drain the water into a shallow pan.
4. Twist the filter counterclockwise to remove it.
5. Scrub it with a soft brush under warm water, never in the dishwasher, and clean the opening.
6. Recap the hose and screw the filter back in until it stops turning.

Put towels down first. Ours once returned three coins and an earring back, along with more water than the pan could hold.

What I do now when tcL comes back

These days, tcL does not scare me. I check the six o’clock fold, pull the drawer, drain the pump filter into the same old baking pan, and only then add the cleaner and start Tub Clean.

The whole routine takes less time than folding one load, and I jot the date on a sticky note inside the cabinet above the washer.

Before you buy a cleaner, look up your model on LG’s manuals and documents page, because cycle names and drawer layouts vary between models. Then, when the cycle beeps, leave the door and the drawer open overnight so the machine can finally dry out.