Winter Maintenance To Do: Clean Your Clothes Washer Water Line Filters

With cold weather and the holidays fast approaching, this month’s to-do list focuses on some of the less obvious, but very important, indoor cleaning and repair tasks to get your home in tip-top shape for holiday guests.  One of these is cleaning your washing machine water line filters.

What?  Well, water lines on washing machines have filters to prevent sediment from getting into the machine. If it seems like your washer is taking longer to fill up, clogged filters may be the culprit. It may be a little awkward to get to the washer water inlets; but once you do, cleaning water filters is quick and easy, here’s how.

To Clean Washer Water Line Filters:

  • Turn off the water supply valves, located in the supply box behind or beside your washer.
  • If possible, pull the washer out from the wall so that you can get behind it. If this isn’t feasible, you’ll need to reach over or behind the washer to get to the inlet lines.
  • Unscrew the supply lines from the washer, and locate the filters on the machine inlets.
  • Use a spray bottle and small, stiff brush to scrub away any dirt or debris on the filters.
  • Reconnect the water hoses, making sure the hot and cold lines are attached to the correct intakes.
  • Turn the water valves back on and check for leaks.

Done!  You’ve earned yourself a hot toddy.  Cheers!


Photo Credit:  Ljupco Smokovski / Shutterstock.com