How easy is it to change a washing machine seal?

[MaggieFS]

My washing machine seal is flipping disgusting. I hate it. I've tried cleaning it, I wipe it dry after every wash and it's still grim.

Can I replace it myself? I'm worried it's an impossible job and I'll regret trying.

Search on YouTube and find a step by step guide?

@Mariell

Search on YouTube and find a step by step guide?

Well yes, but easier to ask mn

They vary quite a lot by make and model, I think. Some just pop out with a screwdriver, others you have to take half the machine apart to get to the door seal from the inside. Hence the Youtube suggestion -- there might be a useful video for your exact machine, or at least the right make.

I would chuck some bleach on it, leave for a while then clean off,

Well, my dad mended washing machines for 40 ish years and the majority of his emergency calls were to machines where the owner had tried to replace the door boot themselves. Unless you know the trick of it you need three or four hands.

YouTube is a good idea, bit try and get the right manufacturer as they can be quite different and need a different angle of attack.

Good luck.

No no Bloody stupid... Never do that. The door boot doesn't need the machine to be taken apart, ever!

I sorted mine by soaking some old cloths in bleach and then leaving them inside the seal over night. It got rid of all the black gunk and I just put the cloths in the machine on a boil wash

@CuriousaboutSamphire See this is why folk like your dad are worth their weight in gold!

I can service a car myself, and take a mechanical watch apart and put it back together again, but show me a washing machine and I'm clueless.

Although when the repair man came and changed the seal on my previous machine (Neff) he did take the top off the machine to do it, dosing drawer out and so on. Maybe it was easier to get a grip on it or something, 'cos it was just him on his own. I wasn't watching him that closely though so maybe he was doing this to check over other parts of the machine.

@BIoodyStupidJohnson

They vary quite a lot by make and model, I think. Some just pop out with a screwdriver, others you have to take half the machine apart to get to the door seal from the inside. Hence the Youtube suggestion -- there might be a useful video for your exact machine, or at least the right make.

This.

Our old one (a Zanussi) was the latter version, so I'm glad I discovered this before actually going through with it. Luckily the bearings started failing before I actually got as far as going through with it and it was replaced by an AEG, where removal of the door seal looks much simpler.

Dh did ours once when it got caught on something and got a little nick and started leaking.

He managed to do it but I heard a lot of swearing and it took several hours. If its just dirty but not damaged I'd rather try and clean it.

Clean it instead, keep wiping, hot was with vocals and lemon and wipe again. Have you cleaned the actual filter but, that can Chuck stuff back out?

HG mould spray should sort it. Spray on, wait, wipe off. Then shove a load of old stuff through or use the cleaning cycle, if your machine is new enough to have one.

And yes, try the filter.

Thanks all. I've watched a good video and it's a hell of a lot more involved than I'd hoped but it does look possible.

I'll try again at cleaning it but use bleach. I've not done that yet as it says not to use on rubber, but I at the stage where I've got nothing to lose. @Davina69 good idea to try some old rags soaked in bleach.

@idontlikealdi good reminder the filter probably does need doing.