Where to put detergent in a washing machine: front-load, top-load and pods
Liquid, powder, pods, softener and bleach: which slot takes what on front-load and top-load washers, from the makers' own support pages and manuals.
Not sure which slot takes what? It’s easy to get wrong: layouts vary by model, says LG. And if the washer already smells or the drawer is gunked up, the slot or the dose can be part of it.
Where each product goes: front-load and top-load, by maker
| Washer | Detergent (liquid or powder) | Pods | Softener | Liquid chlorine bleach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LG front-load | Main wash; fit the liquid cup (if any) for liquid | Drum, before laundry; no more than 1 | Softener slot, never straight into the drum | Slot marked liquid bleach; no color-safe there |
| LG top-load | Main wash; take the liquid tray out for powder | Not in the drawer; no more than 1 (LG doesn’t say before or after clothes; see manual) | Softener slot | Bleach slot, front left corner |
| Samsung front- and top-load (not Flex Wash) | Liquid cup in the main compartment; cup out for powder | Drum, before clothes | Softener compartment, under MAX | Insert on some models; some have no drawer slot for it |
| Whirlpool front-load (single-load drawer) | HE compartment; selector down for liquid, up for powder (Load & Go models: see your manual) | Drum, before laundry; never a dispenser | Softener compartment | Bleach compartment; it can’t dilute powdered bleach |
| Whirlpool top-load HE (corner dispensers) | Detergent dispenser, measured | Drum, before laundry; never a dispenser | Softener dispenser; no powder | Liquid chlorine only; no powdered, color-safe or Oxi |
| GE GTW720/725 top-load | Right side of the drawer | Laundry Pack Dispenser cup | Left side of the drawer | Bleach dispenser, front left corner |
Not listed? Check your labels and manual.
Where do pods go?
Samsung, Whirlpool and LG (for its front-loaders) say to put the pod in before the clothes, and Tide, which makes the pods, says the same. Whirlpool’s front-load drawer page and GE’s GTW720/725 manual say a pod in the detergent dispenser won’t release properly. The exception is a pod cup: GE’s manual for those two models says to put packets in the Laundry Pack Dispenser cup.
How many? LG says no more than one per load in its washers. Tide says two for standard loads “and customize from there.” Our call: on an LG, follow LG; on anything else, the manual first, then the pack. GE’s manual for those models warns that too many can leave residue; our reading is that residue is part of the smell.
Agitator top-loader, or not using the dispenser?
On Speed Queen’s top-loaders, the softener dispenser lifts off the agitator, and Speed Queen says “liquid fabric softener residue can build up in the dispenser.” On other agitator machines, check your manual. To clean that cup, see the softener dispenser.
GE’s manual for its GTW720 series top-loaders (a ManualsLib copy) says that if you’re not using a dispenser, add “the manufacturer’s recommended amount of detergent to the top of the load after adding clothes,” with packets in the bottom of the basket first. Then read why the dose matters.
Prewash, softener crystals and color-safe bleach
- Prewash. Detergent for the prewash option, if your drawer has one. LG says to use half the main-wash amount there on its front-loaders.
- Softener crystals. GE’s manual for its GTW720 and GTW725 says crystals won’t dispense properly from the drawer.
- Bleach. Liquid chlorine bleach only in the bleach slot; color-safe bleach depends on the machine. LG, and Whirlpool’s top-load corner dispensers, take it in the detergent slot with detergent of the same type, while Whirlpool’s page for its single-load front-load drawer says not to add it to dispensers. Follow your manual or the maker’s page for your model. GE’s manual for its GTW720 and GTW725 says not to use liquid chlorine bleach and a laundry pretreatment, such as an Oxi product, in the same load. Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners, or run one straight after the other. Cleaning the machine? Read which to run first.
Wrong slot, too much detergent and HE: why it matters
Samsung says going past the MAX line in any compartment, or adding liquid without its insert, sends the additive straight into the tub, and “This will cause stained clothes, residue buildup, dispensing issues, and odors.” LG’s detergent page, Whirlpool’s dispenser pages and the dispenser instructions in GE’s manual say an overfilled compartment can dispense too early; none of them mentions smell.
LG’s odor page for its top-loaders gives “2 Tablespoons of detergent, or 1 Tablespoon if concentrated,” and notes that “High efficiency washers use significantly less water.” LG, Samsung and Whirlpool say to use HE detergent in their HE machines, and GE’s GTW720 manual recommends it. How leftover detergent turns musty: see too much detergent.
Next step, by what you’re seeing
- Gunk or standing water in the drawer: clean the drawer, its housing and the siphon cap.
- Clothes smell but the machine doesn’t: check for too much detergent.
- Top-loader smells: see where it hides the gunk.
- Front-loader smells: start with the door gasket.
- Smell keeps coming back weeks after a clean: read why the smell comes back.
No smell yet? Let the drawer dry and leave the door or lid open.