In this guide
TL;DR: Follow an unused washer's restart instructions before laundry. Check for visible damage or leaks and use its prescribed program. A compatible cleaner belongs in a separate residue-care cycle.
Was it left connected or put into storage?
Start with its storage history. Were the water supplies turned off, hoses disconnected or the washer moved? Could the room have frozen? Those answers point to the right manual section.
Look under non-use, vacation care, storage or reinstalling. A washer that was moved also needs its installation instructions. Keep the cabinet assembled and get help with uncertain connections. The fill-hose inspection guide covers visible wear and damp fittings without treating a cleaning cycle as a leak test.
For front-load washers covered by Whirlpool manual W11735098A, relocation requires setup by a certified technician and service to install new transport bolts. Match such requirements to your own washer before moving it.
A damaged cord, a leaking connection or water near an outlet needs attention before a powered run. Stay away from wet electrical connections and leave the washer unused while you arrange the appropriate appliance or plumbing help.
If the home's hot-water system, not just the washer, has been unused for two weeks or longer, Whirlpool's safety instructions require running all hot-water faucets for several minutes before washer use. Hydrogen may accumulate and is explosive; do not smoke or use open flames while the water runs.
Read the restart section before choosing a cycle
Whirlpool's top-load storage guidance gives a specific example. After the required installation and reconnection steps, it calls for a Bulky/Sheets cycle with Deep Water Wash and HE detergent at half the detergent maker's recommended amount for a medium load. Use that procedure only for a washer covered by those instructions.
Follow the complete procedure, including flushing and setup. A similarly named program on another machine does not establish which additives yours permits.
Cold storage needs a separate decision
GE warns that freezing can permanently damage a washer. Its storage and winterizing guidance recommends 24 hours at room temperature before returning a washer that sat in a cold environment all winter to operation. That waiting period does not establish whether a machine was damaged.
Ask the maker about unknown freezing exposure or winterizing liquid before use. Keep washer cleaner out of unidentified liquid.
Where residue cleaning fits
Once the required restart procedure is complete and the washer works normally, check its ordinary care instructions. Whirlpool's interior-care guidance describes a separate Clean Washer program and directs owners to clean the dispenser by the manual. A restart wash does not automatically finish every accessible-part job.
Sticky material in a drawer needs its approved drawer cleanup. On a front loader, trapped lint and moisture have their own door-seal care. Use only the parts and methods your model allows.
GOHALL Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets address detergent residue, mineral buildup and odor-causing buildup in compatible washers that allow a tablet cleaner. They belong in a separate empty treatment, used alone without laundry detergent or another cleaner. The empty-washer tablet guide covers drum placement, permitted cycle selection and finishing care.
If the required restart run will not fill, drain or finish, follow the model's troubleshooting instructions. The drainage and owner-access guide explains why opening a filter is not available on every washer. More cleaning tablets cannot repair a hose, pump or control.
Questions about an unused washer
Should I add a cleaning tablet to the first restart wash?
Use the additive your model's restart procedure specifies. Keep GOHALL cleaner for a separate, compatible empty-machine treatment after the restart requirements are complete.
Can a hot cleaning cycle recover a washer that may have frozen?
Do not use a cleaning cycle to test suspected freezing damage. GE warns that freezing can cause permanent damage. Ask the manufacturer about the stored machine before powering it.
Does a musty smell mean it is ready for a stronger cleaner?
A smell cannot confirm the machine's condition. Follow the restart and normal care instructions, then investigate odor that persists. The appliance odor-source guide separates trapped residue and retained water from other problems.