--- title: "LG laundry unit — tCL tub clean reminder" description: "What tCL means on LG laundry unit — tCL tub clean reminders, what to check before booking, and when it is not a failure at all." url: "https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/lg-washer-tcl/" --- # LG laundry unit — tCL tub clean reminder LG's own support material describes the washer keeping track of the number of loads washed and displaying a code to say it's time to run the tub clean cycle, framing it explicitly as a load counter rather than a failure. ## What tCL actually means. LG's own support material describes the washer keeping track of the number of loads washed and displaying a code to say it's time to run the tub clean cycle, framing it explicitly as a load counter rather than a failure. LG home appliance display · also shown as TCL, tcL What to do when tCL shows on the home appliance ### Kind of code Reminders, not failures Nothing has broken; the appliance has been counting hours, cycles or gallons and is asking for its routine care. A refrigerator lights a filter icon after about six months of water, a front-load washer suggests a tub-clean cycle after a set number of loads, a steam oven or a dishwasher asks for descaling or rinse aid, and some dryers remind you to check the exhaust. Do the task the reminder names, reset it the way the manual describes, and write the date in the service record. ### Usually leads to No service Empty the drum of clothing and any foreign objects. ### Shows up as Laundry Drum Smelling Musty: Door Boot, Drain Filter and Detergent A laundry drum smelling musty gives off a damp, sour or mildew odor when the door opens, and passes it on to clean clothes, towels and the laundry room itself. ### Make LG LG dryers can warn you about a restricted exhaust before drying slows, and LG washers ask for a tub clean; a visit acts on both and checks the refrigerator's filter and coil. ### Source LG USA Support — Tub Cleaning: Front Load & Top Load Washer Applies to LG top- and front-load washers with the load-counting tub-clean reminder; LG's Sidekick pedestal washer uses the same TCL code on its own separate counter. ## Before you book, in this order. Each step comes from LG's own guidance for tCL on its home appliances. Follow it to the end: the last card says whether this is a visit. 01 Empty the drum of clothing and any foreign objects. 02 Add a washing-machine tub cleaner following the product's instructions (powder, liquid or tablet as directed). 03 Close the door and dispenser drawer, select Tub Clean, and start the cycle. 04 Leave the door and dispenser open afterward to air out and dry any remaining moisture. ### Cleared? The reminder is gone from the display, the filter, the screen or the tub has been cleaned or swapped, and the appliance runs a full cycle without calling for it again. A clean-filter light or a descale prompt that returns in days rather than months usually means the part it watches is fouling faster than normal, so mention that when you book. ### What not to do tCL is a scheduled hygiene reminder tied to a load counter, not a drum, motor or control-board failure; the washer keeps running normal cycles whether or not the tub clean has been run yet. ## What you may notice with it. The home appliance problems tCL tends to arrive with. Answer these at the home appliance before anyone is booked. [All problems](https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/) Before you call ### [Laundry Drum Smelling Musty: Door Boot, Drain Filter and Detergent](https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/laundry-drum-smelling-musty/) [All 6 causes, cheapest first](https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/laundry-drum-smelling-musty/) It also comes with - [**Laundry Taking Two Cycles to Dry: The Lint Path Is Usually Why**](https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/laundry-taking-two-cycles-to-dry/) - [**Appliance Maintenance Code or Reminder Light: Filter, Descale, Vent Check**](https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/appliance-maintenance-code/) Problem ### Laundry Drum Smelling Musty: Door Boot, Drain Filter and Detergent 6 causes, cheapest first No service indicated ## Nothing to service. Nothing has broken; the appliance has been counting hours, cycles or gallons and is asking for its routine care. A refrigerator lights a filter icon after about six months of water, a front-load washer suggests a tub-clean cycle after a set number of loads, a steam oven or a dishwasher asks for descaling or rinse aid, and some dryers remind you to check the exhaust. Do the task the reminder names, reset it the way the manual describes, and write the date in the service record. [How to read what your home appliance is telling you](https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/appliance-maintenance-code/) ## LG home appliances. LG dryers can warn you about a restricted exhaust before drying slows, and LG washers ask for a tub clean; a visit acts on both and checks the refrigerator's filter and coil. [LG home appliance maintenance](https://appliancemaintenance.center/brands/lg/) More LG codes [d90](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/lg-dryer-d90/) [Drain pump filter cleaning](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/lg-washer-drain-pump-filter/) [Clean the dishwasher filter](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/lg-dishwasher-filter-clean/) [Fresh Air Filter replacement](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/lg-refrigerator-fresh-air-filter/) Reminders, not failures on other makes [ASKO Sterile Tub alert](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/asko-sterile-tub-alert/) [Bertazzoni Turn milk froth adjustment knob to CLEAN to start cleaning](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/bertazzoni-coffee-milk-clean/) [Café Time to Clean light](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/cafe-time-to-clean/) [Cove Add rinse aid. Press Enter once added, or press Cancel to ignore.](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/cove-add-rinse-aid/) [Dacor Rinse Refill](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/dacor-rinse-refill/) [DCS DOOR flashing](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/dcs-outdoor-ice-door-flashing/) [Fulgor Milano PRESS CLEAN!](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/fulgor-milano-coffee-press-clean/) [GE Rinse Aid Indicator Window](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/ge-low-rinse-aid-indicator/) [All 29 codes of this kind](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/#family-mode) LG builds this ### Cold storage Upkeep for everything in the house that keeps things cold: refrigerators, freezers, wine and beverage units and ice makers, cleaned and checked before they start struggling. LG builds this ### Cooking appliances Upkeep for ovens, ranges, cooktops, hoods, microwaves, steam and speed ovens: burners and igniters cleaned, gas joints checked, grease filters and descaling done on time. LG builds this ### Dish care Upkeep for dishwashers and disposers: filters rinsed, spray arms cleared, the door seal and drain loop checked, and hard-water scale kept off the parts that heat and spray. ## In LG's own words > The tub clean cycle keeps your washer in optimal performance by removing detergent build up and other residue, keeping your wash drum clean. [LG USA Support — Tub Cleaning: Front Load & Top Load Washer](https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://www.lg.com/us/support/help-library/lg-tub-cleaning-front-load-top-load-washer-CT00000305-20150635948425) Every code on this site is taken from the manufacturer's documentation, never from a forum or a parts listing. Applies to LG top- and front-load washers with the load-counting tub-clean reminder; LG's Sidekick pedestal washer uses the same TCL code on its own separate counter. ## LG tCL home appliance maintenance, where we come out. The same visit in every metro below: the code, the model number, and a diagnosis before any part is ordered. 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Empty the drum of clothing and any foreign objects. If it comes back, it needs a visit. ### Is tCL an error I need to worry about? No — LG describes it as the washer's own load counter telling you it's time to run the tub clean cycle, not a failure. ### What if my laundry unit already smells musty when tCL appears? LG's guidance is to run the tub clean cycle weekly for three consecutive weeks if a musty smell already exists, and to request a repair if the smell doesn't clear after that. ### Do I need a special cleaner for the tub clean cycle? LG recommends a washing-machine tub cleaner and gives directions for powder, liquid or tablet forms; commercial tub cleaning agents can also be used. --- **[Read on the site: LG laundry unit — tCL tub clean reminder](https://appliancemaintenance.center/error-codes/lg-washer-tcl/)** **[Book a visit with ApplianceMaintenance.center](https://appliancemaintenance.center/schedule/)**