Appliance Spares
Quick answer: Lint on every dark load from a Samsung top loader usually means the lint filter is clogged, torn or has cracked clips — not a machine fault. Samsung used three styles in Australia: DC91 frame cartridges (DC91-10404U/DC97-00252J for SW60ASP/SW80ASP/SW95ASP, a second DC91 frame for SW95V2SP and SW-H models), clip-in “Magic” filters matched by model family, and the twin-tub DC61-10077B. A replacement runs $8–$18 and clips in without tools. Match the model number on the sticker and the swap takes two minutes.
Last updated August 2026
Black T-shirts, grey fuzz: what changed
You pull the dark load out of your Samsung top loader and every piece is furred with grey fluff. Last month the machine washed the same clothes with the same detergent and they came out clean. When lint suddenly shows up on everything, the machine hasn’t developed a fault — the one small part whose entire job is catching that lint has stopped doing it.
Samsung top loaders trap lint in a mesh filter mounted inside the drum. Wash water circulates through it for the whole cycle and the mesh builds up a felt-like mat of fibres. Three things break the system: the mat gets so thick that water bypasses the mesh, the mesh tears, or the plastic clips crack so the filter no longer seats. In all three cases the fibres go straight back onto the load, and darks show it first.
The catch with Samsung is that the company has used at least three distinct filter styles on its Australian machines. They look similar in photos, and they do not interchange. The model sticker settles it in under a minute — here’s the map.
Match the filter to your model number
Find the model sticker first — on most Samsung top loaders it’s around the lid opening or on the back of the cabinet. Then find your model family here:
| Fits these models | Style | The part |
|---|---|---|
 SW60ASP, SW80ASP, SW95ASP | DC91 frame cartridge | Samsung lint filter DC91-10404U / DC97-00252J |
 SW95V2SP, SW-H105, SW-H105P, SW-H903 | DC91 frame cartridge, different clip mount | Samsung DC91 lint filter, SW-H family |
 SW50USP, SW55USPIW/XSA, SW65USP | Clip-in Magic filter | Samsung Magic lint filter, SW-USP family |
 SW65V9WIP/XSA, SW70SPWIP/XSA | Clip-in Magic filter | Samsung Magic lint filter, SW-WIP family |
 Any Magic-filter model, with a spare on hand | Clip-in Magic filter, two-pack | Samsung Magic lint filter two-pack |
 SW-T65 series twin tubs | Twin-tub filter | Samsung twin-tub lint filter DC61-10077B |
Machine not listed? SW50ASP and SW51ASP-era top loaders, and the later WA75F5S6DRA generation, take their own clip-in Magic filters again — the housings differ just enough to matter. Send us the model number and we’ll check the right one before you order.
Two ways to confirm which style you have
- Read the old filter. Samsung moulds the part code into the plastic — DC91-10404U on the SW-ASP cartridge, DC61-10077B on the twin-tub filter. Pop the filter out, flip it over and look along the edges of the frame. If a code is there, search it directly and you’re done.
- Read the model sticker. Around the lid opening or on the back of the cabinet. Match it against the model families in the table above, or run it through the part finder.
Magic filter housings often carry no legible code after years of wash water have worn the moulding smooth. For those, the model sticker is the reliable route.
The three styles, and how each one fails
DC91 frame cartridges (SW-ASP and SW-H families)
A rigid rectangular plastic frame with a mesh window that slides into a slot on the inner drum wall. Samsung made two: DC91-10404U (also marked DC97-00252J) for the SW60ASP, SW80ASP and SW95ASP, and a second DC91 frame for the SW95V2SP, SW-H105, SW-H105P and SW-H903. Side by side they look nearly identical — the clip positions on the frame are what differ, and the wrong one never clicks home properly. Go by the model sticker, not the photo.
Clip-in Magic filters (SW-USP and SW-WIP families)
The “Magic” filter is a floating two-part housing that clips over a mount on the drum wall and collects lint in a net pocket rather than on a flat mesh. These are matched strictly by model family: one version fits the SW50USP, SW55USPIW/XSA and SW65USP; a different one fits the SW65V9WIP/XSA and SW70SPWIP/XSA. Because the pocket does the catching, a Magic filter with a split seam dumps its whole collection back into the wash in one go — which is how a load comes out dramatically lintier overnight.
If your machine runs most days, the two-pack is the sensible buy: one filter in the drum, one clean and dry on the shelf, swapped at every clean instead of running a cycle with no filter while the washed one dries.
The twin-tub filter (SW-T65 series)
Plenty of Samsung SW-T65 twin tubs are still earning their keep in sheds and holiday houses around Australia. They use their own filter, DC61-10077B, which sits in the wash tub and strains the water as it circulates. Same rules apply: clean it every few loads, replace it when the mesh tears or it stops seating.
The five-minute cleaning ritual
Switch the machine off at the wall before you reach into the drum. Then:
- Unclip the filter from the drum wall — squeeze the tabs, or slide the cartridge up out of its slot.
- Open it and peel the lint mat off in one piece. Oddly, the most satisfying job in the laundry.
- Rinse under a warm tap and scrub the mesh gently with an old toothbrush to shift the film of detergent and fabric softener that blinds it.
- Hold it up to the light. You should see clearly through the mesh; a grey haze means keep scrubbing.
- While it’s out, check the clips and the mesh for damage — see below.
- Click it firmly back until it sits flush. A loose filter comes off in the spin.
Do this every four to six loads. Households washing towels, pet bedding or footy gear every week should make it weekly.
When cleaning stops working: cracked clips and torn mesh
The clips flex every time the filter comes off, and years of warm wash water make the plastic brittle. Once a clip cracks, the filter sits loose; it stays put right up until the spin cycle flings it off, and then it’s tumbling around the drum with your clothes or drifting towards the pump. Torn mesh is quieter — the filter looks fine sitting in place while lint sails straight through the hole.
Replace the filter when you see any of these: a cracked or missing clip, a split seam on a Magic filter housing, a tear or stretched patch in the mesh, or a filter that won’t click in firmly no matter how you seat it. There’s no repair worth attempting here — a replacement runs $8–$18, against a repairer’s call-out at $100–$165 before parts, and fitting it is the same clip-in motion as the clean.
Still getting lint after a new filter? Look at the load, not the machine. An overfilled drum stops water circulating through the filter, and towels washed with dark cotton will out-lint any filter ever made. If the lint arrives alongside slow draining or water left in the drum, the fibres are collecting further down the line — give the drain side a look before you blame the new filter.
Linty clothes, different badge?
Lint filters are the most brand-specific cheap part in the laundry, so we’ve mapped the other big names too: the LG top loader lint filter guide, the Haier lint filter guide and the Stirling lint and drain filter guide. The rest of the Samsung range lives in the washing machine parts store.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How often should I clean the lint filter in a Samsung top loader?
A: Every four to six loads for a typical household, weekly if you wash towels or pet bedding often. The filter only works while water can pass through the mesh, so a quick rinse and a look against the light is all it takes.
Q: Can I keep washing while I wait for the new filter?
A: The machine will run without it, but every fibre the filter would have caught goes back onto your clothes, and on some models the empty mount can snag delicates. At $8–$18 for the part, running filterless is a false economy.
Q: Are Samsung Magic filters interchangeable between model families?
A: No. The SW-USP and SW-WIP families use different housings, and the SW50ASP/SW51ASP and WA75F5S6DRA generations are different again. Match the code moulded into the old housing, or match your model number from the sticker.
Q: My Samsung model isn’t in the table — which filter do I need?
A: Read the model number off the sticker around the lid opening or on the back panel and send it through our contact page. We’ll match the filter to the model before you order, rather than have you guess from a photo.
Q: I fitted a new filter and the clothes are still linty — what’s left?
A: Usually the load: too full, or high-lint fabrics like towels and fleece washed with darks. Split the loads and run a hot maintenance wash. If the lint comes with slow draining, check the drain side of the machine rather than buying a third filter.
Get the exact filter, once
Lift the lid, read the model number off the sticker, and search it — or the part code on the old filter frame — on our site. If anything doesn’t line up, send the model number through our contact page and we’ll match the filter before you order. Orders are dispatched from Sydney’s Northern Beaches the day you order when they’re in by 12pm, so the next dark load can come out actually dark.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
