Appliance Spares
Quick answer: The most common cause of a Stirling top loader leaving lint all over the washing is a torn, clogged or missing lint filter — the small clip-in mesh trap inside the bowl. Replacing it is a two-minute job most people can do at home with no tools; the real work is matching the filter to the model code on your machine’s sticker, because Stirling used several different filters across the range and some bowls take two at once. The drain filter is a separate part doing a separate job — this guide covers both.
Last updated August 2026
Two filters, two different jobs
Stirling is the badge Aldi sells its appliances under, and Aldi does not run a spare-parts counter — filters come from specialists. Be clear on which part you are chasing first, because the two get mixed up constantly. The lint filter is the mesh trap clipped inside the bowl: it catches loose fibre during agitation, and it is a consumable that announces its death as lint on clean clothes. The drain filter sits in the drain path and protects the pump from coins and hair ties: it is a cleanable trap, and a blocked one shows up as water left in the bowl, not lint on the load. If your machine is holding water, start with the Stirling washing machine not draining guide rather than this page.
A washing machine lint filter typically costs $13-$23 AUD (median $18.85), as at August 2026. It is one of the few parts on the machine you can fit without picking up a screwdriver, and replacing it early keeps stray fibre out of the pump, where problems get properly expensive to fix.
Which lint filter fits your Stirling
Capacity is not a reliable guide — machines of the same advertised size take different filters, so the model code decides. Find the model sticker on the back panel near the top, or around the rim of the cabinet under the lid; the 30-second Stirling model number guide shows exactly where to look. You are after a code that reads like STLW70, STL95 or XQB90-701CLPS.
| Model code on the sticker | Filter | Store code | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
 STLW70, XQB100-Y1066S | Small trap | 0058 | Stirling small lint filter for the STLW70 and XQB100-Y1066S |
 STLW70 | Large trap | 0056 | Stirling large lint filter for the STLW70 |
 STL95 | 9.5 kg bowl trap | 0053 | Stirling 9.5kg lint filter for the STL95 |
 XQB100-Y10665, XQB90-701CLPS | Single trap | 0056A | Stirling lint filter for the XQB100-Y10665 and XQB90-701CLPS |
 MB70 (Midea badge) | Large and small pair | 0056 + 0058 | Midea lint filter pair for the MB70 |
Copy the code exactly rather than from memory — some differ by a single final character, and XQB100-Y1066S and XQB100-Y10665 take different filters. Note too that both a large and a small filter are listed for the STLW70: if your bowl runs a pair of traps, replace them together rather than leaving a three-year-old partner in place.
The MB70 filters are also listed individually — a large Midea lint filter for the MB70 and a small Midea lint filter for the MB70 — if only one of yours has failed. That said, a pair fitted together ages together, which makes the next inspection simpler.
If your code is not in the table, do not match by eye. The frames look near-identical across series; the differences are clip spacing and depth, and a filter that nearly fits pops loose during agitation and can jam under the agitator. Send us a photo of the model sticker and the old filter and we will confirm before you buy. The Stirling parts overview for Australia covers the rest of the range if the fault turns out to be something other than a filter.
Spotting a dead lint filter
The giveaway is lint that appears after the wash rather than before:
- Grey or white fibre on dark clothing that was not there when you loaded the machine. With the trap torn or missing, lint has nowhere to go and redeposits during the final spin.
- A gritty, fuzzy feel to towels and bedding straight out of the machine.
- The filter visibly torn or hanging off its clips when you look inside the empty bowl.
- Lint collecting in the outlet hose or a slowing drain — fibre that gets past the bowl ends up in the drain path.
To tell torn from merely dirty, take the filter out and hold it up to the light. Dirt sits on the surface and rinses off; a tear shows as a clean gap in the weave, usually along a seam or where the mesh meets the frame. If a fingertip passes through, it is done.
Replacing it — two minutes, no tools
- Switch the machine off at the power point. There is no electrical work here, but a bowl that starts filling with your arm in it is a bad afternoon.
- Open the lid and find the trap — on most Stirling top loaders it clips to the inside wall of the bowl.
- Squeeze the frame at the clip points and lift straight out. It does not unscrew; if it resists, you are pulling at an angle.
- Compare the old and new filters side by side — frame shape and clip positions should be identical before you fit anything.
- Push the new filter in until the clips click, then tug it gently. If it moves, it is not seated.
Run an empty warm cycle afterwards so any fibre the old torn filter let loose gets flushed out rather than landing on your next load of darks.
Looking after the drain path
Whatever the bowl trap misses travels on to the drain filter and the pump, which is why a machine that has run for months with a torn lint filter often develops draining trouble soon after. On some Stirling machines the drain trap sits behind a small access panel low on the cabinet; on others it is only reachable through the pump housing, which means tipping the machine. Emptying pockets and washing pet bedding in a mesh bag does more for the drain path than any amount of cleaning after the fact.
A machine that drains freely also finishes its cycles in the time it was designed to. If you are weighing up repair against replacement for an older machine, the household appliance guidance at energy.gov.au is a sensible place to compare running costs before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run my Stirling washing machine without a lint filter?
It will wash, but you should not. Every fibre the trap would have caught goes into the drain path instead, and over months that builds up in the outlet hose and the pump. The filter is a consumable; a pump repair is a much bigger job.
Where is the model number on a Stirling washing machine?
Check the model sticker on the back panel near the top first, then around the rim of the cabinet under the lid. The code reads like STLW70, STL95 or XQB100-Y10665. Photograph it before ordering — the final characters matter.
Are the large and small filters interchangeable?
No. The frames are different sizes with different clip spacing, and a trap that nearly fits will pop loose mid-cycle. Where a bowl runs both, each position takes its own filter.
My machine wears a Midea badge, not Stirling — which filter do I order?
Match your model code the same way. The MB70 has its own listings, available as a pair or individually, in the table above.
I fitted a new filter and there is still lint on my clothes. Why?
Check the load first — new towels and fleece shed heavily for their first several washes, and mixing them with dark cottons always ends badly. If ordinary loads still come out linty, make sure the trap is fully clipped in, then check the machine is draining completely, because lint redeposits when dirty water is not carried away.
How often should the lint filter be replaced?
Empty it every few washes; replace it when the mesh tears or the frame goes brittle. Two to three years is a normal life with regular use — sooner if you wash a lot of pet bedding or work fleece.
Match the filter before you order
Photograph your model sticker and run the code through the part finder, or send it to us and we will confirm the right filter before you pay for anything. Orders dispatch same day from Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
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.
