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Take the dispenser tray out and look inside. You'll see there is a ton of water that sits there after your finished washing clothes. Mold likes places that are damp / wet. Wipe it down inside and then put the dispenser tray back inside.
THIS. But I just leave mine out until next washday.
Also the baking soda idea works for me. I put baking soda in the drum and bleach in the dispenser (not vinegar), then run the machine on cleaning cycle with HOT water. You would be surprised at how much suds is created by that mixture, which tells me it's removing old liquid detergent, a possible source of "food" for bacteria growth.
Taking out the dispenser tray also allows for better air circulation throughout the machine. Don't forget, it has to be cleaned too occasionally.
I've heard that Baking soda + Salt is an effective cleaner, but I have no idea why.
As to the seal itself, the early Maytags were notorious for this, they had white rubber seals which were ALL recalled.