Limpia el tambor y, ya de paso, el dosificador.

Limpia is the tú imperative of limpiar, so it means clean! when giving a direct instruction to one person informally.

• limpiar = the infinitive, to clean
• limpias = you clean / you are cleaning
• limpia = clean!

So the sentence is giving an instruction, not just describing an action.

It is informal singular, used with tú.

In Spain, other possible versions would be:

• Limpia... = informal, one person (tú)
• Limpie... = formal, one person (usted)
• Limpiad... = informal plural in Spain (vosotros)
• Limpien... = formal plural, or plural in most of Latin America (ustedes)

So this sentence sounds like a normal, direct instruction to one person.

Ya de paso is a very common expression meaning something like:

• while you're at it
• since you're doing that anyway
• as an extra thing

It adds the idea that cleaning the second item is a convenient extra step, not a completely separate task.

So:

• Limpia el tambor y, ya de paso, el dosificador. = Clean the drum and, while you're at it, the dispenser too.

Because Spanish often omits repeated words when they are easy to understand from context.

The full version would be:

• Limpia el tambor y, ya de paso, limpia el dosificador.

But repeating limpia is unnecessary, so Spanish naturally shortens it to:

• Limpia el tambor y, ya de paso, el dosificador.

This kind of omission is very common and sounds natural.

Because ya de paso works like a parenthetical expression or an inserted comment.

The main structure is:

• Limpia el tambor y el dosificador.

Then ya de paso is inserted to add nuance:

• Limpia el tambor y, ya de paso, el dosificador.

The commas help show that the phrase is an aside, similar to English and, while you're at it, ...

It still means and, but together with ya de paso, it gives a stronger sense of and also or and while you're at it.

So the idea is not just two equal actions in a simple list. It is more like:

1. Clean the drum.
2. Also clean the dispenser as an extra useful step.

That extra nuance comes mainly from ya de paso, not from y alone.

In appliance-related Spanish, el tambor usually means the drum, especially in a washing machine or dryer.

Even though tambor literally means drum, in household instructions it often refers to the large rotating inner part of the machine.

So this is a normal word for that part of the appliance.

In this context, el dosificador usually means the dispenser compartment or detergent drawer of a washing machine.

Literally, dosificador is something that dispenses or measures out a product. In household Spanish, it often refers to the part where detergent or softener goes.

Depending on the appliance or manual, English might translate it as:

• dispenser
• detergent drawer
• soap dispenser

Yes, but it would not mean exactly the same thing.

• Limpia el tambor y también el dosificador. = Clean the drum and also the dispenser.

This simply adds the second item.

• Limpia el tambor y, ya de paso, el dosificador. = Clean the drum and, while you're at it, the dispenser too.

This suggests the second action is a convenient extra step. So ya de paso is more idiomatic and more specific.

It is a completely natural sentence.

Spanish often gives instructions in a concise way, especially in:

• manuals
• household advice
• cleaning instructions
• spoken suggestions

The sentence is grammatically complete even though the second limpia is omitted. To a native speaker, it sounds efficient and normal, not incomplete.

• tambor is stressed on the last syllable: tam-BOR
• dosificador is stressed on -dor: do-si-fi-ca-DOR

This follows normal Spanish stress rules:

• words ending in a consonant other than n or s are usually stressed on the last syllable
• words ending in a vowel, n, or s are usually stressed on the second-to-last syllable unless there is an accent mark

Since dosificador ends in r, the final syllable is stressed naturally.

Yes. It sounds perfectly natural in Spain.

Two especially natural features for Spain are:

• the tú imperative limpia
• the idiomatic phrase ya de paso

In Spain, this would sound like a normal instruction or suggestion, especially in domestic or practical contexts.