Over time, washing machines accumulate dirt and grime. The rubber seals become moldy and it is evident that the machine needs cleaning.
But what is the best thing to use to clean your washing machine?
Use vinegar and baking soda to clean your washing machine. Set the washing cycle to the longest and hottest one and then throw 2 cups of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser. When the cycle finishes, throw a 1/2 cup of baking soda into the washing machine and repeat the cycle.
Soap scum and mold build up in washing machines and need to be cleaned off. Otherwise, your washing machine will start to smell.
If you use vinegar and baking soda to clean your washing machine every 6 months, then you’ll never have to worry about the build-up of soap or other grime in your washing machine. It will be as sparklingly clean and bright as the day you first bought it.
The best way to clean the drum is to use a spray bottle with a solution of vinegar. Spray the inside of the drum with vinegar and, using a soft cloth, wipe down all the surfaces.
Don’t neglect the rubber seal around the door as that is where most of the dirt and grime will accumulate. If left for too long, the rubber will become black with mold.
Clean the door as well, making sure that the glass is completely rubbed down and the edges are free of dirt and hair.
The washing powder and fabric softener dispenser is your next target. Pour enough vinegar into the dispenser so that you can wash away any build-up of soap scum that has accumulated in the drawer.
This method works well for both top loaders and front-loading washing machines.
Can You Use Soda Crystals to Clean My Washing Machine?
If you open your washing machine and it smells of dampness and mold, then you need to consider cleaning it out properly before it affects your washing.
Put 500g of Soda Crystals into your washing machine and run it through a full hot cycle. Place the soda crystals inside the main drum to clean out any dirt and grime. Before running the washing machine, clean the soap drawer by removing it and washing it out with white vinegar.
The smell coming from your washing machine is usually associated with bacteria growth which the soda crystals will kill.
You may find that the first time you clean the washing machine, black pieces of grime come loose. Make sure that you repeat the process a couple of times to remove all the loosened grime.
After that first wash, repeat the cleaning cycle every 2-3 months to avoid a build-up of soap residue and limescale in the washing machine.
The soap dispenser drawer can be removed and washed separately in the sink. Use plenty of vinegar, hot water, and a brush to scrub out the caked-on soap.
Don’t forget to clean the door seal. You’ll find that black mold tends to build up around the door and must be removed. You can do this with white vinegar and a brush. A spray bottle filled with vinegar helps to get into all the crevices.
Can You Use Affresh to Clean My Washing Machine?
We’ve all seen the ads for Affresh cleaner, but does it work well for cleaning your washing machine?
You can use Affresh washing machine cleaner for both top-loading and front-loading washing machines. Put a tablet inside your washing machine and set the machine on a hot cycle. If the washing machine has a clean washing machine cycle, then use it. There’s no need to use added bleach or detergent.
For Affresh to work properly, you must remove anything inside the washing machine and then place a single tablet in the tub. Do not put the table in the washing powder dispenser.
The most efficient way to clean the washing machine is to select the clean washer cycle if it has one.
If your washing machine doesn’t have a special cleaning cycle, then use the longest, hottest cleaning cycle your machine has.
The recommended cleaning cycle is once a month or every 30 cycles. Each cleaning tablet is individually wrapped. Tear open the packaging and insert the tablet into your empty washing machine.
Some washing machines have a self-cleaning cycle that can last up to 4 hours. Once the cleaning cycle is complete, open the door to the machine and allow the air to get into the drum. Front loading washing machines are usually kept closed, which means that the damp drum never gets a chance to dry out.
It is the continual damp that is the cause of most of the smells. Bacteria love a warm, damp environment. Your best bet is to leave the washing machine door open after using it so that the washing machine has a chance to air out before you close it up.
Can You Use Dishwasher Tablet to Clean My Washing Machine?
When your washing machine smells it’s natural to want to clean it as soon as possible. Here’s what you can do.
If you have some dishwasher cleaning tablets, you can use them to clean your washing machine. However, it is not ideal and you may not get the washing machine completely clean. There is also the possibility that the dishwasher tablets will leave a residue on the inside of your washing machine.
The residue that is left behind by the dishwasher tablets may damage your clothes. It is for this reason that it is not recommended that you use them to clean your washing machine.
It is best to use a detergent that is specially formulated to clean your washing machine.
However, if you have no other means to clean your washing machine, then using a dishwasher tablet is better than nothing. Select the self-cleaning cycle or the longest, hottest washing cycle on your washing machine.
You can also use baking soda and vinegar to clean out your washing rather than using a dishwasher tablet.
Baking soda and vinegar do not leave a residue and they work effectively to clean the inside of your washing machine. Any soap residue or mold is easily cleaned off by vinegar.
The baking soda ensures that the inside of the drum is sparkling clean and free from scale or other soapy build-ups.
This content is owned by Wabi Sabi Group and was first published on Apr 30, 2022..
Can You Use Oxiclean to Clean My Washing Machine?
With many different options available to clean your washing machine, it is difficult to decide which cleaner is best for you.
Oxiclean is designed to clean your washing machine, leaving it sparklingly clean and bright. A single pouch of OxiClean washing machine cleaner must be poured into the washing machine drum. Close the door and run your longest hot cycle or the self-cleaning cycle if your washing machine has one.
The Oxyclean pouch is designed for use once a month so that your washing machine is free of mold and washing powder residue.
Once the cleaning cycle is finished, clean off the inside of the drum with a dry cloth and leave the door open to dry out completely. It is best to leave the door open after washing so that the drum has a chance to dry out to avoid mold growth.
The funky smell that you get when opening the door is also caused by bacteria growth. For this reason, cleaning out the washing machine every 2-3 months is a good idea to avoid problems later on.
Can You Use Caustic Soda to Clean My Washing Machine?
When faced with a foul-smelling washing machine, there is a tendency to try anything you have on hand to solve the problem.
This is not always a good idea.
Caustic soda or sodium hydroxide, as it is also known, is not compatible with many different substances. It is highly reactive and can damage rubber or plastic components in the washing machine. For this reason, it is not advisable to use caustic soda to clean a washing machine.
It is a better option to use a purpose-made washing machine cleaner. There will be less chance of damaging your washing machine, which can result in expensive repairs or replacement of parts.
If you don’t have a specific washing machine cleaner, then you can use vinegar and baking soda. Both these substances are quite safe to use in the washing machine as they do no damage at all to the inner working parts of the washing machine.
The use of the hottest cleaning cycle together with baking soda and vinegar will be more than adequate to clean your washing perfectly. It is a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly way to remove any build-up of washing powder, grime, or mold from the inside of the washing machine.
Can You Use Borax to Clean My Washing Machine?
There are many different substances found in the average house that can be used to clean your washing machine.
You can add borax, also known as “oxygen bleach”, together with washing soda to your washing machine. Set the cycle run on its hottest, longest setting or cleaning cycle. It is a good idea to pause the cycle for an hour before restarting it and allowing the cycle to finish normally.
Borax has been mined and used for thousands of years and is safe to mix with a variety of house bleaches. It improves the cleaning properties of household cleaners, so it is a great addition to your washing machine cleaning regimen.
Borax doesn’t damage clothing and is used to improve the brightness of white cloth. It is also great for dispersing soap residues, helping to flush them out of the system.
If your washing smells bad, then borax is the perfect cleaning agent. It is known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties. As odors are associated with bacterial growth, borax works well to remove these from your washing machine.
Borax has an alkaline pH which is perfect for removing acidic stains. It is useful for both metallic surfaces and clothing, so is a safe bet when cleaning washing machines. You won’t have to worry about your clothing getting damaged or ruined if there is any borax left after the cleaning cycle.
Can You Use Lemon Juice to Clean My Washing Machine?
Before household cleaners were easily available, our grandparents used various household substances to clean clothing. One of these was lemon juice.
Lemon juice is a great alternative to harsh bleaches. It is an environmentally-friendly alternative to cleaning out your washing machine. You can add a cup of lemon juice to a hot cycle of laundry or just add it to the cleaning cycle when the washing machine is empty.
To assist the lemon juice in cleaning out your washing machine, you can add a cup of white vinegar. Then pause the cycle for an hour or so before restarting the cycle.
This article was first published on Apr 30, 2022 by Wabi Sabi Group..
The lemon juice also works as an efficient descaling agent.
However, rubber components can be damaged by the citric acid in lemon juice. For this reason, it is better to use white vinegar or baking powder if you don’t have a specific washing machine cleaner on hand.
Can You Use Glisten to Clean My Washing Machine?
There are many different washing machine cleaners on the market.
You can use Glisten washing machine cleaner to both deodorize and clean your washing machine without fear of it damaging your washing machine. It is safe to use with stainless steel, rubber, and plastic parts. It cleans the rubber seal around the door, which is where mold is likely to grow.
To use Glisten, pour some onto a cloth and wipe down the rubber door seal. Any black mold or soap residue will wipe right off. Then put ½ a cup into the soap dispenser and let the washing machine run through a normal wash cycle with hot water.
If you use a septic tank system, then you can happily use Glisten as it does not adversely affect the septic tank.
How to Clean Your Washing Machine Properly
If you open your washing machine and a bad smell hits you, then you need to clean your washing machine.
To clean your washing machine properly, you must set it to the longest, hottest setting. If you have a self-cleaning cycle, then use that. Add a cleaning agent to the washing machine and switch it on. The cleaning cycle can last up to 4 hours, so you have time to give the outside a clean too.
An excellent cleaning agent is ordinary household white vinegar. You can remove the soap dispenser and spray vinegar onto the dispenser. Then, using a toothbrush, scrub off any soap residue and much that might have attached itself to the plastic surface. Once it is clean, you can move on to the interior of the washing machine.
Spray the drum with vinegar and use a clean, dry cloth to wipe away any dirt or grime.
Focus on cleaning the rubber door seal as that is where mold grows easily.
When you have finished cleaning the inside of the drum, select the cleaning cycle or the longest, hottest cycle and add either borax or baking soda to the drum.
Let the washing machine complete its cycle and you’ll be left with a perfectly clean washing machine.
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WabiSabi Group is the owner of this article and was published on Apr 30, 2022 and last modified on .