Washing clothes have been an easy task since the invention of washing machine. This piece of invention has saved us hours of washing clothes, blankets, socks etc. using our hands. But if you use it every day without giving it a proper clean-up, you will be greeted with germs, molds and awful odours in no time!
Here are a few steps that you can use to clean your washing machine:
- At first, wash the door seals and gasket – In order to sterilize the affected region, drench a couple of towels in a mixture of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Pack the cavities of the caskets and allow the grease or mold to loosen up. Wait for an hour and then scrub off any remains and wipe the door seals and gasket clean.
- Turn the washer with the hottest water setting using the top-most load size and longest wash cycle after cleaning the gasket.
- Mix 1 liter of vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda and pour it in the dispenser or washer’s drum. You can also use a mixture of enzyme detergent and oxygen bleach or chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda with citric acid as an alternative.
Run the water for a few minutes and add vinegar and baking soda into the dispenser if you have a top-loading washer. Let the elements combine for a minute or so and stop the cycle to allow the mixture to sit for an hour.
Add baking soda to the softener dispenser and white vinegar to the detergent dispenser and let the wash cycle begin if you have a front- loading machine.
- Take a clean cloth and soak it in vinegar. Use it to wipe off the exterior of the machine while the cycle runs. Make sure you scrub off and clean all the surfaces.
- Use hot water to run another cycle and loosen up any buildups remaining after the first wash by pouring a dash of vinegar. Keep the door open and let it air dry to prevent molds or mildew.
- Clean the cover and the lid towel dipped in vinegar. With the help of a toothbrush, clean each and every corner of the machine and wash the tub’s edge where water is accessible.
Rub through the agitator for a top- loader.
Preventing long-term problems:
- Disinfect and sterilize the machine by giving it a wash or two with a temperature ranging from 60-90 degrees. This will prevent molds and mildews from infecting it.
- Wipe off the gasket to dry it after every use to prevent water from trapping in the gasket for front-loading machines.
- Immediately remove the clothes from the machine after a wash as mildews grow in damp regions. Keep the door open to air dry it.
- Pour a water softening agent (Calgon Water Softener) followed by a hard water detergent. This is because machines with hard water fight against soap residues and limescale.
- Using an excessive amount of detergent can cause the developments of molds and mildews so use it accordingly depending on the number of clothes and the amount of dirt.
- Try to use a powdered detergent instead of a liquid one and one cup of white vinegar (distilled) instead of a fabric softener in order to prevent waxy and sticky buildups. Liquid detergents tend to promote molds and mildews.
- Use a specific HE detergent for HE machines to prevent foaming.
However, if the problem persists, clean up the entire machine a couple of times and use a specialized commercial product (Lemi Shine Machine Cleaner) to get rid of the stubborn buildups.
