Washing machines are of course used to keep our laundry items clean, but what about the machine itself? It’s recommended that you clean your washing machine at least once a month, but there are things that you can do in the meantime, to keep your machine as clean as possible between uses. Here are a few tips for keeping your front-loading machine, as clean as possible:
- If your machine doesn’t have a self-cleaning cycle, fill it with hot water. Then add a quart of bleach into the dispenser to help rid the interior of the machine of stubborn stains. Allow the machine to run a full cycle and then check the results.
- Don’t forget about the rubber door seal. This part of the machine is a paradise for mold and bacteria, as water gets trapped in the seal and remains wet between uses. Cleaning the seal should be simple enough with a cleaning solution and a sponge or wet cloth.
- Clean the dispensers and make sure they’re free of caked powder, hair and other particles of dirt. A simple all-purpose cleaner or even vinegar from your store cupboard on a sponge or damp cloth, will soon get the dispensers clean.
Here are some tips for cleaning your top loading washing machine:
- Fill the machine up with hot water, either by setting it on a hot wash and then stopping it once its full, or by heating water in the kitchen and filling it that way, then add a quart of chlorine bleach, or a special machine cleaning solution. You can also make your own, natural solution, with a quart of white vinegar. Start the machine on a washing cycle for a few minutes to ensure that the bleach and water mix well, then turn it off and allow the liquid to sit in the machine for up to an hour, or longer if time permits. You’ll find that this easily helps lift off the grime and mildew that may have built up inside the machine.
Then, allow the washing cycle to finish and it should be left spotless and hygienic.
- To get rid of any bleach odour that may be remaining once you’ve cleaned the machine, simply fill it with hot water again and add a quart of vinegar. Leave it for up to an hour and then run a washing cycle again.
- Clean the dispenser with a vinegar and water solution and a sponge or cloth, in the same way as you would clean the dispensers on a front-loading machine. This part can get very grubby and often gets forgotten about in the cleaning process.
Keeping your machine clean in between uses will help make monthly cleaning less of a chore, and will help keep your laundry smelling fresh and clean, too. Removing wet clothes as soon as the cycle has finished (or at least within a few hours), can prevent mold and mildew from trying to grow inside the machine. Leaving the door or top flap open is also a great way of helping the machine to dry out between washes, preventing it from remaining damp and encouraging bacteria to grow.