4 Tips to Clean Your Washing Machine

Washed clothes' smells are refreshing, but what if washed clothes smell musty? This might mean that some tissue paper has been left in the drum or the odor in your clothes is actually coming from the washing machine's tub. A dirty washer not only gives you clothes musty smell but reduces the life-span of one of the most expensive gadgets in the home.

It is not something new with the washing machine. Anything, where things are cleaned with detergent or soap, can build mold or messy smell. We actually forget that the thing which is being used for cleansing needs to be cleaned too.

I have seen many users saying our washers have self-cleaning feature. Why do we need to clean them manually? But the self-cleaning feature just circulates the fresh air within the tub and exits the water. It does not give sufficient cleaning.

With the time, when we are using a device continuously, mold and other bacteria get their way into it. So, you need to clean your washing machine and follow the mentioned traditional and latest methods to get a complete cleaned, mold-free washer.

Tips to clean your washing machine:

These are the top 4 tips or methods to clean a washing machine. These methods give a thorough cleaning of the washing tub to eradicate the smell or mold built in it.

1) Use of sanitize cycle to clean out drum

According to mrwashingmachine many latest top-loading washing machines feature a sanitize cycle. If you use the sanitize cycle in the right way, you can clean out the machine without getting assistance from externals. These sanitize cycles come in two main types.

If your washer houses a heater, you can produce enough hot water to sanitize it without using any bleach, powder or detergent.

For those machines with no heater onboard, you can use the standalone sanitization. For this, you will need bleach, powder, soap or detergent. Read your manual carefully and see how the brand has mentioned the proper method to sanitize the machine. Do not put your clothes during the sanitization process; this can damage the texture of your clothes.

2) Using vinegar and baking soda

If your machine does not have a dedicated sanitization method, you can create it artificially. If you have been using a top load washer for quite a long time you would know the method to create a manual sanitization.

Just tune your washing machine to its hottest setting. You can read the user manual to get assistance in this regard. The hottest settings usually are with the largest load setting, where a washer has to produce full throttle of power to get the job done.

When you stimulate the machine, add about a quarter of white vinegar and 4 ounces of baking soda. If you don't have vinegar, you can use lemon juice as an alternative. The mixture will remove the dirt, grime, mold and other hard-water effects on the walls of the machine.

Give some time to dissolve the baking soda and other ingredients. After some minutes. spin the basket and once the backset is spun enough to dissolve all other ingredients, pause the machine and let it sit for at least half an hour.

Now, restart the machine and let the cycle finish once more. Next, select the spin and drain cycle. In this way, all grime that might have been loosened enough will eradicate from the machine.

When the washer is empty, wipe the surface with hot water. You will see the machine is now free of any grime or mold inside.

3) Cleaning out machine's door seal:

It is highly recommended to pay close attention to your washing machine's seal and gasket. This is the common reason for dirty washing machines and smell. Carefully work your way into the folds using the same vinegar and baking soda solution.

Pull-on your gloves and dip the sponge into the solution of vinegar and baking soda, wipe away any build-up grime. Once you are finished with scrubbing and cleaning, wipe down all with a paper or towel to ensure it dry.

4) Cleaning out washing machine's exterior:

You can use the same vinegar and baking soda solution or make a new solution with warm water and 50% white distilled vinegar to clean out the exterior of your washing machine. If you have a pair of gloves, wear them on. Again, dip the sponge into the solution and ring out exterior water. Scrub the all exterior parts of it completely.

Make sure you get into the corners, as mold and mildew hide in the corners and add to smelly washing processing.

Conclusion:

A casual cleaning of the machine might not help much. You need to maintain the washing machine and clean it thoroughly on a regular basis.

When it comes to washing a washer's parts, it is important to clean out exteriors, drawers, interiors, and the door's seal. It is all about having the right approach and using some natural methods rather than some harsh chemicals.

These simple tips will help you have seamless results in the long-run. After cleaning out your washer using these methods you will not have any nasty odor and get sparkling clothes in the end.

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