How to Clean Your Washing Machine

Have you ever noticed your washer looking dirty? Or having that awful musty smell? How about your clothes not coming out as clean as you would like after they have been washed? What can cause these problems? Hard water mineral deposits and detergents build up in your washer's hoses, pump, and the tub itself. Below are some tips to hopefully help you remedy that problem.

Run washer through a large hot water cycle with chlorine bleach. Then, run the washer through another hot cycle with white vinegar. It works best if you run the second cycle right after the first. Depending on your washer you can use approximately 1 qt of bleach and then 1 qt of vinegar. The bleach helps remove any stains you may have in the washer. After the second cycle, run the washer a third time with nothing added to remove any of the bleach/vinegar that may be remaining.

Run washer through a large cycle with hot water and 2 cups of vinegar or lemon/lime juice. Then in all the nooks and crannies you can use spray cleaner (with q-tips, old toothbrush, paper towels, etc.). This includes under the lid and under the lip of the washer. Make sure to get around and under all the seals etc. where buildup likes to hang out. Then, after everything is clean, run the washer one more time to remove any cleaner that may discolor clothes. Lemon/lime juice may help with rust problems. Vinegar is more helpful for odor problems and killing mold and mildew.

Another slightly different alternative is after running a vinegar or lemon/lime juice cycle, is to run another cycle with baking soda. Use approximately 2 cups baking soda on the largest cycle setting with hot water. Then, run a rinse load with nothing added.

Front load washers can accumulate mold and mildew under the seal where the door closes. For this there is a product on the market that is supposed to take care of this problem called Affresh. Affresh is sold at places like Home Depot and Lowes. You can also first try the bleach and hot water method. But, this may be an alternative for hard to clean washers. I have not used it, or am I familiar with Affresh so I can not comment on its effectiveness.

For all of these options first let the washer fill up with water and then add the product as the agitator starts up.

How often should you do this? About every three to four months. You may need to do it more often if you wash a lot of heavily soiled clothes.

Other tips for a cleaner washing machine:

Leave the washer lid open when not in use so that it can air dry.

To know how much bleach to use in your machine you can refer to the owner's manual or on the machine itself.

Try using less detergent. Note: Those with soft water may require less detergent, and those with hard water may need more laundry detergent. Again, you can refer to your owner's manual to what they recommend for your machine.

Some machines may have different materials on the inner structure of the machine, so it is best to consult your owner's manual or call the company before using cleaners other than laundry detergent. Some materials may be damaged by vinegar or bleach.

Warning: Before working on the inside of your washer with cleaner and q-tips etc. it is best to unplug the machine. If you clean the inside of the machine manually you run the risk of electrocution, so please make sure to unplug it first. Safety first!