Without regular cleaning, your washing machine harbors leftover detergent, hard-water deposits, and mold or mildew around the lid. This can leave residues on laundry or cause items to emerge from the machine smelly and smeared.
To ensure your freshly washed clothes and linens are as clean as possible, follow these steps to clean your washing machine thoroughly at least once in 3 months. You can use the methods to clean out both front-loading and top-loading washing machines.
How to Clean a Front-Loading Washing Machine
1. Gather Cleaning Supplies
You’ll need,
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Spray bottle
- Microfiber cloth
- Hard Toothbrush
2. Spray the Washing Drum With The White Vinegar
Put white vinegar into a spray bottle and splash the inside of the washing drum. Wait a few seconds and wipe all around it with a microfiber cloth, leaving no surface untouched. White vinegar helps cut through residue, buildup, hard water stains, and even grease effortlessly than other regular erasers.
3. Thoroughly Clean Around the Rubber Gaskets
Next up, Is the rubber gaskets (the seals around the door)
This part of the machine holds onto lots of scum, mildew, soaps and even cloth remnants. Wipe it all away by turning out all edges and cleaning with pressure!
4. Run Machine
Pour Vinegar Into the Detergent Dispenser and Run the Washing Machine. Make sure to set machine heat temprature to highest and longest wash hours.
Note: Machine has to be run without anything inside.
This step is to help the machine clean up internally.
5. Run a Second Hot Cycle
Run one more empty, regular cycle on hot, without detergent or vinegar. If desired, add 1/2 cup baking soda to the drum to help clear away the buildup loosened from the first cycle. After the cycle is complete, wipe out the inside of the drum with a microfiber cloth to remove any remaining residue.
6. Scrub the Inside and Outside of the Washing Machine
In a bucket or nearby sink, mix about 1/4 cup vinegar with a quart of warm water. Use this mixture, plus a sponge and dedicated toothbrush, to clean the inside of the machine. Pay special attention to dispensers for fabric softener or soap, the inside of the door, and around the door opening. If your soap dispenser is removable, soak it in the vinegar water before scrubbing. Give the machine’s exterior a wipedown, too.
7. Leave the Door Ajar and Let the Washing Machine Dry Out
Leaving the door ajar to allow machine air dry.
How to Clean a Top-Loading Washing Machine
You can use exact steps from above to wash your top-loading machine, but in a quick summary;
1. Add Vinegar to the Washing Machine and Start a Washing Cycle
Set your washing machine to run at its highest temperature and washing hours. Add 3 cups of white vinegar, and turn it on. You can also allow the vinegar to sit for some minutes before you start a washing cycle.
2. Clean Machine
Next Spritz vinegar onto a microfiber cloth and run it along the top and bottom of the lid, the sides, and the front of the washer. Rub along every inch of the machine.
A toothbrush will come in handy to really scrub machine openings, folds, and hard stains.
3. Run Another Cycle With Baking Soda
Once the first cycle has ended, pour in a cup of baking soda and turn your washing machine back on for one more poweful wash.
4. Leave the Lid Open and Let It Air Dry
You can also clean machine with a dry and clean towel before allowing to air dry properly.
Airdrying the machine help rid of odor, left over moisture that bacteria’s can breed.
- How to clean hair brushes Really quick and Easy
- How to Clean White Shoes
- How to Clean a Hoarders House!
- Essential De-cluttering Checklist to Keep Your House Clean During The Winter
- How to Finally Get Rid of Sentimental Clutters
- How to Clean Urine On a Couch “( Kids Urine Or Pets)”
- How to Be clean and Hygienic Everyday “22 Easy Steps”
