Some household appliances need a good clean from now and then, even if they are designed for cleaning things out, such as the washer and dishwasher. Sometimes we forget about them, and when mold starts attacking your washing machine or lime scale build up conquers your dishwasher, you realize that it’s time to take action, otherwise you may have to replace it.
Holy-Molly! I’m telling you this, because I was scared when my top-loading washing machine was looking outrageous – the rubber was killing me, literally, because it was filled with black mold spores, and a funny smell was coming out of it. Not wondering anymore where that funny smell was coming from!
Also, the detergent compartment was looking pretty funny: it had a brownish film and laundry detergent leftovers were stuck on it.
As a personal advice, don’t wait for too long when it comes to clean your washer, because you may risk damaging it. Try applying the below remedy at least once every 2 weeks to prevent mold appearance and hard water build up.
You Need:
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
Tools
- Toothbrush
- Microfiber cloth
Steps You Need To Follow:
- Fill the washer using the highest load size, hottest water setting, and longest wash.
- Open the washer’s lid and as the tub fills, add a quart of white vinegar.
- Close the washer’s lid and allow the washer to work for about a minute.
- After a minute, open the washer’s lid again and allow the water and vinegar to soak in the washer tub for an hour.
- Meanwhile, remove any parts you can and soak them and clean nooks and crannies under the lid.
- Now, soak and scrub removable parts like the bleach and fabric softener compartments. Dry them thoroughly and replace. Using a toothbrush, clean the upper portion of the agitator and hard-to-reach areas under the lid and around the rim of the tub. You can also use this time to clean the front and sides of the machine, but don’t close the washer’s lid yet!
- After an hour, close the washer’s lid and allow the cycle to complete.
- During this time, you can clean the top of the washing machine, the dials, and console with vinegar solution.
- To neutralize the smell of vinegar, run another hot water cycle in which you’ve added 1 cup of baking soda. This way you’ll clean all left residues.
- At the end, after the cycle finished, you may want to leave the washer’s lid open to prevent mildew appearance.