Is cleaning our washers necessary? Don’t they get clean every time we do a load of laundry? The answer to the second question is a surprising no. Our washing machines, especially used with hot water cycles or reside in homes with humid climates, are a perfect breeding zone for mold and mildew. Sometimes certain brands or styles of washing machines will actually hold water in some of the compartments and this, over time, can cause odors that will eventually get transferred onto clothing items. Another grime causing culprit is hard water. Washing machines that live in areas of hard water will often accumulate lime and or calcium build up causing extra wear and tear on the life of your washer. Knowing how and when to clean your machine will save you money and you won’t be using harsh chemicals that can interfere with your septic system. The only things that you need are white vinegar and baking soda. The vinegar helps kill bacteria and eliminate odor and the baking soda helps whiten and clean. I find that cleaning the washer every three months does the trick. Below are the directions for top loader machines only.
Directions:
Turn washer on to the largest load setting using hot water. DO NOT USE DETERGENT
Add 4 cups of white vinegar to the water. Allowing the machine to mix the solution for a few minutes.
Add ½ C. of baking soda to the machine and let the mixture continue agitating again for another few minutes.
After the solution is fully combined stop machine & allow the vinegar, water and soda to sit for 1 hour.
While the solution is sitting, take a dry clean microfiber cloth and a small scrubber and clean around the buttons, gadgets and loading stations with the water from the machine.
Once outer cleaning is complete and the hour is up, turn the machine back on and allow the water to drain during the spin cycle. If your machine does not have this feature, start another hot water cycle and let it run through completely.
And that’s it! It’s that easy and your washing machine will look and smell like brand new.
