How to clean a washing machine. Your washing machine can accumulate soap scum over time. Consequently, your washer is in desperate need of a refresh every now and then.
You will learn here how to deep clean your front-loading and top-loading washers with vinegar and baking soda (each method is different). Although it may seem daunting at first, it’s not that difficult.
How to clean a washing machine
How to clean a washing machine. Here’s how to start with an empty, clean, and dry washing machine. Set your washer to the hottest and largest setting you have. When the washer starts to fill up with water, add 4 or 5 cups of white vinegar. Let the washer start to agitate for a few minutes, then stop the cycle.
Vinegar should be sprayed on the washer drum
Add some white vinegar to a spray bottle, then spritz the inside of the drum with it. Next, wipe all around it with a microfiber cloth and make sure you cover every surface of it while paying attention to the inside walls.
White vinegar is one of nature’s best cleaning products–it cuts through any buildup or residue and cleans surfaces effortlessly.
Cleaning the Rubber Gaskets
Following that, the rubber gaskets (the seals around the door) need some serious attention. You’ll probably find scum, mildew, and even hair as you wipe them. Remove it all.
Our washing machines are under warranty for a good reason: if they aren’t clean, that means they aren’t working. Make sure to put a few drops of the detergent in the dispenser tray before starting your first load.
Put Distilled White Vinegar into the Detergent Dispenser
Measure out two cups of distilled white vinegar and pour it directly into your washing machine’s detergent dispenser. Set the washer for a 2-hour cycle with the hottest water available.
(It is not advisable to use white vinegar on shirts that are made from some synthetics because it could cause yellowing.)
Clean the front and door of the washing machine
Vinegar is a color-safe cleaner that can remove mineral wipes and other stains while retaining the surface finish on quartz, granite, and most natural stones.
Clean the outside and inside and of the washing machine door using a microfiber cloth.
Let the washing machine dry out with the door ajar
The door should be kept ajar to prevent mold and mildew from forming. Let the machine air dry (or wipe it down with a dry microfiber cloth).
Start the washing machine and add vinegar
Set your washing machine to run on its highest and hottest setting. Add in four cups of white vinegar and turn it on. Once it’s filled up and barely started.
However, pause the washing machine and just let the water and vinegar sit for an hour. The combination should help get out the worst stains!
Clean the lid and the rest of the washing machine
While you’re waiting, you can move on to tackle the rest of your washing machine’s surfaces. Once your stain is treated and wet with vinegar.
Use a microfiber cloth when rubbing all four sides of the lid, as well as the front and back. Don’t forget about the top surfaces too. Do this until you’ve covered every inch of the surface.
Consider the Dispenser for Detergent and Fabric Softener
When washing machine detergent and fabric softener buildup has begun to clog the machines’ dispensers, give them a couple of loosening washes with a toothbrush, and then use a siphon hose to flush them out.
Run a second cycle with baking soda
Pour in one cup of baking soda after your first cycle has ended and restart the washing machine for one last thorough wash (still on those hottest/highest settings).
Keep the lid open and let it air dry
Just like washing clothes with a front loader, give your washer a chance to dry. Leave the lid up so that it has room to air dry, and you should be able to get away with not having to wipe out your dirty wet laundry.
If you really want to ensure your top-loading washer is perfectly clean and ready for a fresh load of clothes, you might have to go in there with a microfiber towel (sanitizing option optional).
How to clean a washing machine
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