How to Clean Your Front Loader Washing Machine
Did you know you needed to clean your washing machine? Well, we sure didn't-so embarrassing. We were noticing that our just-washed-laundry was smelling musty. We switched laundry detergent and that didn't help either. So when all else failed I looked at the owners manual to discover that we weren't properly maintaining our washer.
This is how much moisture there was 48 hours after doing a load of laundry. The high efficiency machines spin so much water out of the laundry that water sits inside the drum.
I pulled back the rubber seal inside the machine at the drum area...
...and found this MOLD! Yuck!!
I decided to give the entire washer a good cleaning.
I poured 2 cups of bleach into the dispenser...
And ran a cycle on "sanitize" which is our hottest cycle. Newer machines have a "clean" cycle.
Run another cycle using 2 cups of vinegar...
After you have done your laundry, be sure to leave your door ajar until it air dries.
We are happy to say there is no long a stale, musty odor in our washing machine! Good Luck!
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How to make dishwasher smell good after washing a load.
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Suggestion: Also leave the detergent dispenser ajar...
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
what about top load washers?
My washer doesn't have a sanitize or clean cycle. Should I use the hot water and heavy soil setting?
I have used these ideas for my machine. I want to know how to unclog the rinse tray without taking apart the whole machine? Whenever I use cold water for rinse, the softener doesn't dissolve, and just sits in the tray. I had seen this in the laundromat too. This is the only reason I do not like front loaders....you cant keep trays clean/empty.