Did you ever think that something that cleans your clothes would need cleaning, too? Here are some great tips on keeping your washing machine clean, why you should clean it, and how often.
A few months ago we had to buy a new washing machine after our old one finally gave out. Luckily with everyone in my family being home right now I don’t have a lot of laundry to do every day.
Washing the laundry on that first day in the new machine was amazing. My clothes had never smelled and felt more clean!
However, after a few months of doing laundry, I started to notice that my clothes weren’t smelling or feeling so clean any more. They were starting to smell dingy, like maybe I was forgetting to put in the detergent.
Has that ever happened to you?
Light bulb moment: I realized after a while that it was actually my washing machine that was making my clothes smell and feel unclean!
Keeping your washing machine clean is super important. Read on to find out why you need to keep the machine clean, how to clean it, and how often you should clean it.
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Just like everything else, washing machines get dirty, too. Over time, they develop build-up from grime, detergents, hard water deposits, mold, and mildew. This can cause your laundry to appear dingy and just plain unclean. Washing machines also collect fingerprints and stains, so it’s important to clean inside and out.
Exterior: Wipe down the entire exterior of your washing machine, including the knobs. You can use your favorite all-purpose cleaner, vinegar, or lemon juice for this. Vinegar works great at removing fingerprints and detergent build-up, and lemon juice will work just as good. Just pour some vinegar or lemon juice into a clean spray bottle and spray the area; wipe clean with the rag. Or you can soak the rag with vinegar or lemon juice and wipe down the machine.
Lid or door: With the vinegar, scrub around the edge of the lid or door to remove any detergent build-up, dust, and/or mildew. Using an old toothbrush will get into all those tight spots and grooves. If you have a front-loading washing machine, pull the top of the rubber door seal back gently to check for mold. If there is any, use the vinegar on an old toothbrush to remove it. (Click here to see what else you can use an old toothbrush for!)
Fabric softener/bleach dispensers: Remove the dispensers from the washing machine and scrub them in the sink. While they are out, scrub around the opening with the toothbrush and vinegar. Dry the dispensers completely and place them back in the washing machine.
Tub: Pour two cups of vinegar or lemon juice into the tub of the washing machine and run it through a complete cycle. Use the hottest and longest setting possible to remove stains, detergent build-up, and odors. The acid in the vinegar and lemon juice will also remove any mineral deposits from hard water.
If you have a top-loading washing machine, it should be cleaned every six months. However, if you have hard water, cleaning the machine every three months will prevent mineral deposit build-up.
Front-load and high-efficiency top-load washing machines need to be cleaned at least once a month because they use less water than standard machines.
Your washer should be cleaned more often if you live in a hot, humid area because mold can be more of a problem. Also, your washing machine should be cleaned more often if you have a lot of heavily soiled clothing.
What about you? Do you clean your washing machine often?
Are you looking for more cleaning tips? I recommend these:
Pretreating Stains with Baking Soda
Is Your Bedroom Making You Sick?
11 Things You’re Forgetting to Clean in Your Bedroom
How to Clean Up Fast For Company
Natural Ways to Make Your Bedroom Smell Clean and Amazing
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View Comments
So if I have the washer with the soap and detergent goes in that little pull out drawer, where do I put the vinegar and lemon juice? Inside the drum still?
Yes. And I would only use either vinegar or lemon juice for cleaning without the detergent. Both together might be too acidic. You can add a little bit of vinegar to the drum each time you wash your clothes, too. Hope that helps! :)
Thank you!
You're welcome! :)
Thank you! I’ve noticed that sometimes the laundry doesn’t have that fresh and clean perfume ? I thought is the detergent ? Thank you for the tips...I usually clean it but seems is not enough...especially because I live in a hot and humid place ?
I do notice that I have to clean mine more when it's really hot and humid, so that could be it, too. I'm glad you found this helpful! :D
This is a very timely reminder for me, Michelle - thank you!
I'm so glad you found it helpful! :)
That is an excellent point - I had not thought about that before! Thanks for the tips :)
You're welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful! :)
This is awesome! A few weeks ago I noticed our clothes were starting to get a musty smell and I kept thinking it was because I was leaving them in the washer too long so rather than waiting a few hours to switch them to the dryer I would literally wash the clothes and take them out right away but they were still smelling..it finally dawned on me the machine needed cleaned so I used the self clean button on my washer and it really has made a difference... Next time I’ll add vinegar etc. like you suggested..I also want to check out your all purpose cleaner that you mentioned! Thanks for sharing Michelle!
Thanks. A good reminder
Thank you! :)
Thank you so much for this. I will go do this tomorrow because my machine is in dire need of a cleaning.
You're welcome! I'm glad I reminded you to clean your machine. :)
Great tips, Michelle. We had a front load and I agree, they need alot more cleaning. Thanks for another list of ways to keep the home more liveable.
Thank you so much! Happy to help. :)
Thanks for the tip! I sometimes think about cleaning the outside because it’s easy to see when it gets dusty or dirty. But I am negligent when it comes to cleaning inside the drum. Thanks for the reminder!
I'm the same way. And it just seems like it's something that should be cleaning itself on the inside. :D Thank you for your comment!
My mother instilled in me to use vinegar for cleaning.
That's great! It's amazing how good it works. Plus it's cheap and no harsh chemicals to worry about.
All great reasons.