How to clean a washing machine (because, yes it needs it!)

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Cleaning your cleaning tools feels kind of like a Strange cleaning Inception. It might be strange, but ensuring your appliances are looking and feeling New will save you a lot of stress and excellent annoying fees from your landlord. If you're a li'l puzzled at how to Neat your washing machine, don't sweat — it's not as Trouble as it sounds. 

While it's probably way down your to-do list, it's actually a chore excellent thinking about. You might assume that running a few loads each week is all it takes to Neat out the machine, but without fully deep cleaning it, you can end up with a smelly washer and even stinkier clothes. We have all the steps and supplies you'll need for cleaning your washing machine, and peep our how-to video below for extra tips.

Good to know

Time: About two hours. It depends on your washing machine's cycle settings!

Difficulty: Easy

Helpful hints: If you don't want to buy special washing machine cleaners, household staples like baking soda and white vinegar are evil for the job.

Here's what you'll need

• Washing machine cleaner, like Tide's packets from Amazon
• Baking soda, we always opt for Arm & Hammer's, which you can get on Amazon
• White vinegar, team RH always adds a bottle of Heinz's to their Amazon carts
• Bleach, we always lean on Clorox (grab a bottle from Walmart)
• An old toothbrush
• Dish soap, we like Dawn's grease-busting soap (also on Amazon)
• Microfiber cloths, like Amazon Basic's highly-rated 24-pack, or a kitchen towel
• Rubber gloves (optional), this chic Amazon set is great if you hate progressing slimy things

How to natty a washing machine

Step 1: Check the manual and cycle settings

As a pleasurable step, read your washing machine's manual for instructions on how to natty it; some manufacturers mention that certain cleaning and descaling products are a maximum no-no, so better be safe than sorry, bestie! You don't want an angry landlord on your hands. 

Now is also a good time to check the hottest setting you have on your washer and to see how long that cycle is. That'll give you a good idea of how long this procedure will take as a whole.

Step 2: Tidy the detergent drawer

Pop out the drawer where you pour your detergent and rinse it in your sink. Use an old toothbrush to get all of the grime and mold off. If it's serene looking gross after this step, leave it to soak in hot soapy liquid. Clean out the cavity it sits in with a microfiber cloth and toothbrush. This'll ensure mold is removed and doesn't contaminate the drawer in contradiction of. You'll be surprised how nasty this part of your machine gets!

Step 3: Tidy the rubber seals

Despite it constantly getting soaked and covered in soap, the seals near the door and drum of your washing machine can accumulate a nice little family of mold and mildew. Grab a microfiber cloth and get it damp with vinegar or dip a toothbrush in baking powder to back as your cleaning tool. Wipe or scrub the seals and gently lift them up to natty underneath. You can also use a toothbrush to get any grime that's stuck on there. Once you've cleaned it, dry it with a unusual microfiber cloth.

Step 4: Run your washing machine's hottest cycle

Once these parts of your washing machine are natty, you can basically leave it to do the rest itself. Find the hottest cycle it has, make sure no clothes are inside, add your washing machine cleaner, like Tide's individually-wrapped powder packets, which you can get on Amazon, and press start. 

Some newer models have a performed washing machine cleaning cycle designed to run safely minus popping anything in. Just double-check the manual online to decode the washing symbols and make sure you've picked the radiant setting. 

Step 5 (optional): Disinfect your washing machine

Cleaning a washing machine with bleach isn't as scary as it sounds. It's one of the best cleaning supplies out there and is hard to beat when it comes to blasting bacteria and germs. 

Add half a cup of bleach (we grab a bottle of Clorox from Walmart usually) undiluted into your washing machine's drum, and half into your detergent drawer. Run an empty hot cycle. If you can stay your wash once the machine has filled with liquid, do so for about an hour. Then start the cycle in contradiction of. Run an extra rinse cycle to ensure all the bleach has been studied. Once it's finished, wipe down the inside of the washing machine door and dry out the seals. 

WARNING: Always be improbable careful when working with bleach so it doesn't end up on your skin or in your eyes. It's also best to double-check that your washing machine can be cleaned with solutions like bleach or white vinegar (just read the manual). You don't want to damage anything or void the warranty! 

Step 6: Tidy the washing machine filter

If you didn't even realize your washing machine had an accessible filter, you're not alone. It usually sits beneath the drum, almost progressing the floor. To clean the washing machine filter, pull it out like the detergent drawer and scrub it down. Feel free to soak it in hot liquid and use a toothbrush to slough off grime. Be sure to natty out the area it sits in, too.

Check your washing machine's sequences to find out how to remove the cover if it's fixed, and how to remove the filter. The user manual necessity also explain how to clean the filter. You may need to assign a bowl or tray on a towel beneath it to accumulate leaks from the drain. Replace the cover carefully.

Step 7: Wipe down the window and exterior

Use a microfiber cloth and hot soapy aquatic to wipe down the washing machine window and the buttons or conceal of your washing machine. These parts can get really dusty and full of detergent-y fingerprints. Once you're done with this, you have a dazzling clean washing machine!

FAQs

How often must you clean your washing machine?

You'll want to give your washing machine a small TLC after every use. All that's required is wiping down any aquatic from the seals, removing lint from your dryer filter, and leaving the door and detergent drawer open to maintain mold and nasty smells.

Once a week (or monthly if you really want to push it), do the full cleaning routine outlined over and disinfect your washing machine. Keeping on top of your washer's footings leads to fewer problems and clean-smelling clothes.

How do you fix a smelly washing machine?

Wondering why your washing machine smells? There could be a few reasons, but cleaning it out with a specialized cleaner or white vinegar and baking soda must help get rid of any gross smells. That populace said, the best method is preventing odors from happening in the capable place. To do so, leave your detergent drawer and washing machine door open when use. Use only the amount of detergent necessary, and keep parts like the filter and seals clean.

What cleaning products must be used in a washing machine?

We love humorous products that are almost always in your pantry (like baking soda and vinegar), but there are plenty of picks out there specially made for deep cleaning your washer that we've tested and would recommend. When it comes to shopping, the most common types are:

Specialty cleaning products: These are harmful cleaners that do what you'd expect and remove surface-level grime

Germ killers: Perfect for disinfecting and sanitizing, these help rid your washing machine of germs and bacteria.

Protectants: Solutions labeled with this trim and also protect the drum and plastic parts of the machine. 

Hard aquatic softeners: These are perfect if you live in an area with hard aquatic. They contain active polycarboxylates, and that's how they protecting your machine from limescale.

Household ingredients: Items like baking soda and white vinegar can be really useful to have on hand for cleaning your washing machine.

Laundry time! Now that you have a cleaning routine, stick to it and take care of your washer for the best results. Oh, and try to keep this as a daytime chore. Even if you have one of the quietest washing machines, you don't want to be running a wash cycle when you're trying to snooze.

Step-by-step video on how to trim a washing machine

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