slo’s WEDNESDAY 2/21 poll - Cleaning Your Washing Machine

[slo]

Cleaning the washing machine is often a task that gets overlooked. From what I’ve read in the past, you should clean your washing machine once a month. There are YouTube videos if anyone would like to watch/learn more about this. Let us know…..

How often do you clean your washing machine?
Do you clean the outside?
Do you clean the inside with a solution?
(multiple choice)

*For those that have a solution (store bought or homemade) you use, please post what it is. This will help others to start cleaning their washing machine, or to change to something they may like better than what they are currently using. Thank you


For Me……I deep clean my washing machine about every quarter (every 3 months). I use a product called Glisten for the inside, and a few times a months I wipe down the outside with just some water on a rag (this is just to get rid of some dust). I just cleaned mine last weekend, which is what made me think of this topic. I have a reminder in my phone to remind me when it’s time to do this again. If I didn’t have the reminder I would definitely forget.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I run bleach in laundry soap inside the machine once a week with steam and extreme hot water I wish pet blankets and things in there so I’m gonna make sure it’s good and clean
I wipe down the inside of it and clean the boot at least once a month again I will scrub it with bleach to get all the residue off of the boot don’t need a mold build up
I’ll take the tray out for the dispenser for the soap and Downey and clean that with bleach and then clean the area that tray came out of again with bleach to make sure there’s no mold
I cannot clean the filter inside my machine because I would have to take the machine completely apart because it’s up inside the middle of the machine so I can’t do that I mean I could but it’s past my pay grade to do it I watched a video on it - after taking out I think I counted 30 different screws on three different places on the machine and you were literally taking your machine apart because they put the filter in the middle of the washing machine I said I don’t think so because I would never be able to get back together again so if it get cleaned I’m gonna have to hire somebody to do it as I’m not trying it myself - I mean I would take the back of the machine off but I’m not about to take the back top the front the middle and then start taking parts out nope not gonna do it! I know my limits!

 

[PollyannaMom]

I run a cycle with one of those cleaning powder packets occasionally, but I don't know how often.

I wipe off the top whenever there's a enough dust to bug me, and wipe the inside of the window with a wet paper towel if it looks like it needs it.

The closest to a schedule I have is to drain the little catch trap and clean it. My phone reminds me every 5 weeks, but I generally snooze the reminder - so maybe every 6 weeks or so?

 

[ronandannette]

No set schedule; I clean it when I notice it needs it. The outside gets wiped down when there’s noticeable grunge on it and the inside when/if it starts to smell. I don’t think I ever cleaned the inside of a washer when I had a top loader. The door seal on front loaders can get kind of gross.

 

[Disneylover99]

No set schedule; I clean it when I notice it needs it. The outside gets wiped down when there’s noticeable grunge on it and the inside when/if it starts to smell. I don’t think I ever cleaned the inside of a washer when I had a top loader. The door seal on front loaders can get kind of gross.

Yes. I clean that area every few weeks with paper towels, q-tips, soap and water. The sludge build up can get disgusting if you leave it too long.

 

[Disneylover99]

The closest to a schedule I have is to drain the little catch trap and clean it. My phone reminds me every 5 weeks, but I generally snooze the reminder - so maybe every 6 weeks or so?

Oh, I’m definitely way overdue to clean that catch trap. I always forget about it. Maybe I’ll do it tonight. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Moliphino]

I clean it when it occurs to me that I ought to. Just run it on hot with bleach, as the manual says (it calls for Affresh or bleach). It's a top load, so no seal to clean.

 

[BrianL]

Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute...you have to clean a washing machine?

 

[tvguy]

I don't, but my wife cleans the washer once a month. We have a front loader and it has a drain to clean out the water filter.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I know I've cleaned ours a few times. Sometimes it's a bleach solution with hot water or baking soda and vinegar. Sometimes it's one of those supermarket pod kits. I'll admit that I don't have any schedule for this and it's usually more reactive, when I notice things don't seem to be getting as clean. We have a top loader, so while supposedly not as efficient, they're typically a lot less prone to mold and mildew issues. I know my front loader friends clean more often.

I will say this, whenever I've noticed issues with things getting clean, it's never the washer. We have one of those water filtration systems that hooks up to the home's main water line. If something is up with the filtration system, I will see it in the laundry.

 

[NYCgrrl]

If I still had an in-house washer I’d use baking soda to run thru the system. Same chemical compound used in major hotels and dishwashing systems of restaurants.

If you already use baking soda to wash your clothing due to allergies there is no need to clean the machine any further.

 

[NAB]

I have never used a solution to clean the inside. Closest I get to cleaning it is pulling back the rubber gusset to see if hair or kleenx get in there. Always leave the door all the way open when finished so have no problem so far with mold there.

Dust the top when needed.

What I really need to do is clean up the liquid detergent cups , I have a few that are messy with crap thick stuff in the bottom or all over it.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I have an LG front loader. After use for a day, and sometimes in between, I always wipe the inside rim around with a cloth. I also remove the inverter (the draw that pulls in and out) and wipe that dry and wipe the inside dry and leave it out. Didn't know I could and should be doing that until a repair showed me how and that it can get moldy. My machine has a tub clean that I use once a month.

 

[hertamaniac]

Finally, beat one. I just did it last week as I removed the tray which had hardened soap deposits. I still can't get the seal cleaned well (front loader). And I didn't remove the water lines to clean the filters.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Always leave the door all the way open when finished

Yes, definitely!

 

[_19disnA]

Mine has a 'tub clean' cycle where you put bleach/Clorox in an empty machine and run that cycle. Do it maybe 3-4 times per year. It is a front loader LG so I leave the door open for a few hours after each use to allow it to dry out and avoid any musty odors or mildew.

You can buy several pricey cleaning products/tablets, but not sure they really work any better than using bleach. They sell similar products for your dish washer and if you look at the list, citric acid is probably the main ingredient. You can buy citric acid in bulk for 1/10 the price of those expensive cleaning tablets.

Unless you live someplace with excessively hard water, I don't think it requires cleaning that often.

 

[jo-jo]

Mine has a 'tub clean' cycle where you put bleach/Clorox in an empty machine and run that cycle. Do it maybe 3-4 times per year. It is a front loader LG so I leave the door open for a few hours after each use to allow it to dry out and avoid any musty odors or mildew.

You can buy several pricey cleaning products/tablets, but not sure they really work any better than using bleach. They sell similar products for your dish washer and if you look at the list, citric acid is probably the main ingredient. You can buy citric acid in bulk for 1/10 the price of those expensive cleaning tablets.

Unless you live someplace with excessively hard water, I don't think it requires cleaning that often.

I do the same thing with bleach. I pour some bleach on a wet rag and wipe around the gasket . Then toss the rag into washer. I have a short piece of Velcro attach to door and body,so it keeps the door open about 3 inches. keeping the door wide open all the time is a pain. We would hit it going back and forth in room.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Other. We have a new fancy washing machine that tells us when we need to clean it. We use Affresh tablets.

 

[Wood Nymph]

My washing machine has a Clean cycle and you add bleach to the dispenser before using it. I don't run it very often, since I seldom use liquid fabric softener. I remove the dispenser drawer after every use. That reduces the chance of mold forming. I'll wipe the door when it gets scummy looking.

 

[CynBeth]

We have never cleaned it. Do wipe the top when Tide gets on it but that is it. For the dryer we take lint out of the lint thing every use.