Preparation
It might seem counterintuitive to regularly clean an appliance you use to clean other items, but it’s still important to do—especially when it comes to your washing machine. As for how often to give this laundry room workhouse a wipe down? In an ideal world, says Courtenay Hartford, the author of The Cleaning Ninja ($15.99, amazon.com), you should be cleaning your washing system about once a month.
“Cleaning your washer should be viewed as more of a preventative measure than as something that you do to fix a problem once it arises,” she explains. “If you start to notice that clothes come out not smelling as clean as they should, it’s time to clean your machine. You might also notice buildup of various types of debris (pet fur, leaves, etc.) around the seals—that’s a visual cue that you might have forgotten to run a good cleaning cycle for the last few months.” Beyond debris, soap residue from your detergent and bath products, as well as minerals from your water, can build up and create an environment for bacteria to grow over time. Not only can this residue eventually clog up the inner workings of your machine, it can also impact how the machine functions; this might mean unpredictable water temperature or transferred odors between clothes. Ahead, we outline exactly how to clean your washing machine using both chemical and natural methods (which call on trusty vinegar!).
To begin the cleaning process, wipe out the interior and the seals around the door of the machine with an all-purpose cleaner. For top-loading machines, remove debris from any filters or drains around the seal, explains Hartford. If you have a front-loading washer, identify the drain filter (which should be located behind a small front-facing door near the bottom) and shake it over the trash; rinse it well before replacing it. Have a big bowl handy to catch any excess water that drains out when you remove the cap from the drain tube.
If you’re noticing unpleasant odors in your machine or clean clothes, specifically, Hartford recommends trying a washing machine cleaner like Affresh ($11.99, bedbathandbeyond.com); simply follow the package instructions. But if you don’t want to use a chemical formula, there is another alternative to getting your washing machine clean and smell-free—and you likely already have the solution under your kitchen sink: vinegar. “The acidity kills bacteria, cuts through grim and build up, and knocks out odors, especially when combined with baking soda,” explains Jennifer Parnell, the co-founder of Humble Suds.
Parnell suggests checking the instructions on your washer’s owner manual before attempting this DIY. If you have the all clear, pour two cups of vinegar into your detergent dispenser and run your washer on the hot cycle. “When it is complete, add a half-cup of baking soda to the drum and run another hot cycle,” she says. After this cycle, seal the deal by spraying the drum’s interior with more vinegar (add some to a clean spray bottle to make the process easier) before wiping it down with a microfiber towel. Hartford agrees with this method, noting that “the vinegar and hot water together are enough to wash away a small amount of soap residue buildup.”
Here’s the thing: If you’re using a non-high efficiency (HE) machine, you’re going to need to add more vinegar to the cycle, since they use more water per wash; use double the amount (four cups) in your non-HE machine, shares Parnell.
Going forward, try to keep the door open about an inch between laundry cycles to allow for more airflow; letting the inside of the machine dry out will slow down bacteria growth. Wipe your machine’s seals a little more often and clear the filters and drain around the seal, as well, so less of that debris gets swept down into the main drain filter inside your machine. “It’s worth noting that a machine that’s used regularly—every day or every other day—doesn’t give bacteria a chance to grow and create unpleasant odors,” says Hartford. “So you’ll probably find that your problems with smelly laundry will decrease greatly.” Now there’s one silver lining to doing load after load of laundry.
