Knowing when and how to clean a washing machine is generally not something that households cover in a cleaning schedule, but given its purpose – they should.
While kitchens and bathrooms are often marked as the key spaces that receive all the attention during weekly tidy ups, there is another area of the home that is often regarded as the quiet achiever: the laundry room.
Often one of the last spaces to get a much needed deep clean, it seems counterproductive given that it’s full of items that we use to scrub away dirt, dust and grime – particularly the washing machine.
The dirt that disappears from your clothes, towels, and sheets has to go somewhere, which means grime can build up inside your washing machine over time. Without regular cleaning, the appliance might also harbor leftover detergent, hard-water deposits, and mold or mildew around the lid – but how do you actually clean a washing machine?
A Beginner’s Guide To Cleaning A Washing Machine
As a general rule, front load washing machines are often older models, and require a bit more maintenance when compared to top loaders. Wiping down anything that touches detergent is a good first step for washing machine maintenance, but a handful of others include leaving the door open after each use, rubbing down the rubber door seals, and not using more than the recommended amount of detergent.
For a more in depth deep clean, running an in depth wash cycle with a cleaning agent should be conducted around once a month to kill any lingering germs and disinfect the machine. Once you start researching the types of bacteria and moulds that can get comfortable in a washing machine, resist the urge to run to the nearest supermarket for bleach or other corrosive chemicals. In fact, to clean a washing machine, there’s a good chance that you already have everything you need at home, such as vinegar or bicarb soda.
To clean a washing machine that’s a front loader, start by removing any clothes from the washer and making sure that the machine’s interior is completely dry. Add a small amount of white vinegar to a damp cloth, and wipe away any lingering grime on the rubber gasket.
To tackle the wash cycle, add two cups of white vinegar to the detergent dispenser, and run a full wash with hot water on the largest load setting. Repeat this cycle a second time, but instead add half a cup of baking soda to the drum. Once the second cycle is complete, spray and wipe the drum and the outside of your machine with a damp cloth and vinegar.
For top loader washing machines, the process is similar, but slightly different. Much like the process of how to clean a washing machine that’s a front loader, the first step is to remove all clothes and ensure that the machine is dry.
Set the washer on the hottest and largest load setting, then add four cups of white vinegar to the wash cycle. This time, pause your washer after fifteen minutes and let the mixture sit for roughly one hour.
While you wait, use this time to spray and wipe the top of the machine with a damp cloth, and vinegar and scrub the detergent dispenser with an old toothbrush. Once the hour is up, repeat the cycle, but add one cup of baking soda to the drum for the second wash. Once the second cycle is finished, wipe down the top of the lid with a damp cloth, and enjoy your sparkling clean washing machine.
Washing isn’t exactly fun, but neither is letting it pile up. To get some of your time back while ensuring that all the work gets done, investing in a reliable house cleaner to take care of the bigger tasks or regular day to day stuff can be worth their weight in gold – but where do you find one?
Ditch The Chemicals And Stay Clean With Goodwings
We all know that good help can be hard to find, particularly when it comes to finding a reliable housekeeper that you can trust. Offering four to six hour cleaning packages, just a handful of the services on offer with the Cleaning Angels at Goodwings include bed linen changes, washing, and topping up everyday household goods like washing powder, shampoos, toilet paper and much more.
Given the fact that eco-friendly cleaning agents have been demonstrated to be just as effective at tackling various chores as traditional cleaning products, the weekly or fortnightly packages on offer through Goodwings enable Queenslanders to continue on with a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing the cleanliness of their homes.
To find out more about the services on offer with us at Goodwings, get in touch to discuss how we can provide your household with world class cleaning solutions.
