How to clean a washing machine

Most of us rely heavily upon our washing machine to take care of our laundry needs. The more people in a household, the more it will get used. The benefit is that you can do all of it at home. It can be a chore to go to the Laundromat as well as expensive. However, all of that work your washing machine does really takes a toll on it. Over the course of time you may find that your clothing isn’t as clean as it used to be. One reason for this could be that you need to clean your washing machine. That is right – you need to know how to clean your washing machine that you rely on so much to keep clothing clean and looking spectacular. Most people have never known about the need for this. Therefore they have an appliance that has been in use for years that has never been cleaned.

Some people assume that a washing machine only needs to be cleaned when there is an odor coming from it. This can be one indicator, but it is highly likely that your washing machine can benefit from a good wash well before that. In fact, if it gets to that point then you have been cycling clothing through it for some time that isn’t really coming as clean as it should.

The first step to cleaning a washing machine is making sure it is empty. You are going to want to cycle it with nothing in it. You may be thinking that is going to waste both water and electricity. Yet that cost is going to be extremely low compared to buying a new appliance or buying new clothing so keep that in mind.

Turn the setting to the highest setting that it will. This should be either a large load or an extra large load depending on the features your washing machine offers. You also want to have the water as hot as it can be. Allow it to fill up with water and when it begins the cleaning cycle you will want to add four cups of distilled white vinegar to it. You want to wait until you see the agitator of the washing machine in motion.

Allow the vinegar to sit for a minute or two, then add a cup of baking soda. You want to let the washing machine run for a few minutes. While it is still in the cycle of the agitator moving around though you want to turn it off. Set a timer and allow this mixture with the water to remain in place for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

It is important that you allow it to sit in order to get the dirt and grime that has accumulated in the basin to work itself loose. After the time limit is up, turn the washer on again and let it continue to work through the normal washing cycle. Pay close attention to the process though. When you can hear that the water is draining, move the dial forward so that it will spin.

This is going to allow the basin to be spinning while the water is draining instead of standing still like it normally does. This combination of movement is going to help remove more of what has built up in your washing machine over the course of time. After the washing machine has come to the end of the cycle you want to take a clean towel and wipe down the inside of it.

Don’t skip that step because it is very important. You don’t want some of the dirt or grime inside to remain. If it does, it can end up staining the clothing in the next load of laundry you put into it. Once you have completed this, you will find your clothing comes out better. Any smell from your washing machine will be eliminated as well.

Once you have your washing machine clean, you do want to do all you can to keep it that way. One of the many reasons why it keeps dirt inside of it is that people use too much laundry detergent. You can use about half of what the directions on most products tell you and still get your clothing clean. However, if the water in your area is very hard then you may be justified in using the full amount of it.

If you use liquid fabric softener in your washing machine, it can also cause build up to occur due to the oil base of it. You may want to consider using ¼ cup of vinegar instead. It works just as well but won’t create problems for your washer. The fact that is also less expensive is nice too. The smell of the vinegar will be completely gone by the time your clothes have finished in the dryer.

Once you get into the habit of cleaning your appliance, you will find that it is doing a much better job on your laundry. The frequency that you will want to clean it depends on how often you use it. Some people do only a couple of loads of laundry a week. Others though have a large family and so they can end up doing laundry daily.

The amount of soil that is on the clothing is also something to consider. If they are normal daily wear, then it isn’t as difficult for the washing machine as when they are caked with mud, grease, or other types of materials. A clean appliance is going to ensure that you have your laundry done though and that you are very happy with the results.

This type of routine maintenance for your appliance will also help to make it last longer. A washing machine is a high ticket purchase so you want to be able to get the longest possible life span out of one that you can. Now that you know how to clean a washing machine, you will be able to keep yours around for much longer.