How To Easily Clean Your Washing Machine

When we moved into our new house I never thought to clean my washing machine. It had never crossed my mind as being something that I NEEDED to clean, you know? Now that we have been in the house for a while and I was dealing with stinky towels, I thought it might be good to find a good recipe for cleaning the washing machine. This was even more important to me given the fact that the washing machine belonged to this house's previous owner...a bachelor. So, to prepare you, you are about to see some pretty disgusting photos. I knew there had to be a solution out there somewhere but I had yet to find it and one day, I couldn't stand the grime any longer. So, here is how I did it and for your viewing pleasure, here are my before pictures.

 

These are the corner hinges of the washer's lid. As you can see, there is alot of build-up that has accumulated and needed to be loosened and cleaned.

The bleach dispenser. Yeaaaaahhhh...pretty nasty. I have never been a fan of using bleach in my laundry because after prolonged use, it can break down your clothes. Occasionally, I will use bleach to treat some tough stains on white t-shirts and undies.

So, after surveying the damage, I set to work and I found my solution on a blog called "One Good Thing by Jillee". She has some really good ideas and I trusted her advice. Here is how I cleaned my washing machine.

• First, fill the washer with HOT water. Add 1 quart of chlorine bleach - no detergent – and let the machine agitate for a minute, then let it sit for one hour. 
• After one hour, allow the washer to run through its longest wash and spin cycle.
• Immediately fill the washer with HOT water again and add 1 quart distilled white vinegar. Let agitate for a minute, and again, let it sit for one hour.

Here is why Jillee recommends cleaning your washing machine...

Using the bleach and vinegar will clean away bacteria, soap scum and mineral deposits from the wash basket and hoses. This is especially important if you live in a hard water area and should be done every three months. Every washer should be cleaned at least twice per year.

While the vinegar water is soaking, you can get a cloth, dip it into the vinegar water and wipe down your washing machine's external parts and surfaces. Don't forget the nooks, crannies, lid, corners, knobs and crevices...all those places get filthy!! See the difference in my liquid bleach dispenser? It is like new! Mine actually popped out and I could get inside and clean the channel through which the bleach would travel. It looks so great now. 

The hinges look really clean now as well...the vinegar water deodorized and helped to clean up the dirt very effecively and I now have a sparkling clean washing machine!

This washing machine is not new by any stretch of the imagination so there were some areas that were unable to be cleaned 100%. BUT, it is much cleaner than it was before and I was able to clean it for pennies. The odors that were present before are gone now and doing this has really helped make my entire laundry experience better! So easy...I hope you give it a try! :) Enjoy your weekend!!