How to clean your washing machine from limescale and bad odor: three life hacks

The washing machine accumulates limescale from hard water, small particles of fabric fibers, and detergent residue on the mechanism parts during operation. If you wash frequently at low temperatures, this limescale can harbor bacteria and fungi, which can cause an unpleasant odor to emanate from the drum.

Fortunately, the problems of limescale, dirt, and laundry odor can be solved in one step. OBOZREVATEL tells you about three home remedies that will help with this. All of them require inexpensive and readily available ingredients.

Baking soda and vinegar

These two substances react to destroy limescale deposits and disinfect the parts of the washing machine. To make them interact properly, you need to take a quarter cup of dry baking soda and dilute it with the same amount of water. This liquid is sent to the detergent tray. The vinegar is poured directly into the drum: white vinegar or ordinary 9% table vinegar. You will need two cups of detergent. Next, start the wash cycle without clothes. Select the longest program and the highest temperature. When the cycle is complete, ventilate the machine thoroughly to remove any residual vinegar odor.

Citric acid

This substance is the basis of many factory-made laundry care products. If you use food-grade acid, it will be much cheaper and have the same effect. To clean the machine, you need to take from 1 to 6 packs of dry citric acid, depending on the degree of contamination. Pour the product into the detergent tray and run the machine on an empty wash with the longest cycle and highest temperature.

Bleach

Chlorine bleach is the best solution for disinfecting the machine mechanism. However, lime will also clean quite well. Depending on how dirty the appliance is, you need to pour up to 1 liter of the product into the drum. Then the machine is set to the longest wash cycle with the highest temperature. The wash is paused before rinsing. Filled with water and bleach, the machine has to soak for one hour, and then the cycle is resumed. When the rinse is complete, the washing machine will need to be rinsed of chlorine residue. To do this, run an empty circle again, but on a short program and at a temperature of 30 degrees.

How to prevent problems with your washing machine

It is recommended to clean the washing machine 2-3 times a year. To prevent the accumulation of dirt inside the device, you need to follow simple rules.

• Do not exceed the dosage of detergent. Foam can settle in the mechanism and lead to the development of bacteria and mold.
• Soak clothes before washing if they are very dirty. This way you will reduce the use of powder or gel in the machine. In addition, this approach to caring for your clothes is more gentle.
• Leave the door and detergent tray ajar after washing. This will allow excess moisture to evaporate. It is in a humid environment that bacteria and mold develop.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told you what things should not be washed in the machine on the fast cycle and why.

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