How to Wash Your Washing Machine

Laundry appliances encounter messy loads.

While you likely think nothing of placing dirty clothes into your washing machine and pulling them out clean and ready for the dryer, you are less likely to consider bacteria and dirt buildup that may accumulate inside that very same washer. To keep your washing machine clean and sanitary so it can properly serve its purpose, clean it at regular intervals, based on the amount of usage it receives.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups bleach

1. Fill your washing machine with hot water and add 2 cups of white vinegar.

2. Allow the machine to agitate for a few minutes to thoroughly mix the vinegar and water and then pause the cycle for one hour to allow the solution time to clean and disinfect the tub's interior.

3. Turn the cycle back on and allow it to finish.

4. Refill the washer with hot water, and add 2 cups of bleach. Follow the same process as you did with the vinegar.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean your washing machine every so often when it appears especially grimy or dingy.

• Do not get obsessive about keeping your washer clean. You don't need to clean it all the time, just here and there throughout the year. No need to add too much bleach to the septic.

References

• Orange County Register: Vinegar Banishes Washing Machine Odor