Cleaning a washing machine with bleach

Video: How to Clean a Washing Machine CHEAP & EASY No More Smell!

Content

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Method 1 of 3: Clean a top loading with bleach
Method 2 of 3: Clean a front loader with bleach
Method 3 of 3: Clean other areas
Tips

It may seem strange to clean an appliance that is intended for cleaning, but a washing machine needs to be cleaned regularly to stay fresh and free of mold. Bleach is an excellent product for cleaning a washing machine, as it works well to remove a variety of dirt, dust, mildew and mold spores from the surfaces of a washing machine. You can use it to clean the drum as well as other surfaces on and in the washing machine. However, be careful when using bleach to avoid accidentally bleaching laundry.

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Method 1 of 3: Clean a top loading with bleach

Fill the bleach compartment with bleach. Most modern washing machines have a compartment or reservoir for bleach. Fill the compartment or reservoir completely with bleach.
- Older models may not have a bleach compartment. If your washing machine does not have such a compartment, simply pour 120-250 ml of bleach into the drum of your washing machine.
- If the bleach compartment holds less than 60ml of bleach, consider using concentrated bleach. That way you can use the bleach compartment and still have the cleaning power of a larger amount of bleach.
EXPERT TIP
Set the washing machine to hot water. Hot water helps to sanitize and clean the inside of the washing machine. It removes the accumulated fats and oils better than cold water.
- A washing program with hot water consumes more electricity than a washing program with cold water. However, if you clean the washing machine every few months, you won't be using much more electricity than usual.
Let the washing machine do its job. You can run the washing machine through a normal long wash cycle or set the washing machine to the maintenance or cleaning program, if your washing machine has one of these programs. Both programs allow the hot water and bleach to flow through the drum and around the agitator so that they are thoroughly cleaned.
- Make sure the washing machine is empty when you switch it on. Leaving clothes in the washing machine will get bleach on them.
Interrupt the washing program when the drum has filled with water. To make sure the bleach can really clean the inside of your washing machine, turn off the washing machine and let the bleach soak into the drum. Let the bleach work for about an hour before turning the washing machine back on and finishing the cycle.
- With most washing machines you can interrupt the washing program by opening the door of the machine or pulling the dial.
Consider running the washing machine through a rinse cycle. If you are concerned that there is still bleach residue in the drum of your washing machine, consider running the washing machine through a second wash cycle with hot water. Do not add bleach now. This second wash program ensures that all bleach residues are rinsed away. You can also wash white laundry in the washing machine after you have cleaned it. That way, the bleach residue is rinsed away and your white laundry will benefit from the bleaching effect of the bleach.
- According to some people, you can also put some vinegar in the washing machine with the second wash cycle to really remove the bleach residue. However, mixing bleach and vinegar can create toxic chlorine gas, so don't do this.

Method 2 of 3: Clean a front loader with bleach

Wipe the inside of the door with diluted bleach. With a front loader, the dirt mainly accumulates on the inside of the door. Mold often grows there too. Dip a cloth in a mixture of water and bleach and wipe all areas of the door with dirt and mildew. Don't forget the rubber edge, because dirt quickly accumulates underneath.
- Prepare the bleach mixture by mixing 1 cup of bleach with four liters of water.
- Wiping the inside of the door before turning on the washing machine ensures that all bleach residue is rinsed away.
Put bleach in the washing machine. Fill the bleach compartment in the washing machine to clean the inside of the appliance. You should need less than 250ml of bleach to do this, but the amount varies by washing machine. Modern front loaders all have a bleach compartment, so check the owner's manual if you can't find the compartment.
- You can also pour some bleach into the detergent compartment. Pouring about 120 ml of bleach into the detergent compartment will clean your entire washing machine.
Set your washing machine using the buttons. Set your washing machine to hot water. It's a good idea to use hot water when cleaning your washing machine. This way you ensure that all dirt and dust is removed.
- You can also activate the extra rinse function if your washing machine has one. This way you ensure that all bleach residues are removed after cleaning.
Let the washing machine do its job. If you have not or never cleaned your washing machine for a long time, choose a long washing program. If you regularly clean your washing machine, a regular wash cycle should be sufficient.
- Some washing machines have a maintenance or cleaning program that you can use. These washing programs are designed to clean your washing machine as well as possible.
Clean your washing machine regularly. Clean and sanitize the inside of your washing machine every few months. This should help prevent detergent residue and dirt from building up in your washing machine.
- Dirt and dust accumulates faster in front loaders than in top loaders because they use less water and because of the way they are put together. That's why it's a good idea to sanitize a front loader more often than a top loader.

Method 3 of 3: Clean other areas

Clean all dirty spots with bleach. If you used your washing machine to wash particularly soiled or dyed clothes, it may be quite dirty. Clean the dirty areas with a mixture of 120 ml bleach and four liters of water. This mixture should remove or fade the stains.
Do not forget to clean compartments and reservoirs. The compartments and reservoirs where you can put detergent and fabric softener can also be cleaned with bleach. You can even scrub the bleach compartment or reservoir. Wet a cloth with a mixture of bleach and water and clean all surfaces in the drawer with compartments or containers.
- Detergent and bleach will flow past these areas, but dirt can still build up there. This is especially true for the detergent compartment, as liquid detergent is sticky.
After cleaning, rinse the areas with bleach. To prevent bleach stains on your clothes the next time you wash them, rinse the areas you cleaned with bleach or wipe them with a cloth moistened with warm water. By rinsing away the bleach residue after cleaning, you reduce the chance that you will accidentally bleach your laundry.