Laundry is a dreaded chore, let alone tossing your dirty clothes into your smelly high efficiency washing machine. A common complaint about HE washing machines is that they become smelly over time. What is the culprit? As beneficial as HE washers are in energy savings, they use less water and use cold water (hence, energy saving). It is easy for bacteria, mold, and detergent to build up in your washer.
Remember to always leave your washer door open in between uses to air out your appliance so mold or mildew won’t occur. You may be using too much detergent. Since HE washing machines use less water, they need less non-sudsing detergent so reside doesn’t build up—go ahead and try making your own DIY laundry detergent. While these tips are helpful before the problem of a smelly washer begins, let’s go over how to get rid of your washer’s odor. One Good Thing by Jillee goes over a rigorous 3-cycle cleaning routine that she recommends that you do once a month for your HE washer. She recommends filling your empty washer on the hottest setting or “clean cycle” and add 2 cups of vinegar to the washer. Once your high efficiency washing machine has completed its cycle, she recommends filling the washer a second time on the hottest setting and adding 2 cups of bleach. Then, run a third cycle without anything added to remove any remaining residue. Afterwards, One Good Thing by Jillee gives another helpful tip to remove your fabric and bleach dispenser by soaking and cleaning them out. She also recommends to check the bellow or seal for any mildew or mold and to clean the crevices with a 1:1 bleach and water solution. She has great tips to make your washer smelling clean and ridding it of bacteria, mold and the likes. While this is a rigorous cleaning regime, it is important for you to assess your situation and adjust accordingly. Maybe running the vinegar on the hottest setting once will do the trick or perhaps you will need to do all the above. Read More: How To Clean Your {Front Loader} Washing Machine! Via One Good Thing by Jillee
Photo by: kahvikisu | Flickr
