How to clean washing machine with vinegar and baking soda

May 29, 2023

Washing machines are essential appliances as they are huge time-savers when it comes to cleaning, but there comes a time when households need to put some work into cleaning them.

After all, there’s nothing worse than having a smelly washing machine in the kitchen or one that looks like it’s never been cleaned.

The cleaning experts at Robert Dyas have shared an “easy step-by-step guide” on how to clean washing machines from the inside out to keep them “spotless, sparkling and smelling fresh”.

To clean the entire appliance, all households will need is baking soda, white vinegar, cleaning clothes and a scourer.

Households can clean under the seal with baking soda and white vinegar to “get rid of all the mould and mildew” that’s built up in there.

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The expert said: “Mould hates vinegar which is why this is so effective. With rubber gloves on, pour a generous amount of baking soda into the dirty area between the metal drum and the rubber seal, as well as some on the seal itself.

“Pour some vinegar on and it’ll then bubble up a little. Next, clean it off with a cloth.”

To clean the drum, pour some baking soda into the drum and add white vinegar to the detergent drawer.

Then put the washing machine on the hottest wash, typically 90 degrees, and “it’ll be sparkling clean when it’s done”.

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Experts at Robert Dyas recommend washing the drawer by “scrubbing off any detergent residue and mould”.

They said: “Some white vinegar works just fine for this, but any cleaner will do. Most of all, it just needs a good scrub.”

Using a combination of white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, the space behind the drawer should also be cleaned as well.

To clean the filter (this is an absolute must to remove smells), households will need to remove all the gunk that’s built up.

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The filter is usually found behind a small door at the bottom right of the machine.

Flip open the door, unscrew the filter, pull it out and remove the gunk from inside by scrubbing it in a bowl of water.

The experts said: “This isn’t a pleasant job so be sure to wear some rubber gloves. Once you’ve removed all the gunk, give it a soak so you can scrub any remaining dirt off more easily.”

By cleaning the washing machine regularly households will prevent both the machine and clothes from being left with a musty odour and residual stains.