How to clean washing machine with bleach and baking soda? Every time for a sparkling clean result! Many people believe that you must use laundry detergent to clean your washing machine, but this is not true. You can easily make your own homemade washing machine cleaner with these easy-to-find ingredients to keep it nice and clean!
Your washing machine keeps your clothes clean and smelling fresh. What happens, however, when your washing machine is the source of stains and odors on your clothes? This comprehensive guide will show you how to clean washing machine with bleach and baking soda, regardless of the type.
Reasons That Your Washing Machine Needs To Be Cleaned
Have your clothes developed a stale, musty odor? Or even the odor of rotting eggs or sulfur? A foul odor is usually the first sign that your washer needs to be scrubbed. Bacteria, limescale, soap scum, slime, and mildew can all build up inside your washing machine over time, preventing it from working properly and leaving your clothes dirtier than when you first put them in.
While mold and bacteria lingering in your washer are revolting, it’s unsurprising. Microorganisms thrive in warm, dark, wet environments like those found in washing machines. They’re even fed laundry detergent regularly. Soap scum isn’t just unsightly; it’s also a bacterial feast.
Why Does a Washing Machine Have a Bad Smell?
Mold is growing inside your washer if it smells musty or mildewy. Look around the rubber gasket on front loader machines for it. You probably have bacteria in your washing machine if you smell eggs, sulfur, or sewage. Hydrogen sulfide gas causes the odor, produced as a byproduct of bacteria metabolism.
It’s not just the smells that indicate a problem with your washer. Slow draining could indicate a buildup of soap scum and lint in the drain. Cleaning the filter and flushing the drain makes your washer smell better and run more efficiently.
There may also be visible signs of dirt and grime buildup. If your washer is filthy, your clothes will be as well, and after a cycle, they may have black or rusty marks.
Whether or not you notice any obvious signs that your washing machine needs to be cleaned, it’s always a good idea to clean it regularly to avoid problems with dirt, mold, or soap scum. Continue reading to learn how to clean washing machine with bleach and baking soda properly.
How to Clean a Washing Machine with Baking Soda and Bleach
Do you know how difficult it is to clean your washing machine? The solution, on the other hand, could not be simpler! Here’s how to clean washing machine with bleach and baking soda, so it’s spotless every time you do laundry.
Simple Steps to Clean Your Top Loader
- Preheat your machine to its hottest setting, or at least 60 degrees Celsius.
- Combine 1 cup bleach and 1 cup baking soda in the washing machine. Bleach is preferable to washing whites or cleaning the machine, as bleach will stain darker or colored laundry.
- When the cycle is complete, turn them off.
- Start the hottest cycle all over again.
- After cleaning the door seals and exterior, wipe down the inside and leave the door open to ensure the inside is completely dry.
Clean Front loaders with These Simple Way
- Fill the washing machine with 1 cup of bleach.
- Run the washer on the hottest setting.
- Run the hottest cycle once more, directly adding 1 cup of baking soda to the drum.
- Then, using a microfiber cloth, clean the inside of the washer drum.
- Clean the exterior as well as the door seals.
Is Baking Soda In A Washing Machine Safe?
Yes, pour baking soda directly into the machine to use it in the washing machine. You can do this with the detergent drawer in the front load and other types of machines.
You can also add it directly to the drum if you prefer. Putting the soda in the detergent drawer ensures that the powder enters your machine’s drum-like a detergent, giving you the best clean possible.
To Get the Best Baking Soda Cleaning Results, Follow These Steps
- Allow time for the machine to fill with water.
- Open the detergent drawer once the machine is full and pour the baking soda directly into the machine.
- Close the drawer and continue using the machine normally.
- The baking soda will enter your machine’s drum and begin working, leaving you with clean clothes.
- When your cycle is finished, clean it with clean clothes!
Clean Washing Machines Only If Bleach Is Used
Follow These Simple Steps to Clean Your Top and Front Load Washer:
- Pour half a cup of bleach into the drum of your washing machine and the other half into the detergent drawer. With a blank load, begin the hot wash cycle.
- If you can pause your wash after it has filled with water, do so for at least an hour. Then repeat the process.
- Repeat the rinsing process to ensure that all bleach has been removed.
- Wipe down the inside of the door and dry out the seals once it’s finished.
When Should You Use Bleach?
A combination of bleach and vinegar can cause a harmful gas to be released. You may need to run a bleach cycle if you:
- After a household illness, you’ll need to sanitize your washing machine.
- Even after cleaning with vinegar and baking soda, there are still odors.
- Inspect the rubber gasket for mildew or mold.
- Next time you do a load of laundry, make sure it’s a white one that will benefit from any bleach residue left in the machine rather than being harmed by it.
When It Comes To Cleaning a Washing Machine, There Are A Few Things You Should Avoid
When cleaning a washing machine, one common blunder is trying to run an empty, hot cycle with a lot of detergents. The detergent may foam up too much inside the drum, causing frothy water to spill out of the machine through the tray compartment and flood your kitchen.
What is the solution? Avoid using liquid detergent when running a service wash and only use a small amount of powder detergent. Don’t use your regular detergent; instead, use a dedicated washing machine cleaner.
Pro Ideas for Cleaning Front Loader Washing Machines
Front-loaders like LG WM3998HBA have been the most popular type of washing machine, but they are also the most susceptible to mold growth due to their door design. Because it’s dark and damp, the rubber gasket around the door provides the ideal environment for mold to grow. The folds in the rubber that make up the door seal provide hiding places where mold can accumulate and go undetected until it’s too late.
- Once a week, as part of your regular cleaning routine, check around the door of your front loader.
- Pull the rubber back to inspect between the folds and clean it with a rubber-safe, antibacterial cleaner.
- If you notice black marks on your cleaning utensils, mold and mildew grow inside the machine.
- Use a microfiber cloth to wick away any moisture around the door and basket to help your washer dry out even more between loads (or drums).
- Microfiber is ideal because it is highly absorbent and leaves no lint behind.
Pro Ideas for Cleaning Top-Loader Washing Machines
Top-loading washing machines like Kenmore 28″ Top-Load Washer don’t have the same problem with mildew in the door gasket as front-loaders, but they still need to be cleaned and maintained regularly to keep them running smoothly.
- Water and soap can pool in the bottom of top-loading washers, leaving a musty odor that lingers in your clothes until you wash them again.
- A buildup of soap can cause top loaders to drain slowly, and many new top-loaders don’t fill the drum with water.
- Due to steam and splashing, large areas may become damp, but they are never submerged and properly cleaned.
Washing Machine Parts: How to Clean
Depending on whether you have a front or top loader washer, different parts of your machine will require more attention to maintain cleanliness. In front loaders, mold and mildew can grow on the rubber gasket around the door, and water can pool in the basket underneath the top loaders, causing mustiness. Knowing which parts to look out for and how to clean machine parts properly will make maintaining your washing machine a breeze.
Cleaning the Inside of a Washing Machine Drum
If the drum in your front or top loader washing machine isn’t clean, it can start to smell. Because modern machines only use a small amount of water in the tub, they don’t get cleaned when you run a load of laundry.
The best way to clean the drum is to do the following:
- Use a cleaner like bleach, vinegar, soda crystals, or one of the DIY cleaning solutions to do a hot wash.
- When the wash cycle is complete.
- Wipe the basket down with a microfiber cloth to remove any remaining water.
Cleaning a Filter in a Washing Machine
The filters on front-loading washing machines are usually found near the bottom of the machine. The filter is usually located inside the fabric softener dispenser, on top of the agitator inside the basket, and in top loaders.
- Remove your filter by finding it and removing it.
- You’ll usually need a screwdriver or a coin to open the access door on a front loader. The dispenser on top-loaders usually unscrews from the agitator’s top.
- Keep in mind that the filter is usually wet, so lay down an old towel to catch any drips.
- Clear out any debris that has accumulated in the filter. It could include keys, coins, lint, and sharp objects like pins.
- After emptying the filter, run it underwater.
- If it’s really dirty, scrub it with an old toothbrush.
- Then wipe it down with a towel.
What Is the Best Way to Clean a Washing Machine – Gasket
A gasket is the rubber seal around the door of a front-loading washing machine. Gaskets are prone to mold and mildew because they provide a warm, dark, moist environment. Pull apart the rubber folds and run a clean microfiber cloth around the gasket to check for dirt. Mold and mildew growth if it comes away green, brown, or black.
- Spray a microfiber cloth with a topical cleaning solution like white vinegar, all-purpose cleaner, or bleach, and wipe the gasket clean, paying special attention to the areas where it folds and water pools to clean and sanitize your washing machine gasket.
- If you can’t reach around the gasket or there’s a lot of dirt, gently scrub it away with a soft-bristled brush.
- Dry the gasket after each wash for the best long-term results.
- Finally, keep the door ajar to aid water evaporation.
How to Clean a Soap Dispenser in a Washing Machine?
Soap scum accumulates quickly in dispenser drawers, which is unsightly and can cause blockages. You should be able to slide out the entire unit because most washing machine dispenser trays are removable.
- Remove all the parts you can and use a paper towel to wipe away as much soap and residue as possible.
- Put the tray and drawers in a warm, soapy water bucket for half an hour to soak.
- After that, you should be able to easily clean them with a sponge or microfiber cloth.
- An old toothbrush can help you reach those hard-to-reach places.
- Before reassembling and putting them back into your washing machine, make sure all parts are completely dry.
Conclusion
Baking soda and bleach have a wide range of applications in the home, from cleaning greasy dishes to eliminating odors. It makes an excellent cleaning agent for your washing machine when combined with bleach! How to clean washing machine with bleach and baking soda is discussed above. We are confident that you will enjoy reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible to wash bleach and baking soda together in a washing machine?
Yes, you can use a washing machine to mix bleach and baking soda. We’re constantly told not to mix bleach with other chemicals to avoid harmful vapors or chemicals released into the air. On the other hand, baking soda is a safe substance to mix with bleach!
What happens if you overload the washer with peroxide?
There is such a thing as too much bleach for doing your laundry. Bleach can remove stains and whiten your whites, but there is such a thing as too much bleach. Over-bleaching your laundry can degrade the strength and quality of the fibers.
Is it possible to put any acidic substance directly into your clothes?
Because chlorine acid can obliterate color and dissolve fibers, something should never pour directly onto clothes in a sink or washer. Before putting the laundry in the washer, add the bleach to an automatic dispenser or the water. As you normally would, add laundry detergent.