How to clean your washing machine in five simple steps
We expect a lot from our washing machines. It’s not unusual for busy households to run several loads a day, tackling everything from silk blouses and delicate underwear to dog blankets, stained table linen and filthy sports kit. If we want them to work at their best, we need to do a little work ourselves to keep them as clean as possible, which will help them work more effectively and prolong their lives.
The warm humidity they generate, along with dirt from clothing and residue from detergent and fabric conditioner, creates the perfect growing environment for bacteria, mould and mildew. Some fairly simple regular maintenance will help keep this at bay, ensuring clean laundry and a sweet-smelling machine.
Step 1: Gather together the necessary supplies
You will need a bucket or basin, a towel to soak up drips when you clean the filter, white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, a spray bottle, washing-up liquid, a scrubby sponge, an old toothbrush and microfibre cloths.
Step 2: Clean the filter
On the front of your machine, near one of the bottom corners, there will be a small cover which conceals the drain filter. Place a towel on the floor in front of the machine and a container to catch the water that drains out when you remove the cap.
Remove the cap, drain the water, and rinse the filter out under the hot tap, removing any debris, such as buttons, lint and pet hairs that have become trapped in there. Carefully replace it, making sure it is screwed in well.
Step 3: Clean the exterior and door
Fill a bucket or basin with warm, soapy water and use a microfibre cloth, well wrung out, to wash the exterior of the machine. Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of one part white vinegar to one part water and spray it generously around the washing machine’s rubber door seals and leave for a minute or two before wiping down the rubber with a damp microfibre cloth.
Step 4: Clean the detergent drawer
Carefully remove the detergent drawer from the front of the machine. This is where lots of grime and gunk can accumulate, so it is worth doing this once a week or so, depending on how often you use the machine, so that it doesn’t get into too revolting a state.
At this point, you can spray the drawer with your dilute white vinegar solution and leave it for a minute before dropping it into a sink of soapy water, or, if it’s not too bad, just plunge it straight into the water. Wash it down with a soapy scrubby sponge and, if necessary, use an old toothbrush to get into any hard-to-reach parts. Next, use your sponge or microfibre cloth to clean out the drawer slot in the front of the machine before sliding the drawer back into the space.
Step 5: Deep clean the washing-machine drum
Run a spin cycle to remove as much water as possible from the washing machine drum before cleaning the inside. You can use a commercial product, such as Dr Beckmann’s Service-it Deep Clean Washing Machine Cleaner, or use a combination of white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.
If you are using a commercial product, simply follow the instructions on the packet. If you are using vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, start by pouring about 500ml white vinegar into the machine’s soap dispenser – do not add any detergent – and run a hot wash without any clothes in the drum.
When this wash has completed, toss a teacupful of bicarbonate of soda directly into the drum of the washing machine and, once again, run a hot wash without adding any detergent. When the wash is finished, wipe out the inside of the drum with a microfibre cloth to remove any residue.
Washing machine cleaning FAQs
Is bleach or vinegar better for cleaning a washing machine?
Using white vinegar is a very effective and inexpensive way to clean your washing machine. You can also use bleach to help banish bacteria and odours: add 60ml/4 tbsp to the detergent drawer and run a hot wash, without adding any detergent and obviously without any clothes in the drum. When the wash has finished, open the door and if you can still smell bleach, run another quick wash. Never combine bleach with any other cleaning products as it can cause harmful gases.
What’s the best way to clean a smelly washing machine?
Use the methods described above. If you use your washing machine a lot, deep-clean it like this every two to four months to stop the build-up of bacteria, mildew and mould, which is what leads to bad smells. If you’re a single-person household, you can probably get away with cleaning your machine every four to six months.
Do you have any tips for preventing odours?
Washing machines are perfect breeding grounds for bacteria. We exacerbate this today because we are encouraged to wash at low temperatures, which is quite right as it is kinder both to the environment and to our clothes. It can, however, aid the growth of smelly bacteria in the machine, around the seals and in the soap dispenser.
Some modern machines have warning lights which come on after you have done a certain number of low-temperature washes to suggest you do a hot wash. Mine does not have this, so what I do is wash everything at a low temperature and then once a week, when I’m washing bedlinen and towels, I put them through a hot wash and that seems to do the trick.
Also, get into the habit of leaving the door ajar and the soap dispenser drawer pulled open slightly when you’ve finished your wash to encourage air circulation, which will help prevent bacterial growth.
