Cleaning 2nd Hand Washing Machine?

wiggywoo9

I've got my first flat and was quite skint to furnish it, so bought a second hand washing machine for £50 from a couple, who dropped it off after I explained I didn't have a car/couldn't drive. They got it up two flights of stairs too, really kind of them!

Anyway, I've got to clean it now. It's used and the seal is dirty, including the drum and drawer to put in washing powder etc. I'm not sure how to do it, as there's a big dip in between the seal that is just black, I don't know how to get to it to scrub properly!

Any tips/advice? It's for my use and to wash my son's clothes and I really need to be meticulate, he's two and don't want him ill from any bacteria or anything!

Myser

Cup full of bleach in the soap dispenser, hand full of Soda Crystals in the drum, 90°C cycle.

The drawer will be removable for cleaning. You usually press the centre part just behind the softener compartment to release it.

This website may be of some use too:

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/cleaning-maintenance/2772-washing-machine-a-washer-dryer-door-seal-mildew-or-black-marks-.html

Werdnal

I would agree with the above. I do this once in a while with my machine anyway, as now we wash at 30 degrees, a lot of crap, soap scum and other nasties build up inside. You may want to run it on a couple of cold rinses after the bleach treatment, just to make sure everything is washed out, as you can loosen some crud which might then stain your subsequent washes.

Remember to leave the door open between washes to prevent nasty smells.

If you google the make and model, you may find there is a filter in it somewhere - mine has one in the little flap at the front. Its basically a "sump" that collects any grit, stones, coins etc that find their way inside.

Kiran

Exactly as Myser says, if the door seal is mould stained and it doesn't come off you can replace that bit. I did it on an indesit machine that we had and it cost £8 for the seal and about 20 mins work

Ben84

There should also be a filter you can open up and clean out, which is a common place for crud to hide, potentially causing a bad smell. The manual (look online if you don't have a paper copy, many are up there now) should explain where it is and how to do it. As for cleaning, oxygen powder (often sold for whitening clothes) is a potent mould killer and safe for washing machines, so I do an empty hot wash with a big scoop of that. I prefer this, as I'm not certain that chlorine bleach is safe for washing machine components, and the fumes when it gets hot are unpleasant too. The drawer might need taking out and scrubbing.