Washing machine cleaning

luckofthe_irish

My washing machine is filthy - joys of living in rented accomodation!

My lovely white sheets which I did wash at 90 came out with stains this weekend I presume due to the dirt around the seal. I have tried to scrub it but nothing really helps. Will try and pick up some white vinegar in next weeks shop and add it to it. Thanks for the tips everyone.

-taff

aintreemaid wrote: »

Oo-er! Where am I going wrong?

After reading these comments, I'm sure I should have the mouldiest, smelliest washing machine in the world!

My "old faithful" (a 21 year-old Bosch) does a weekly towel/tea towel wash at 60[FONT=&quot]°, all others at 40[/FONT][FONT=&quot]°, with Persil bio powder and I do nothing else.
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[FONT=&quot]The door's left ajar between washes and I've never had a problem with mould or smells.[/FONT]

You wash at 60 and you leave the door open...You're not likely to have a problem
The problem occurs when you only wash at 30/40 with powder and shut the door when the wash is finished.

Lily-Lu

It's low temperatures and not enough ventilation that causes stinky machines. Washing only at 40 and keeping the door closed all the time, is a great environment for bacteria to multiply...

I've only ever washed dark clothing and some household fabrics, such as curtains on 40 degrees....
Bedding and towels, tea towels (I only buy 100% cotton) have always been washed at 60 degrees; no matter what colour they are. Yes, you risk fading the colour, but I'd rather have a lighter coloured towel than a stinking one.

The manufacturer of my washing machine suggests using a 90 degree wash once a month to keep the machine clean and running well as part of the maintenance. It's probably going to cost you about 1 kilowatt extra in electricity for that wash. So, somewhere under 20p a month extra for most people.... Honestly, I wouldn't be worried about saving a few pence a month instead of a 90 degree wash, when the alternative is that everything you wash, stinks...

After every wash, keep the door ajar, so air is able to circulate, and do an empty machine wash at 90 once a month. You'll see a great improvement.