C&G's Guide to Cleaning Your Washing Machine

Tips & Advice

It’s a household tool that’s in use almost every day - but are you giving your washing machine the care that it needs to work efficiently? In this blog, C&G unpack the best way to care for your hardworking ‘family’ member to ensure it keeps on giving brighter colors and fresher sheets!

How to Clean a Top Loader

  1. Mix ½ cup of bicarbonate (bicarb) soda with 2 cups of white vinegar.
  2. Begin a hot wash cycle on the maximum water level setting and add the vinegar mixture.
  3. Pause the machine and let the water sit in the machine for about 30 minutes, then scrub the inside of the machine lightly to remove the detergent residue.
  4. Run your machine to run through a normal cycle. The vinegar, bicarb and hot water mix will soon work its magic and break down any residual grime.
  5. Once the inside of the machine is clean, give the outside a once over with some washing liquid and wipe away any accumulated dust.

How to Clean a Front Loader

  1. Add 2 tablespoons of bicarb soda into the detergent draw and ½ cup of white vinegar into the washing machine drum.
  2. Run a standard cycle with hot water.
  3. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines on how to clean the filter. The filter catches all the fine fibers that your clothes will shed, so it’s best to clean this regularly.
  4. If possible, remove and clean the detergent and fabric softener dispensers in hot soapy water and let drip dry. This will prevent mould from forming and growing.
  5. It’s recommended that you leave the machine door ajar between washes to dry out properly and eliminate mould.

Eliminating Mould

If mould does form on your washing machine, a great natural remedy is clove oil. Clove oil is a natural mould killer and it is available from most chemists or health food stores.

  1. In the empty machine, place about 10 drops of Clove Oil into the drum (either front loader or top loader). Wash on the hottest setting.
  2. As clove oil has a strong scent, leave the door or top of the washing machine overnight to air out.

The information in this article is general in nature. Please take your washing machine manufacturer’s guidelines into consideration before attempting any of these cleaning remedies.