Why is it important to clean your washing machine?

Did you know that your washing machine also needs to be washed?

What I am going to share with you is proof that I am human and I also forget to clean the machine.

That you can't even imagine my face when I decided to clean my washing machine. Do you see when Jim Carry in the movie “the mask” is surprised? 

My jaw dropped to the floor and back again.

If you have a sensitive stomach, skip the photos that follow. OK?

There are two photos. Slap with hand and scroll down.

This first photo is of washing machine drawer. It was disgusting! I just thought, damn it! How long has it been since I opened this drawer? It's just that we've been putting the detergent directly into the drum for years. 

The person who handed us the machine explained that, detergents end up ruining the tubes and when the water enters the drawer there is a good amount of detergent that is lost along the way.

It is for this reason that I always put the detergent directly into the drum of the washing machine.

Now, why was my detergent drawer like this? 

Because someone at home put some “normal” fabric softener in the drawer. That was months ago. My nose can't take those chemical smells and at the time I got it as soon as I entered the laundry room. I gave her the corresponding scrape and as you can see it worked 🤣 She never used the fabric softener again or put anything in the drawer!

And I was really surprised. We use the machine 3-4 times a week and in that time all the fabric softener never completely dissolved. I can't imagine how the tubes would look 😮

Now the second photo.

This picture is the space where the drawer fits. I was full of… I don't even know what to call it. Woodworm? 

This is already common on all machines. And that's all I wanted to see when I went to clean the machine. 

I still have nightmares about a slime monster hatching in the detergent drawer.

Now Do you already understand why one of the pieces of advice is to keep the machine clean? Sometimes this is what causes the smells in diapers and clothes.

And yes. You can laugh all you want. I had the machine in this state and I'm the one who insists on keeping it clean. 

But it's already resolved. I have a reminder on google calendar that beeps every 3 months (and on Saturday) to clean the washing machine clothes without fail!

How to clean your washing machine?

There are several ways, I always like to use the most natural one and it's the one I've been using for years. You could use bleach, but anyone who knows me knows I avoid it as much as possible.

So what do you need to clean your washing machine?

• Sodium bicarbonate, opt for what is close to salt, which is more economical;
• Vinegar, any vinegar, even cider vinegar if that's what you have. For the machine I prefer white wine;
• A cloth to clean;
• A toothbrush to clean the top of the drawer;
• A small bowl of water if you don't have water nearby.

Where to start?

To clean the machine it must be empty. 

1. Take out the detergent drawer and wash it well; Take a look at your machine's manual, normally just press the center piece in the middle and it will pop out;
2. The space where the drawer fits can be a little difficult to clean. I usually pass a damp cloth and then with the toothbrush and a basin of water I clean every corner;
3. Clean the machine door and rubbers with a damp cloth.
4. Now let's set the conditions for the machine to wash itself. With the machine empty you will do the following:
   1. In the detergent drawer, where you would put the detergent, put 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda.
   2. In the drum, put 4 cups of vinegar tea.
5. Choose a cycle with at least 45 minutes and 90º water and put your machine in the wash.

As you can see, it's easy. You can clean your machine in 15-20min (or less if you don't forget like me).

And don't forget the filters, mine is usually clean but often it can look like this: