cehalstead
Well-known member
Does anyone have the "recipe" for using dishwasher detergent to clean out a clothes washer? Do you use enzyme detergent or not? How often should it be done? Thanks in advance....
cleaning a washer
- Thread starter cehalstead
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Better to use 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda to 2 cups or 4 cups of white vinegar.
What you want to remove is soap/detergent residue (alkaline), grease/oil buildup, lint, hard water deposits and other gunk,along with freshen the washer. All of these can be handled quite well by the above chemical cocktail.
Launderess
What you want to remove is soap/detergent residue (alkaline), grease/oil buildup, lint, hard water deposits and other gunk,along with freshen the washer. All of these can be handled quite well by the above chemical cocktail.
Launderess
Laundress..... could you elaborate on that... do you just dump these things in... full load? 1/2 load? let it sit? Thanks., mine could use a good scrubbing!! Thanks , Jim
No laundry, normal cycle: just add the baking soda as the washer is filling (tap hot water is fine)and then the vinegar.
IIRC for top loaders one sets the machine to the highest water level. Soaking is not necessary, but may have to repeat if washer does not smell "clean" enough.
Another method is to skip the baking soda and just use 2-4 cups of white vinegar. Vingear being a mild acid will remove mineral deposits and does help with mold/mildew control, but not sure how effective it is with grease and oils, that is where the baking soda excels.
L.
IIRC for top loaders one sets the machine to the highest water level. Soaking is not necessary, but may have to repeat if washer does not smell "clean" enough.
Another method is to skip the baking soda and just use 2-4 cups of white vinegar. Vingear being a mild acid will remove mineral deposits and does help with mold/mildew control, but not sure how effective it is with grease and oils, that is where the baking soda excels.
L.
Hmmmmmm..... Baking soda + vinegar. Is it too diluted to foam up and create a lot of excitement? 
Yes, it should be, that is why one adds the baking soda first then vinegar. If things get to "exciting" when the vinegar hits the water, then you know enough is in there.
From what I understand it is that "foaming" action one wants as it helps loosen the grotty gunk clinging to surfaces. Much like the baking soda/peroxide toothpastes foam to get at hard to reach areas in the mouth.
So far no explosions on our end, but please exercise caution. One can use just plain vinegar to remove deposits.
L.
From what I understand it is that "foaming" action one wants as it helps loosen the grotty gunk clinging to surfaces. Much like the baking soda/peroxide toothpastes foam to get at hard to reach areas in the mouth.
So far no explosions on our end, but please exercise caution. One can use just plain vinegar to remove deposits.
L.
whirlcool
Well-known member
We just got finished trying this tonight
Our Whirlpool has been smelling of mildew for the past year or so, we think it's because the washer/dryer are in a closet in the kitchen and a not a lot of air circulates in there.
We tried the Cascade Complete treatment, and it improved things for about a week before the smell came back again.
I discovered that there was some mold growing inside the washing machine cabinet, on the inside surfaces of the cabnet cover. Today we pulled off the cover and wiped everything down with a mild bleach solution and then after about 20 minutes wiped everything off with a water damp cloth and dried everything dry.
We still had a mild mold smell, but greatly reduced from before.
Now when we did this Baking Soda, vinegar trick, there was some fizzing, but not enough to worry about. The water did turn a translucent green/blue. When that spun out the rinse water was the normal perfectly clear color. The machine does smell a lot better, I couldn't smell any of the "off" odor it had before.
The real test will be what the machine smells like in the morning. We have been leaving the washer lid up for the past several months and the laundry closet doors open.
The reason we are thinking it is the washer/dryer placement is that in our last house (much bigger!) we had a very nice sized laundry room with lots of air circulation around the machines and in this house the machines are tightly crammed in this closet. This "smell" problem didn't start until we were here for about two years.
Our Whirlpool has been smelling of mildew for the past year or so, we think it's because the washer/dryer are in a closet in the kitchen and a not a lot of air circulates in there.
We tried the Cascade Complete treatment, and it improved things for about a week before the smell came back again.
I discovered that there was some mold growing inside the washing machine cabinet, on the inside surfaces of the cabnet cover. Today we pulled off the cover and wiped everything down with a mild bleach solution and then after about 20 minutes wiped everything off with a water damp cloth and dried everything dry.
We still had a mild mold smell, but greatly reduced from before.
Now when we did this Baking Soda, vinegar trick, there was some fizzing, but not enough to worry about. The water did turn a translucent green/blue. When that spun out the rinse water was the normal perfectly clear color. The machine does smell a lot better, I couldn't smell any of the "off" odor it had before.
The real test will be what the machine smells like in the morning. We have been leaving the washer lid up for the past several months and the laundry closet doors open.
The reason we are thinking it is the washer/dryer placement is that in our last house (much bigger!) we had a very nice sized laundry room with lots of air circulation around the machines and in this house the machines are tightly crammed in this closet. This "smell" problem didn't start until we were here for about two years.
Dood, hate to gross you out, but that translucent colour was from killed off mould/germs.
When my Pfaff ironer arrived (an eBay find) the roller cover and padding reeked of mold/mildew and the odor. As the unit has a boiler for steam figured the previous owner never allowed the roller to "air dry" before putting the unit away.
Removed the cover and padding and soaked in a mild disenfectant/fungicide solution (had no vinegar in the house, which is not like me at all). the water at once began to turn a strange pink colour and the mold inside the padding began to vanish/lessen. Gross, just gross.
L.
When my Pfaff ironer arrived (an eBay find) the roller cover and padding reeked of mold/mildew and the odor. As the unit has a boiler for steam figured the previous owner never allowed the roller to "air dry" before putting the unit away.
Removed the cover and padding and soaked in a mild disenfectant/fungicide solution (had no vinegar in the house, which is not like me at all). the water at once began to turn a strange pink colour and the mold inside the padding began to vanish/lessen. Gross, just gross.
L.
cehalstead
Well-known member
thanks
Thanks for the quick responses to my question. Will give the vinegar and soda solution a try this morning,if the electric holds out....beginnings of a major winter storm here, and I live in a rural area with frequent power outages...
I might need to take the top cover off and give the guts a good cleaning too. Don't know how long the "new" 612 had been in storage, but it sure does have a nasty smell. Reached up under the tub lip the other day and my hand came back quite dirty, so I know there is something growing in there...
Thanks for the quick responses to my question. Will give the vinegar and soda solution a try this morning,if the electric holds out....beginnings of a major winter storm here, and I live in a rural area with frequent power outages...
I might need to take the top cover off and give the guts a good cleaning too. Don't know how long the "new" 612 had been in storage, but it sure does have a nasty smell. Reached up under the tub lip the other day and my hand came back quite dirty, so I know there is something growing in there...
whirlcool
Well-known member
Laundress:
Thanks a lot for this advice. It's now the next morning and the washer doesn't have any smell to it whatsoever! You can really stick your head down in the tub and not smell anything.
Your method really works!
The strange thing is that while our washer had that mildewy odor, the clothes never picked it up.
I guess to keep things in order I should probably do this every 30 days or so.
Thanks a lot for this advice. It's now the next morning and the washer doesn't have any smell to it whatsoever! You can really stick your head down in the tub and not smell anything.
Your method really works!
The strange thing is that while our washer had that mildewy odor, the clothes never picked it up.
I guess to keep things in order I should probably do this every 30 days or so.
Thanks Laundress!
I haven't been around much but poked my head in last night and read this on cleaning out the washer. I have a FL Neptune and it always stinks. I complained before and people told me to leave the door open after a wash and to unplug the washer until I use it again. Nothing worked except the vinegar and baking soda!!
You are the QUEEN OF CLEAN!
Thanks so much-you made my weekend.
Heather
I haven't been around much but poked my head in last night and read this on cleaning out the washer. I have a FL Neptune and it always stinks. I complained before and people told me to leave the door open after a wash and to unplug the washer until I use it again. Nothing worked except the vinegar and baking soda!!
You are the QUEEN OF CLEAN!
Thanks so much-you made my weekend.
Heather
askomiele
Well-known member
I never have to clean my washer. But every week I do a load of whites at sanitizing temperature (+/- 200°F). Afterwards my washer is clean!! And after a load I never shut the door, but I leave it open zo the washer can dry inside. Every month I put 1 cup of vinegar and let the washer complete a super fast hot water wash. So the scale is eliminated. My mam thought my so and after 30 years I'm still using her washer.
Designgeek
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2004
- Messages
- 865
I do a load with bleach every couple of weeks, and leave the machine open between loads so it dries out thoroughly; no smells and no sign of nasties growing. An occasional scrub of the washtub easily removes the detergent buildup at the high water mark.
I suspect that mold problems are worse in humid climates since water that's in out-of-the-way areas will take longer to evaporate. In which case running a regular fan in the laundry room could be helpful to get some air movement (and many folks here have vintage fans to use for the purpose).
It surprises me to no end, that people don't get weird infections from wearing clothes that have been washed in moldy machines. Like, eww! Or perhaps the stuff that grows in there is adapted to the human ecology, like the "good bacteria" that are found in moderate amounts in clean kitchens?
I suspect that mold problems are worse in humid climates since water that's in out-of-the-way areas will take longer to evaporate. In which case running a regular fan in the laundry room could be helpful to get some air movement (and many folks here have vintage fans to use for the purpose).
It surprises me to no end, that people don't get weird infections from wearing clothes that have been washed in moldy machines. Like, eww! Or perhaps the stuff that grows in there is adapted to the human ecology, like the "good bacteria" that are found in moderate amounts in clean kitchens?
cehalstead
Well-known member
smelly machine
I normally don't have a problem with smelly washers, but having just purchased the 612, I discovered that it has a dirty smell when the lid is left down. Who knows how long it may have been in storage, so I want to clean it out well. I always leave the lid up and have never had a mold problem with machines I have bought new.
I normally don't have a problem with smelly washers, but having just purchased the 612, I discovered that it has a dirty smell when the lid is left down. Who knows how long it may have been in storage, so I want to clean it out well. I always leave the lid up and have never had a mold problem with machines I have bought new.
Concentrated Lysol Liquid (in the brown glass bottle) seems to be a favorite.
Lysol
I've imported a few bottles. I love the smell!
I've imported a few bottles. I love the smell!
One can also add an extra gallon of water by bucket or jug so the level is higher than the regular full level of the machine, to help insure any soil/grunge at the water line is covered.
Laundress, what temperature for tap-hot do you recommend for this cleaning procedure?
I'm wondering if F&P EcoActive spray would be effective for cleaning the outer tub and sides of the basket, without needing a full fill? 140°F for EcoActive, then a lower temp (maybe 115°F) for a deep wash fill? Hmmmm. I could also do an EcoActive recirculation during a medium/low or medium level agitated wash by activating the recirculation valve and pump via diagnostic mode.
Laundress, what temperature for tap-hot do you recommend for this cleaning procedure?
I'm wondering if F&P EcoActive spray would be effective for cleaning the outer tub and sides of the basket, without needing a full fill? 140°F for EcoActive, then a lower temp (maybe 115°F) for a deep wash fill? Hmmmm. I could also do an EcoActive recirculation during a medium/low or medium level agitated wash by activating the recirculation valve and pump via diagnostic mode.
whirlcool
Well-known member
Designgeek:
We periodically used hot water and a bleach solution in this washer, and it still developed this moldy smell. It's gone now, but I think we'll still have to use the baking soda and vinegar solution periodically.
What's weird is that we have had these machines since 1993, and we never had this problem, until we moved into this house in 2002. In fact, they still had the "new machine" smell right up til we moved. So it HAS to be something with this house or area where the machines are located.
We periodically used hot water and a bleach solution in this washer, and it still developed this moldy smell. It's gone now, but I think we'll still have to use the baking soda and vinegar solution periodically.
What's weird is that we have had these machines since 1993, and we never had this problem, until we moved into this house in 2002. In fact, they still had the "new machine" smell right up til we moved. So it HAS to be something with this house or area where the machines are located.
Whirlcool, it could be the water in your new area, but again as you say it could also the keeping the machines in a cupboard.
DaDoes,
Don't honestly know if "spray" washing/rinsing would work, spray household surfaces with a vinegar mixture to clean/control mold all the time and that seems to work though.
All one really needs is water hot enough to loosen and carry away the grime. Whatever coming out of your hot water heater is fine. Hot to boiling water will help kill off the nasties though, so many with washers that have heaters set the machine to 140F to 180F, or even boiling. Am not too thrilled with the idea of boiling water and mild acids (vinegar) so only use tap water.
The vinegar and baking soda works very well in particular for high end European washing machines like Miele's that have strong restrictions on using chlorine bleach.
Lysol (in the brown bottle).
Only tried that once and am here to tell that was the only time will ever launder anything in Lysol. Damn stuff left the laundry and washing machine reeking for ages, and the scent never really quite left the washer. Rubber and plastic parts in particular seemed to have an affinity for the Lysol scent.
Years ago Lysol used to sell a product called "laundry sanitiser". Never bothered to see what was in it and how it worked; sadly the product has long since been discontinued.
Problem with mould in washers is more pronounced in front loaders, and especially those in certian parts of the UK and Europe due to the quality of water. Mould and mildew need moist,warm places to thrive, and a shut up front loader provides the perfect incubator for mold. More so if the unit is not run daily and or washing is done mostly in warmish to cold water.
Undissloved detergent, detergent residue, human skin residue, soils residue, fabric softener residue and so on all provide great food for mould/mildew. If anyone really wishes to be grossed out, take a look at the "outside" of a front loader's drum and rubber boot. This is the side between the inner tub and outer tub. There one can see ages of gunk,mould, hair and god only knows what plastered to the side of the drum.
L.
DaDoes,
Don't honestly know if "spray" washing/rinsing would work, spray household surfaces with a vinegar mixture to clean/control mold all the time and that seems to work though.
All one really needs is water hot enough to loosen and carry away the grime. Whatever coming out of your hot water heater is fine. Hot to boiling water will help kill off the nasties though, so many with washers that have heaters set the machine to 140F to 180F, or even boiling. Am not too thrilled with the idea of boiling water and mild acids (vinegar) so only use tap water.
The vinegar and baking soda works very well in particular for high end European washing machines like Miele's that have strong restrictions on using chlorine bleach.
Lysol (in the brown bottle).
Only tried that once and am here to tell that was the only time will ever launder anything in Lysol. Damn stuff left the laundry and washing machine reeking for ages, and the scent never really quite left the washer. Rubber and plastic parts in particular seemed to have an affinity for the Lysol scent.
Years ago Lysol used to sell a product called "laundry sanitiser". Never bothered to see what was in it and how it worked; sadly the product has long since been discontinued.
Problem with mould in washers is more pronounced in front loaders, and especially those in certian parts of the UK and Europe due to the quality of water. Mould and mildew need moist,warm places to thrive, and a shut up front loader provides the perfect incubator for mold. More so if the unit is not run daily and or washing is done mostly in warmish to cold water.
Undissloved detergent, detergent residue, human skin residue, soils residue, fabric softener residue and so on all provide great food for mould/mildew. If anyone really wishes to be grossed out, take a look at the "outside" of a front loader's drum and rubber boot. This is the side between the inner tub and outer tub. There one can see ages of gunk,mould, hair and god only knows what plastered to the side of the drum.
L.
