It’s taken an age, but winter is now done with!
Spring Cleaning your Washing Machine
- Clean the detergent drawer. Remove the drawer from the machine and set to work with some cleaner and an old toothbrush. Don’t neglect the cavity and ensure all is dry before replacing the drawer.
- Clean the filter. Yes, it has a filter to protect the pump from general debris, coins and the like. Usually located on the bottom of the machine, behind a hinged cover, (check your user manual if unsure!) Carefully remove the emergency drain tube and place a bowl underneath, unplug and allow any water to drain out. Gently clean the filter and any components with a cloth and replace the filter, plug and cover.
- Clean the drum. Experts advise running an empty, 60 degree wash every couple of months with 500mls of soda crystals. This is proven to kill germs, remove odours and stop soap scum and limescale building up in hard-to-see and reach places!
- Prevent unpleasant odours. Just leave the door ajar! Especially in Summer months, keeping your machine’s door slightly open allows air to circulate around the drum, which stops germs breeding and reduces the damp smells. (Alongside, ensure the drain outside is free from debris as smells/odours can feed back into the machine).
- Clean the door seal. The space between the door and the drum, the ultimate breeding ground for excess detergent and dirt! Before and after each wash, just gently wipe the seal with a cloth to ensure your clothes don’t pick up any dirt as you pull them from the machine.
- Use the right detergent – and, the right amount! It’s easy to be mind boggled with the vast array of powders and liquid detergents available on the supermarket shelves today. However, whether it’s non-bio, bio, powder, liquid or a capsule – there is no one size fits all! After 50+ years of testing detergents, Which? recommends selecting your detergent based on your loads’ requirements; Is it heavily soiled? Whites? Coloured items? (See the below image for a handy reference!)
