Do-it-yourself washing machine cleaning

washing machine cleaning The sooner you think about caring for your washing machine and how to clean it, the longer it will look like new, shining clean and pleasing to the eye. However, not many people remember about proper and timely care, bringing the machine to such a state that it literally has to be cleaned of pieces of dirt, limescale or scale. Therefore, once again we decided to talk about how to clean a washing machine correctly at home, and what products can be used for this.

Cleaning products: their purpose

There are a lot of products for cleaning a washing machine both inside and outside. These are both home remedies and professional ones from the store. The effect of any of them depends on proper use. Many of us try to use substances for other purposes, claiming later that the product does not help. For example, many people want to get rid of scale using the advertised Calgon, although it is intended only to soften water.

Therefore, we will list the possible means that women use at home and describe their purpose. Let's start with the improvised ones, or as some say, with folk remedies, although they are not exactly folk remedies, but the same store-bought ones, only very cheap and accessible:

Baking soda is a good tool for removing mold and dirt that appears on the rubber cuff of the machine drum or powder container; soda also softens the water.
Citric acid will help clean the inside of the machine from scale, that is, parts such as the heating element (heating element), tank, drum.
Table vinegar is similar in use and effect to the previous product, but it does a good job of eliminating foreign odors, but the smell itself is not very pleasant.
You should use vinegar only in extreme cases, because it leaves a strong smell, and in principle you need to be very careful with it.
Copper sulfate is a remedy that will help in the fight against severe mold.
Whiteness is a product used by housewives for disinfection and elimination of unpleasant odors. But be careful, you cannot use chlorine-based whitening, it will harm the washing machine. If disinfection is necessary, in this case it is better to think about special products that do not contain chlorine.

Of the special chemicals intended for cleaning automatic machines, the following can be used:

Frisch activ is a product for cleaning the drum from scale and dirt.
Miele is a product for cleaning your machine from odors and bacteria.
Beckmann - used for washing the drum of a washing machine, removing dirt, lime deposits, scale and odors, and has disinfectant properties.
Magic Power is a German product used for cleaning scale.
Topperr 3004 is another German product suitable for removing scale from the heating element of a machine, recommended by Bosch.
Luxus Professional is a special domestically produced liquid with the scent of lemon for washing washing machines and dishwashers. Also suitable for teapots. Removes scale well.
Bork K8P is a Korean product in the form of a powder for descaling.
Top House is a German-made anti-limescale product for kettles, coffee machines, washing machines, etc.
Antiscale is a domestic product for combating scale.
Dr. Ten Antibacterial – detergent for washing a washing machine and its internal disinfection.
Disinfectant from the Korean company SANDOKKAEBI.
Multidez-Teflex for washing is a powder that can be used to disinfect a washing machine, cleaning it from bacteria and viruses.

This is not a complete list of chemicals; there are a lot of them; when choosing, do not forget to read their composition and purpose. If you need a product to combat odor, look for it, but do not buy an anti-scale product for this, you will only waste your money.

Removing scale from the machine

limescale in the washing machine Tap water in most regions of our country is not only suitable for drinking, but also for machine washing, as it is very hard and contains impurities. Therefore, as a rule, it is passed through a filter, and if almost everyone filters drinking water, only a few water for washing is filtered. As a result, when heated, impurities settle on the heating element and tank and form a “crust”, which is called scale.

If the washing machine is not cleaned on time, then very soon the scale layer will become dense and the heating element will fail. Service center technicians recommend installing, if possible, cleaning filter, otherwise regularly wash the machine with citric acid. How to clean an automatic washing machine? Quite simple, just pour 150-200 g of lemon juice into the tray and set the long mode to at least 60⁰WITH.

Important! After the procedure with citric acid, you need to rinse the filter and wash the drum cuff from pieces of scale.

The heating element can be cleaned mechanically or with special means. This process is described in detail in the article about how to descale a washing machine.

We remove dirt, mold or odor from the inside

In the fight against mold and odors, you will need to put in a little effort. If there is a lot of mold and it has spread over the rubber cuff, then it is best to use a solution of copper sulfate. Wet the cuff with it and leave it for a day, then wipe the cuff with a rag, trying to remove the mold. After this, run a test wash with powder to rinse everything thoroughly.

To clean mold, you can use a 1:1 solution of baking soda and water. The soda paste is applied to the cuff and drum for several hours, then the wash is started, and then the cuff is thoroughly wiped with a rag.

washing machine cuff Very often, mold also accumulates on the powder cuvette. The fact is that the conditioner and powder particles can remain on the cuvette in the form of mucus. And mucus and water are an excellent environment for the development of mold and microbes. That's why The cuvette must be dried after each wash. If mold does appear, then the cuvette should be soaked in water with powder for several hours, and then cleaned with an old toothbrush and wiped dry. Don’t forget to rinse the compartment under the cuvette with a soda solution and wipe everything well with a dry cloth. If there is a calcareous red coating on the cuvette, then in this case, you need to soak the cuvette in water with the addition of a pack of citric acid, and after 2-3 hours clean it with a soft sponge or toothbrush.

To rinse off slimy deposits and dirt, which can give off an unpleasant odor, you also need a drain hose and a drain filter. In one of the articles we described in detail, how to clean a drain hose. And as for the filter, everything is very simple:

Open the door at the bottom of the machine, on the right or left, depending on the model.
Place a large rag under the body.
Unscrew the filter counterclockwise and pull it towards you.
Remove the debris, rinse the filter with water and return it to its place.

The more often you clean the filter and drain the water, the less the water will stagnate, thereby emitting an unpleasant odor.

Cleaning the washing machine from dirt using special products should be carried out strictly according to the instructions indicated on the label. In addition to cleaning, some special products kill viruses and bacteria, thereby disinfecting the machine from the inside. All disinfection procedure at home is described in the article of the same name.

Adding shine to the outside

When cleaning the washing machine is completed, you can move on to cleaning the outside of the machine. If you are careful and constantly wipe the surface from dust with a cloth, the procedure will not take much time. But those who are not used to maintaining cleanliness will have to work hard to make it shine. After all, the machine may contain not only traces of dirt and dust, but also fatty oils and food, if the equipment is installed in the kitchen.

Before washing the machine, do not forget to disconnect it from the electrical network!

automatic machine cleaning How to clean the outside of an automatic washing machine? To do this, you will need dishwashing detergent; dissolve a small amount of detergent in water and wipe the body of the machine with a damp sponge. Then wipe the machine again with a clean sponge and finally with a dry microfiber cloth; it will not leave streaks on the surface. If dust has become embedded in the plastic on the top lid, then in this case you need to apply a paste of baking soda to the lid and leave for 2-3 hours, then rub with a soft sponge and rinse.

To make the hatch door shine, you need to take any glass cleaner and a dry microfiber cloth.Spray the product onto the sunroof glass and then wipe it thoroughly. After such a general cleaning, the washing machine will look like new.

To summarize, we note that in order not to have to clean the machine and not think about how to rinse the washing machine, you need to constantly keep it clean and take care of it. We hope the tips given in the article will help you wash your machine and restore its attractive appearance.