Have you noticed an awful mold or mildew odor coming from your HE washing machine? Is the smell taking over what should be a fresh, clean scent in your laundry room? Is your clothing and towels beginning to smell like mildew, as well? Here’s the best way to clean your high efficiency washing machine!
A few months ago, I experienced the same issue with my (one year old!) HE washer. After doing hours of research, the machine is now fresh and better than new. Hope this info will be helpful if you’re struggling with this problem or if you’re looking to keep your HE washer in fresh-smelling condition.
There are a few possibilities, but here are the 3 top I discovered through my research…
*Maytag (my machine’s manufacturer) said the number one cause of odor is from using the wrong detergent or using too much detergent. The wrong type causes too many suds. The more suds = the more that gets stuck in the nooks and crannies where mold can live and breed. Use detergent that specifically states it’s safe for use in an HE machine. There is a little HE emblem on the detergent bottle or box that clearly states it’s safe or not. And the machine requires a very small amount when using the correct detergent.
This goes for anything you’re putting into the machine; fabric softener, color safe bleach, etc.
*HE washer’s seal tighter and use less water than a standard washing machine. It’s been reported that HE machines only use 1/3 the water that a standard top loading machine needs. The machine also uses a low-suding detergent. Because of this, over time HE washers can have residue, minerals and dirt build up in the machine…that residue is what leads to mold and mildew.
*I know cleaning your washing machine sounds silly. I mean, it’s a washing machine after all – shouldn’t the inside already be clean? With you running soap through it day in and day out? Not exactly. Try to remember your machine is cleaning dirty, germy clothing – sometimes several loads a day. And remember, the new HE machines have nooks where residue and dirt can hide. Those areas need to be cleaned monthly. This is similar to your shower having to be cleaned. Soap scum and gunk build up in your shower, even though you’re using soap and water while you’re in there.
Step 1. Clean the inside of the machine: Wipe out the entire washer drum using bleach, white vinegar or your favorite household cleanser. If you think it may be mold, you’ll want to go the bleach route to be extra safe.
Step 2. Clean the rubber seal: Pay special attention to the rubber seal around the door while cleaning the washer…
Pull back the rubber to expose what’s hiding and growing underneath. Have a look at what was hiding in the rubber seal of my washer…
Pretty yucky, right? It doesn’t always look like this. I let this build up for more than two months in order to take that photo for you guys.
Using a spray bottle, soak the inner ring in undiluted white vinegar or bleach and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then, using a new rag that is soaked in white vinegar or bleach, wipe down the inner ring again. Then wipe the entire ring dry with a new clean, dry rag.
Step 3. Remove the detergent tray and sterilize: Since the odor is sometimes caused by too many suds, this area needs your attention. When I removed my detergent tray it looked terrible…
Make sure you take the tray apart for a complete cleaning. Here’s a look at the inside…
I soaked the tray and its pieces in hot, hot water with a small amount of dish soap…
Step 4: Clean the inside of the detergent compartment: Don’t stop with just sanitizing the detergent tray. You’ll also want to clean inside the detergent compartment. I was shocked to see the inside of mine…
If you’re having a tough time getting your cleaning solution back there, try using a spray bottle. I used clorox clean-up bleach spray to reach the back and into the nooks and crannies up top. See these nooks in the top of the detergent compartment…
Using a toothbrush, I scrubbed that area clean. After spraying into the compartment, let it sit for about 15 minutes before wiping clean again.
Step 5: Clean the inside of your washer door: Using white vinegar or bleach, clean the inside of the washer door. Sometimes you can see residue built up here – but most times you can’t even tell anything is lurking. You’ll be surprised how much cleaner the door looks and the amount of scum that was hiding on the door.
Step 6: Run a clean cycle on the machine: Once you’ve completed steps 1-5, add 1/4 cup of bleach or white vinegar to the detergent tray and run the machine on its clean washer cycle. Most HE machines have a “clean cycle” or “affresh cycle”….
My clean cycle runs for 1 hour 5 minutes with very hot water. I checked in occasionally to see what was going on inside the machine and there was some aggressive water slushing. There also seemed to be a lot more water than you would have in the drum while washing clothing. So, I would suggest using your clean cycle as opposed to a regular hot water cycle.Step 7: Completely wipe down the inside of the washer again: Once the clean cycle has finished, open the door and thoroughly wipe down the inside of the washer again. Why? Here is the washcloth used to wipe out the inside of the rubber seal AFTER the first clean cycle…
Again, gross! Couldn’t believe there was still dirt in the ring after the above steps.
Step 8: Air out your washer and detergent tray overnight: Once the washer is clean and dry inside, leave the door and detergent compartment door open to completely air out any water residue that was missed or is hiding in areas you can’t reach.
After airing overnight, smell the washer with a fresh morning nose to see if the odor still exists. If the odor is still there, you may want to do 1 or 2 additional clean cycles to completely remove all of the residue. Don’t worry – the smell will go away. If you haven’t run your washer through this cleaning process before, you may need to do this 2-3 times to remove all of that built-up residue from the internal parts of the machine. I could tell a huge difference after one clean cycle and one overnight air dry. But it took a few additional cleanings to make it go away completely. Don’t give up too quickly!
Once you have a clean smelling washing machine, complete this cleaning process each month. Just because you got rid of the smell doesn’t mean it won’t return. Think about adding this to your monthly household cleaning maintenance program.
*Make sure your machine is level…
*Consult your owner’s manual to find out if the manufacturer has specific cleaning advice for you.
*If your machine has a filter or drain opening that’s easily accessible, that area may need to be inspected and cleaned. In some machines, items can get caught in the filter or drain area. A few reports I read mentioned coins or debris being stuck down there. And those items can be the mold and mildew culprit.
*Bring in a professional or handy person you know to help solve the issue.
*Contact the maker of your machine. Since the printing of your owner’s manual, the company may have new or better tips for you to try. Or they may work with you even further to help solve the problem.
*Use less soap! After owning a machine for a while or doing laundry for years, many of us don’t measure out detergent before adding. We aren’t as precise as we were when we first started doing laundry. This isn’t good for an HE machine. Especially because the suds can be one of the main culprits for mold and mildew. Make sure you read through your owner’s manual completely to understand exactly how much detergent the machine requires. Sometimes for large loads you may need only a few tablespoons of detergent. My owner’s manual gives you an example of what types of clothing should be washed on each cycle…and how much detergent you should use in those cases.They are called HE for a reason = less water. Because they need less water, chances are the machine needs less soap.
*Use only HE detergent. I’ve heard that powdered detergent creates fewer suds for this modern washing machine, as opposed to liquid. But liquid is still fine to use. just use a smaller amount.*If possible, use detergent free from dyes and perfumes. Those additional additives may add more residue to the washing machine…
*If you are using a detergent that says it is “2x the cleaning power“, you may need to use even less of it.
*If you are concerned that you’re adding too much detergent, but don’t want to cut back, consider adding the extra rinse cycle to each load. This ensures clothing is getting rid of the additional soap residue, as well as any residue inside the machine…
*Wash the soap dispenser at least once a month, especially the container where the detergent sits. And the compartment.
*Leave the washer door and soap dispenser drawer open between loads. This allows the machine to air dry. When the door is closed, there is less opportunity for the machine to dry out. That moist atmosphere is prime breeding for mold and mildew.
*Wipe down the outside and inside of the rubber seal after each load to remove any water and dry it completely.
*Fabric softeners have a waxy base and leave lots of residue in HE machines. Consider using white vinegar as your go-to fabric softener or the teeniest amount you can get away with putting in the machine.
*Try to remove wet clothing from the washer immediately. I know, sometimes this is easier said than done, but if you leave the wet clothing in the machine too long, the mildew smell is more prone to return.
*Put 1 tablespoon of baking soda in the drum after each load. This will be there for the next load and continue to absorb smells while you aren’t using the washer.
*Use powdered bleach for colors and liquid bleach for whites. This helps with mold suppression.Hope this post is helpful! As always, I learn from my readers…if you have additional tips or would like to share your HE washer stories with others – feel free to leave a comment!
Original article and pictures take www.simplyorganized.me site
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