What's the best way to clean a washing machine?
Answers:
If it's a top loader, run through one cycle with hot water, detergent and bleach. Add clothes if you want, doesn't matter. Then always make sure you remove your loads right away so they don't sit and mildew in the machine, also leave the lid open more often than not so that any water left standing in the bottom of the basin can fully dry out and not get moldy. This has always worked for me, and the smell issue was usually a problem with me leaving the wet clothes in overnight or all day *oops*
If you've got a front-loader this is a notorious problem. What you need to do is the same thing with running through a hot cycle + bleach, but with no clothes. You should also check around the inner door seal gasket to look for standing water and mold formation. Many MANY brands don't drain the water fully from this front gasket and standing water on the rubber leads to mold and a smelly machine and eventually smelly clothes. It's easily solved if you don't let the problem get out of hand. Just give the gasket a good cleaning with bleach and water. Thereafter you will need to wipe out the gasket seal after *each load* and also leave the door open so that it has a chance to dry out thoroughly between loads. Front-loaders are great, but you do need to take this bit of extra care with them to avoid this problem, which could potentially ruin an expensive machine.
Hope that helps!
Other answers:
try running a cycle empty or with some towels (white) with baking soda in it
try running a cycle empty or with some towels (white) with baking soda in it
i'd just run an empty load after pouring a ton of bleach in the machine.
it never even crossed my mind to clean a washing machine... i mean... you'd think they'd clean themselves.
I would run it w/o any clothes and add vinegar to the water. That should clean and deodorize it.
Damn star17, this is a good, Did you try washing with a different washing powder?? Or use baking soda, or something that neutralizes water and objects, BESIDES BLEACH!! try that as well!!
Try Citric Acid. It will also get rid of any hard water stains. Or a cup of amonia.
I don't think I've ever cleaned my washing machine, not the inside anyway. I use detergent, washing soda, fabric softener and sometimes bleach for whites. I would think that would be enough.
I have wiped down the outside with pinesol & water.
what you need is a washing machine washing machine - unfortunately it hasn't been invented yet .