Who cleans their washing machine?

[saslia]

Just curious.

Mine was a bit smelly so thought I would have a look - I have had it for about 6 years and never done it

Anyway I found in the middle pouch thing what looked and smelt like pond scum

So i have scrubbed and rinsed and cleaned it out - am now running a wash of hot water and vinegar.

So if you do it how often and with what.....

TIA

[AliBaby]

I clean inside that middle 'stem' section probably once every 2 months. Take the whole thing apart once a year. If you dont stay on top ofit it can make the clothes yucky.

ETA- I just clean it with warm soapy water and one of those sponges that are yellow on one side and soft and green and scoury on the other side.

[Trillian]

I do the lint filter (where your pond scum was LOL) every month cause my DH works around Drill rigs and his work clothes get covered in a really fine dust that leaves a greasy residue in the tub if it's left to build up. So the lint filter is every month and I wipe the tub down after every load of work gear I do. I also clean where ever there is dust or lint built up, but have never pulled one apart to do it.

[Rouge]

I used to clean the top loader filter every wash, or at least once a week. And I cleaned the soap dispenser and washed it with hot water and disinfectant once a month. Now we have a frontloader I clean the trap when I need to as it tells me and its quite a laborious job and wash the water trap often and do a hot water vinegar wash once a month.

[Cassius2]

we own a twin tub so clean it pretty much with every use. too easy. love it.

[Rouge]

OH COOL!

How old is your twintub? We had one when I was a kid. They wash sooooo much faster don't they

[FabFiona]

This thread has inspired me to give mine a good clean..... For the first time.... In years.....

Thanks all!

[Netix]

I have only washed my machine once, and probably won't do it again. I really didn't notice any difference before and after. Instead I've being adding vinegar and bicarb to each load since just after Cai started the Laundry Solutions thread. I'm not sure I notice any difference with that either, but I don't think I've had the little greasy flecks in my washing since.

I wipe down the drum if it looks grotty after a wash, and I often wipe around the top of the drum where the water goes in, etc, and dismantle the centre where the softener goes and the filter underneath. But this filter never looks very dirty, so I don't know if there is another one somewhere, though if there is, it involves swinging a spanner to get to it.

[Kazbah]

I do an "empty" wash once a month, bicarb, hot water & vinegar. Plus give a wipe down around the top of the drum etc

[aussienic]

I clean the filter things every couple days and probably put a vinegar rinse thru the washing machine about once a month or every 2 months..

[Erin_25]

When I had a top loeader I would always & I mean ALWAYS clean the filter LOL....I'm very pedantic about my clothes. I love them & don't want them getting crap on them from the filter, so would pull it out & rinse all the muck off with hot water.

Now I have a front loeader that has a "clean me"mode, & its actually recommended every so many washes....so much so that the screen lights up telling you how many washes it's been since you cleaned it & it doesn't go away until you do. I swear it lights up the entire house at night LOL, so it always gets cleaned too. Just add 2 scoops of powder & press clean me........awesome.