How To Deodorize your Smelly Riverside Washing Machine

7/12/2021 (Permalink)

To keep your machine smelling fresh, clean the washer every 30 days or so!

Have you noticed a musty odor coming from your washing machine?

Don’t worry, you’re not the first person in Riverside, to have a smelly washer. Today’s machines are more efficient and eco-friendlier than ever before, but they’re also more susceptible to mildew and mold growth. Luckily, with just a little maintenance, you can easily remove smells and keep them from returning.

What’s Causing It

High-efficiency washers use much less water than their predecessors. This makes it harder for the machine to completely dissolve the dust, hair, and body oils from your dirty laundry, and residue can build up over time. In addition, the interior of your machine tends to be warm and humid most of the time, making your washer the ideal environment for rapid mold growth. The door gaskets on front-loading machines can trap dirt and moisture and are also excellent places for mold and bacteria to flourish.

How To Get Rid of It

Follow these steps to eliminate mold and banish the existing funk from your washing machine:

Clean around the rims of the dispensers using a solution of one-fourth cup of vinegar mixed with two cups of hot water. You may need to use a cotton swab or small toothbrush to get into small areas. If you have a front-loading machine, also clean the gasket around the door.

Sprinkle a cup of baking soda into the drum and add two cups of plain white vinegar to the detergent dispenser. Don’t add any detergent or clothes. Run a full cycle using hot water.

After the cycle is complete, wipe away any bits of leftover “gunk” that remain on the walls of the drum.

If the mold smell remains, repeat steps two and three.

To keep your machine smelling fresh, be sure to use detergent labeled safe for high-efficiency machines and keep the lid open between washes to allow the drum to dry out. Clean the washer every 30 days or so, using the procedure above or using a commercial washing machine cleaner. Prevention is key to avoiding a stinky, moldy washer.