A washing machine is often wet and can pick up lots of particles from clothes or whatever you and your household forget in pockets of clothes you put through the washing machine. An often-wet environment is the ideal milieu for the development of bacteria; therefore, cleaning your washing machine will prevent bacteria from growing and making your clothes smell. It is recommended to thoroughly clean your washing machine, on average, every 12 months, depending on the frequency of use and perceived odors. Below are a few tips to prevent bacteria from growing inside your machine and causing foul odors.

1 – Remove the detergent drawer to clean it

Clean your washing machine starting from the inside and remove the deposits behind the window and the seals of the washing machine’s drum. You can find debris there that are residues left behind from your washed clothes.

2 – Clean the filter; 

This is possible by unscrewing the bottom right or left of your washing machine, depending on where it is located. Be sure to put a container or a towel underneath the machine because there is always a little water left behind after each cycle.

3- Run an empty machine or a machine filled with non-fragile bath towels at 60°or ideally 90° by adding 3 spoons of carbonated soda. Between the heat and the release of hydrogen peroxide, your machine will come out like new! (If you don’t have Percarbonate, you can also use 1L of white vinegar, but not both solutions are used at the same time!).

 It’s recommended to practice daily maintenance of your washing machine before the next cleaning cycle by doing the following:

• Remember to get your laundry out quickly at the end of each wash, and leave the door open so that there is not too much humidity responsible for the development of bacteria. This practice will make your job easier, and you will need less of those big cleanups.
• Please, respect the dosage! Overdosing the laundry detergent will not wash your linen better, but on the contrary, it will clog your machine more. Also, check the water inlet hose for it can be blocked by residues or simply placed too high, which does not allow the materials to evacuate well. Do not hesitate to clean it and review its height if necessary.

• All the electronics of our modern machines must also be considered. To maintain your washing machine for a longer period, it is recommended to give it a thirty-minute laundry break from one cycle to the other to prevent the motherboard of the machine from overheating.