Cleaning a Washer

Take 2 cups white viniger and ad to a washer full of hot water snf let it go through the cycle.
I would clean the sides with comet and a scrubby pad first and then run with the vinegar.
This should do it. Mine gets a rings around the top from dirty work clothes and this does the trick.
Plus I use Amway SA-8 detergent and it cleans it every time I use it and does not build up in the pipes or on black clothing, etc.
V. B.

Funny you would ask this question. Last week on the Today show they showed how to clean a washing machine. Simply fill it to the highest level with Hot water. Then add 1 gallon of white vinegar. Run through the cycle and when it is done you should have a clean washer. Let me know how it works for you.
A.

I found this...long worded, but sounds easy enough

As with any home appliance, your washing machine requires regular maintenance and upkeep to ensure optimal performance. Washing machines can develop a foul odor after long-term use, and this odor will affect the cleanliness of your laundry. (Please note that the following steps are intended for owners of top-loading machines, not front-loaders.)

Step 1 - With your machine empty, run it full of hot water to the largest load setting. When the tub is full and begins to agitate, add 3 to 4 cups of distilled white vinegar to the water. Then add ½ cup of baking soda. Allow the machine to agitate for a few moments, then turn off the machine. Let the water sit for thirty minutes to one hour.

Step 2 - After allowing the vinegar/baking soda mixture to penetrate the grime in the washing machine tub, restart the machine, allowing it to complete the wash cycle. At the end of the wash cycle, as the tub begins to drain, advance the washing machine to the spin cycle. On many washing machines, this will cause the washing machine to spin as it drains, which can help to further loosen any residue. If yours doesn't do this, simply allow it to drain. Turn off the machine.

Step 3 - Wipe the inside of the washing machine tub with a wet cloth. If desired, use a cloth soaked in a solution of half hot water and half white vinegar. Be sure to wipe all inside surfaces, including the bottom and blades of the agitator and the top of the tub just under the lid. (It is sometimes helpful to use a wire toilet brush around the top rim and in hard-to-reach places.) If the washing machine has a fabric softener and/or a bleach dispenser, remove these and clean thoroughly before replacing.

Mine gets like that and I use Simple Green. It makes the washer look and smell brand new! It's great b/c it's also safe for clothing and any other surface! I even use it on stained clothing so I always keep a bottle in the laundry room, the kitchen and the bathroom! Even my car with leather seats!

You need to use really hot water, and you may need to boil some and add it in. Add a cup of vinegar and run the wash cycle with a few clean rags. Keep doing it over and over until it's clean. I have a detergent called Charlie's Soap that will help clean the residue as well in fewer washes, and won't leave a residue in the future if you are interested in it. It's not expensive, and it works really well.

A.
www.greenbabydiaperservice.com

I'm not sure what to tell you about that. Is it the inside of the washer? If so that's kind of strange maybe he's using way too much detergent or something. My washer's kinda old to but clean on the inside because it washes. Good luck.

FYI, for keeping it clean, whenever i'm washing a load of kitchen towels, I like to use one of them to clean around the washer using the soapy water that is filling up the basin. doing this every few weeks will keep it gunk-free. and fyi, it's NOT crazy to clean the washer - I can't believe more people don't!

In my old washer that had the drum i used boiling water and a long skinny wire style brush to clean out the caked on soap etc... Lots of hair. Yuck!!! After scrubbing it the best i could i ran a cycle with hot water and vinegar. If you have a small steamer like a shark with a little hose and sprayer, that works good too.

I wash mine down everytime I do the white clothes. After I place the detergent, ect in the washer I wet down a rag while the washer if filling up and wipe dowd the top of the washer. Then I throw the rag in the washer with the load of clothes.

I learned this when I was a kid. The lady that babysat me owned a laundrymat and this was how she cleaned the commercial washers everyday.

You may try running a couple empty loads with hot water and bleach - that helps me : )

i am not sure about what to clean it with but i would say cut down on how much detergent you/or hubby uses. i did that (cut mine in half plus i use borax mixed with baking soda & use only a half of a scoop) but anyway, even with reg. detergents you really dont need as much as they say you do, esp. if you arent doing a full load everytime (a lot of ppl still use a full scoop)

You are probably using too much detergent, use less and see how that goes.

But for now, run two hot water cycles with no clothes in the machine (do put some rags in though, the agitation of the rags will help clean the tub). Use 2 cups of bleach in each cycle and NO DETERGENT. Good for your husband for doing the wash. Does he have a brother?

I have tried the vinegar and the oxyclean, but what I found has worked the best are the diswasher cleaners you buy at the store.

Most recently I have used Dishwasher Magic. You can find it by the dishsoap at Walmart (and I think Target).

Also, tell your husband to use less soap. I cut my soap in almost half and have seen good results with no change in how clean my dishes get.

Erica,

Dump a whole bottle of white vinegar and a box of baking soda in there with a setting for a full wash with hot water.

It will bubble up like crazy, but it should do the trick!

You could also try getting a box of denture cleaner tablets and dropping them in some hot water.

Dear Erica
This won't help until you get your washer clean. But this you don't have to use any soap to clean your clothes. I have been using one for 2 years and I would not take for it.
Go to www.ecoquestintl.com/garrett go down till you see Laundry Pure and click on it.Will tell you all about it .It just connects to your washer.
God Bless
J. G

There are two reasons you want to cut down on the soap, the first is what you are encountering, the excess soap is coating the washer and remaining there instead of draining with the load.

The second is something I learned from my mother. When you use more detergent than necessary, it is damaging to fabric. So it will not cake on the washer and it will make your clothes last longer, which will make a big difference when they are both running around like crazy getting dirty.

Bless your heart btw, mine were 3 and 4 years apart, I cannot imagine the baby with another so young still. Enjoy them, the whole growing up thing happens it seems in the blink of an eye.

The other thing I learned a few years back I learned from a salesman at Sears who talked me out of buying a new washer. My washer was still working fine, but it just seemed that the clothes were not coming out smelling right. He asked me how often I washed a load with bleach. The fact was, that the boys were running through their socks so quickly I almost had to throw in a pair or two with other loads so they had clean socks for school and consequently took much longer to get a white load and use the bleach. I started washing even smaller loads of whites with bleach and I always use more water than really necessary for the load anyway so that I don't damage any actual non-sock clothing. I don't wash my washer because the bleach seems to do the trick.

I am having the same problem...I hope you get some really good advice on how to clean it!!

OOOHHHHH!!! Sounds like my hubby. I always had to clean it by hand. You might try filling with the hottest water you can stand and use some vinegar to help cut the soap and help dissolve the scum. I always used alot of hot water and elbow grease. Or you might try oxy-clean.
Good luck,
L.

Run a cup of vinegar through the cycle. Wipe down the lid with a wet sponge.

i have a front loader and when it gets funky, or has that smell, i use this product called "Sol-u-Mel" by a company that puts out all natural products. i use it diluted and run a load with just it, then i run a load with it and detergent and some towels. for me, it cleans that funk out and also helps rinse clean the container where the detergent goes. it's the only thing that works for me. the company's name is Melaleuca.