A common issue for many households is a smelly washing machine. But, there’s no reason why yours should suffer this fate, especially when keeping it clean and fresh is as easy as following the advice below.

Stop Dirt Building in Your Soap Drawer:

Take a quick glance inside the soap drawer of your washing machine. Is there a layer of black mould? If so, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that this is a contributing factor to the unpleasant odours. But it’s something which can be easily rectified.

Simply remove the soap drawer from the washing machine and place it in a bowl of hot soapy water to soak for a couple of hours, before using a clean, damp cloth to remove the bacteria, and then leave the drawer to air dry.

Tackle the Seal to Prevent Odours & Leaks:

There’s no denying the door seal plays an important role in preventing the washing machine leaking, but it is also susceptible to contributing to your washing machine emitting unpleasant odours, due to harbouring dirt and bacteria. A regular clean of the seal with a damp cloth will help to remove the risk of dirt building up – both on and behind the seal.

Cleaning your door seal on a regular basis will also allow you to inspect it for any damage, and should you notice any splits in the seal you can easily replace it, by following the advice in the video below.

Don’t Forget the Internal Parts:

As important as cleaning the parts of your washing machine which are visible to the naked eye, is carrying out a monthly maintenance wash. Such a wash is achieved by placing the appliance onto its hottest cycle, when it is empty and using a limescale and detergent remover in the soap dispenser.

Carrying out a maintenance wash on a monthly basis will enable you to clean the internal components and remove any limescale and detergent which may have built up – keeping your appliance working to its full potential.

Along with cleaning your washing machine on a regular basis, each time you use the appliance there are a few steps you can take to help it run at its peak performance and to reduce the risk of limescale and detergent building up. These include:

• Using the Correct Amount of Detergent: 

  On each detergent package there’s advice as to how much you should use, depending on your load. Following this advice will reduce the risk of excess detergent building up, which can hinder the performance of the appliance.

• Rinsing Away Excess Dirt:If you have heavily soiled clothes, where possible it’s recommended you rinse excess dirt off before placing them into the machine. This will help prevent dirt from building up in the drum.
• Tackling Hard Water:It’s estimated over 60% of people live in hard water areas. Unfortunately, hard water can have an impact on the performance of the appliance. Installing a water softener to the flow pipe or using water softener tablets in the appliance can help to combat the impact of limescale, keeping your machine working. [source: Cambridge Water]
• Leave the Door Open:After every wash, leave the door of the appliance open to allow it to dry naturally. This will help to prevent bacteria and unpleasant odours from building up.

Each of the steps listed above will help your appliance work at its peak performance for longer, saving you money in the long and short term, not only by keeping the washing machine energy efficient – but by also by preventing you from having to repair or replace the appliance.

Tags: Smelly Washing Machine, Washing Machine