Cleaning a washing machine
 

Hiya,

Just a question about washing machines and how do you go about cleaning them.

Our clothes are coming out clean but when the towels are getting wet after baths or even washing hands there seems to be a weird smell on them, like a dirty water smell if that makes sense.

Our clothes seem ok but I am just wondering whether our washer needs a "clean"?
I have put it on a empty wash to try and clear the pipes but it hasnt seemed to work.
I havent changed our washing powder or conditioner recently so cant be this.
When the washer is finished the conditioner compartment has been flushed through but it seems to be leaving water in there.

Any Suggestions?

Thank You.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Try this heth
Appliance Spares | Spare Parts | Oven Spares | Oven Elements Affresh Smelly Washing Machine Cleaner

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Aldi are selling washing machine cleaner........Dr Beckmans.....£2.99.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Thanks Dave & Marg.
Will have a look at Aldi tomorrow as it is cheaper than the one you put on Dave but if that doesnt work then will try the more expensive one!:D

Have you tried washer cleaner's in the past? Do they work?

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

You are welcome Heth.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Iv tried dr beckmann as its my mch that smells, but doesnt affect the clothes, but cant say it helped, I searched net & tried soda crystals on very hot wash, that didnt work either, iv now given up bothering, hope it works for you though

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

another remedy is Bi-carb Soda in the final rinse water.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Cheers Wallop, will give it a go and see what happens.
Like I say its only when the towels get damp that I notice the smell which is weird my clothes are fine.

Got some soda crystals at home so may try that aswell.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Ohhh will try that one.
Thank You, I am learning alot tonight!

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Bi carb is excellent for getting shut of nasty niffs.......removes odours from fridges, and if you have a pet that has an accident on the carpet........wash the area with a solution of bi-carb and the pong is gone.
Just wondering......nah, it would never work!

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

You know I were thinking the same!!!

Think the "job" your talking about is too big for Bi-Carb Marg! :D

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Great minds and all that!

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Thanks for that Margaret, I didn't see that suggested when searching the net, I'll be giving that a try.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

You are welcome.
It is best to do it a couple of times........in fact I put a good heaped spoonful of bicarb in the machine when I am washing whites.........it is something my gran taught me....old habits die hard.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I was getting that problem heth and eventually it broke down on me, when the guy came to repair it he said the smell was down to the outlet getting blocked, might be an idea to check it.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

If you are using conditioner on towels, Heth, stop it now .. it builds up and will make them smell eventually. Also, conditioner is just a plastic coating, so the towels will not be as absorbent.

I sometimes get water left behind in the soap dispenser .. .just have to pull it out to clean it ... gets blocked.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

..............and the 'plastic' coating on your clothing can be absorbed into you via your skin which isn't the impermeable barrier most people think it is.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I take my soap drawer out and give it a soak every couple of weeks(I use denture cleansing tablets).

I also use a calgon type tablet to prevent the build up of limescale....I know we are a soft water area, but you do still get some build up.(or so a washing machine repair man told me...long before the chap on TV started telling us about it.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

And not to mention those awful smelly perfumes they put in them, eh .. yuk ? ;)

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Do you do lots of 30 or 40 degree washes and use washing liquid? We used to and had the same problem. Now all towels and bedding gets washed at 60. You will want to wash bedding at 60 after you go away and google about bed bugs just to be sure.

One problem is a build up of washing liquid and conditioner that forms a slimy layer. This then starts to grow bacteria and you get black spots in places you cant wash them off. The smell is most likely to be bacteria and its waste products. Try washing some towels at the hottest wash your machine will do. I tried the white vinegar as sugested on a web site and washing machine cleaners but nothing worked. Eventually I washed some white towels on hot with a lot of bleach in the machine as chlorine kills the bacteria and breaks down the slime. We do this at work to clean out water pipes that feed the machines. I do not recommend strong bleach solutions in your machine though for 2 reasons. It can degrade rubber pipes in your machine and the bubbles came out of the power drawer and completely filled the machine. At least this meant the bleach got everywhere in the machine. It was like a magic porridge pot that did not want to stop. The washer is in the garage though so it did not damage anything. It took a few washes rinses to get rid of but it does not smell any more.

I used to wash everything at 40 thinking I was saving money, now I wash bedding, towels and my work clothes at 60 and everything else at 40. I think Rhonda does the same. Not had the problem since and it was over a year ago it started to smell and I would guess the machine was only about a year old then. The old machine never did it even though we washed most things at 40.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

My sheets are white and cotton so they get a 90 degree wash...with bleach.
I never really went for the low temperature washing thing.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I use 90 degrees for cotton whites (bedding and underwear).
I don't use fabric conditioner or bleach and use unscented 'skin sensitive' tablets placed directly into the drum - ie dont need to clean soap dispenser because it isn't used.

I did try (very natural eco friendly) soap nuts at one time but you can't use a very hot wash with them, and whites were greying a bit.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Thanks for all the replys, I aint been on for a few days.

Tried the soda crystals and Bi-Carb (thanks marg) as the soda crystals didnt work and seems to be ok.

In response to Neil yeah I have my washer on 30 for all washes as I were sucked into that eco friendly wash when it were advertised.

So how much bleach do I put in? A cap full or a bit more?
Have been getting them black spots so think a bleaching would be a good idea.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Heth, run a hot wash(above 60) with the machine empty..........a capful of bleach would be good.
On the last rinse Mix a dessertspoon of bi carb with a small amount of hot water and put it into the soap dispenser of the washing machine.
Once you have done this, and the machine has finished its cycle and has stopped....take out the soap drawer and give it a good wash in soapy water(washinp up liquid is fine).......when it has had a good wash put some bleach in the water and leave for about 15-20 minutes...this should kill and mould(which is what the black bits are)
Give the drawer a rinse and put it back in the machine.
Try to dry out any residue of water that collects in the rubber seal, and leave the door of the machine open just a little bit.

This routine may need to be done every few weeks. But ditch the low temp washes........and try to wash something at a high temp each week(towels are fave...or pot towels.....I wash these separately because I don't use fabric softener on them...for the reasons that Kate stated)

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Thanks Marg will put it on a hot wash tonight with some bleach in there.

Good job you lot are here I tell you!! :D

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

well........ we have to be good for something.......even if it is only as a bad example :)

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I suppose it depends how big your head is :rolleyes:

I used a lot but had the bubbles escaping the machine. I might have a photo of it, it was funny

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Hahaha! Your so funny aint you?! :tongueout

Dont want me machine to be blowing bubbles out so wont put in that much!

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Had this problem occasionally, cleaning out the filter worked. Gud Luk

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

i clean mine out once a week with bicarb on a 60 wash, i was alot of nappies in mine which can make it smell as you can imagine, i also strip my nappies once a month with white vinegar as a build up of detergent can make them smell, are you using the right amount of detergent in every wash?

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Yeah I go by what is on the box, havent done any washing yet this week as I havent had much.
Will let you all know how it goes on! :D

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Thereby lies the clue .. mildew, due to leaving items in a damp condition for too long and will create a mouldy smell.

No bleach if your towels are coloured ... well a little hydrogen peroxide.

Difficult to treat, but with a few washes in a biological powder should improve.

Actually, did google the Persil site and they suggested rubbing with household soap and putting out in the sunshine for a while. The ultra violet light kills the spores. Wash after in biological detergent.

Never heard that one before ... worth a try.

With modern detergents, Margaret, that attack the stains with enzyme additives (biological washing powder), there is absolutely no reason why cottons should be washed at over 70 degrees. Bleach should only be added at the first rinse of no higher than 60 degrees, otherwise, you run the risk of tenderising the fabric.

After many years of dealing with commercial laundries and others who insisted that some of our hotel linens were not up to scratch and were showing holes, etc after the first wash .. this was the main abuse they subjected our products to.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Kate, I have washed my sheets like this for as long as I can remember(well the white ones anyway) and some of my sheets are almost 20 years old......they are egyptian cotton with a high thread count........and although I can't honestly say they are as good as new, there is life left in them.
I know when I bought them my husband thought they were very expensive, but they have turned out to be the very best value for money.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I wonder if my laundry habits can be laid at the door of my paternal Grandmother.....Ok, they didn't have the modern detergents.....she grated olive soap, boiled her sheets in a Slaxone copper boiler.........and used bleach. I loved the smell of the boiling sheets and pillow cases.........and used to help her put the sheets through the mangle.
She would lift the laundry out of the boiler with wooden tongs into a dolly tub of cold water .....swish the sheets around using a posser........then we would fold the sheets and put them through the mangle( a couple of times)....isn't it a good job the floor in the kitchen was stone flags....oh yes, and she wore clogs too.
That's my laundry story.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I have cotton percale (high thread count) bedding too.
It isn't suffering from 90degree washes.
M&S cotton nightwear and panties also stand up to it, but some panties I got on ebay have gone 'holey'.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Me too .. been there, done all that and slung the sheets across the line in the back street after (clothes rack in Winter)....:D Technology has moved on though and the main criteria is to attack the stains which modern detergents do without bleaching. You have been very lucky if your sheets are not showing any rotting of the fibres. Try shoving your nail through your sheet and see what happens.

Egyptian cotton sheets are not always the best .. can be manufactured in Egypt, but the yarn can be from elsewhere.

You are just wasting energy and bleach by taking them up to 90 degrees.
Why do you feel the need to bleach cotton sheets anyway ? Not like they get too dirty and should stay whiter than white even at 50 degrees wash:confused:

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

can remember when i was a kid my pensioner next door neighbour did all her washing the old fashioned way ... and she had a mangle ... and when it was the school holidays it was me who turned the mangle for her .....:D

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

The inside of your machine stays wet after use and there is always some water still in the machine.

This link is a good one I think about what causes machine machine smells and why low temp washing causes problems.

Washing machine usage (part 2)

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I have checked the sheets Kate....and I can't put my fingernail through them.......if I could I am sure himself would have holed them by now with his toenails(they are hard as iron)
I don't use much bleach..........maybe a tablespoonful in a full load.
The egyptian cotton sheets were expensive at the time.....so expensive that you got two free bath sheets(I daren't tell you how much)....but they have been proved to be value for money.
On the hot wash cycles I have 40, 60, 90........I use 40 for most things, I don't do much low temperature stuff.......it really doesn't seem get things clean...not even with biological liquid.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I do what MargaretP does with the exceptions - no bleach, no biologicals.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Thanks Neil i will look at that link a bit later and thanks all for your washing stories its funny how people get into habits isnt it?

I always seperate my whites/lights and my dark/colours but me Mum laughs at me and asks why as she doesnt??!!

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I have always separated whites and coloureds........and get infuriated when himself chucks stuff into the machine without first checking what is in there. I have had a couple of mishaps due to him doing this....so now I unload whatever is in there, to check he hasn't put a pair of rogue socks or undercrackers in with the whites

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Ah well, suppose it would be a hard job to convince you ladies that washing at 90 degrees is so unnecessary. If you are happy with it .. then OK.

The dosage of bleach is quite low, MargaretP .. so you have been lucky to get away with it. Please remember though that when you remark that buying percale sheets "was worth it" ...it has nothing to do with the longevity of the sheet. Percale (as MargaretR mentioned) is just a finer yarn and more threads to the inch to give you a smoother, more luxurious feeling sheet... all the better if an actual Egyptian yarn with a longer staple length. A standard 60/60 (number of threads per inch warp/weft) 20/20s (the lower the number, the thicker the yarn) will probably be tougher. Course you know this .. as you were a weaver for a while.

I have always had excellent results at 30/40 degrees .. but please remember that some stains do need specialised treatment before washing.

Curious to know what agent you use MargaretR for washing ?

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

It was MargaretR who mentioned percale sheets Kate. I don't remember the company I bought them from denoting them as percale...but it is a long time ago.

Although my sheets have a high thread count they weren't thin(fine) when new they were surprisingly heavy....they are becoming fine now, but as I say I have had 18 and a bit years wear out of them.........so I have had my money's worth. I would certainly buy them again....they would probably see me out.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I think I said earlier that I gave up with the soapnuts.
I use non-bio Surcare tablets
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/ocado...Washes_16.html


The small print says 'outstanding results at 30 degrees' but I wouldn't know.
What matters is - totally perfume free. I have tried Simply Sensitive tabs but they have a small amount. My Bosch washer has an Aqua Plus setting for extra rinsing power to avoid any detergent residue being left on whatever is washed.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

PS saw this in the Daily Fail today
Multiple chemical sensitivity: Woman¿s extreme allergic reaction to cleaning products means setting foot in supermarket could make her collapse | Mail Online

I do use ordinary dishwasher tablets - because there is no possiblity of inhaling fumes or direct skin contact I can use them.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

How can a thread on cleaning washing machine get a bit nasty?


I did ours yesterday morning because some clothes did not smell right. I think they had been forgotten fir a couple of days in the machine. Easy ti do with the machine being in the garage. I also think that makes it worse than being inside. Just washed them again but no better. I washed the machine at 90 with half a cup of normal thin chlorine bleach and no clothes in it.


When it finished the machine smelled of bleach still so I washed my work overalls as normal at 60 and they came out perfect. Rewashed original load and it was fine.

So simplees even a man can do it.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Nasty ?? :confused: I can assure you that the comment I made was not meant in any sort of nasty way at all, and sure the two Margarets did not see it this way.
I think our little debate was carried out in a most civilised manner.

I apologise if this is the way it came across.

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

I didn't consider Kates response to be even vaguely nasty....unless you were being ironic.

We all have our domestic idiosyncracies.........many born out of habits that are decades old. I'm sure Kate is no different.
We all use what works for us...or at least that is how I see it.

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No need for you to apologise to me Kate. I took it in the manner it was intended. I know that you have much technical knowledge when it comes to textiles.

It is good to get different views on how things are done by other people.

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Thank you Margaret for your comment ... don't wish to become neurotic about every post I do wondering if I sounded aggressive. I wondered if Neil was having a play on words too ? :)

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Not a bit aggressive Kate. I think he was having some fun with us.......doesn't realise he can cause paranoia to set in :D

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

Well I cleaned my washer out on a empty wash with a cap full of bleach (didnt realise it were gonna cause that many bubbles from a capful!) and I am glad to say when I did my washing yesterday everything smelt fine! :D

Will do a empty bleach wash every month I think just to clean the pipes through so then it doesnt build up again.

Just going to put our bedding in now on a high wash as suggested.

Thank You again for all your advice, will post another problem for you to solve when one arises!! ;)

Re: Cleaning a washing machine
 

If you are going to wash them at 90 degrees, Heth, check your contents label first. If they are poly/cotton, you may be in danger of causing what is known as Thermal Shock. This is caused by cold water entering your washer in the rinsing programme directly after a very hot water wash. It could cause bad creasing which will be permanent.

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You only need 60 degrees to kill those bed bugs, did you read that link I posted about it.

As for the bubbles, like I said before it depends how big your head is :p