Cleaning The Washing Machine

Usually, the washing machine is something you use to clean other things. However, everything gets grubby and needs a clean-out periodically, and this is especially true of something that handles dirty football shorts, smelly socks, nappies and all the rest of it. Now and again, you're going to have to clean the washing machine probably not that frequently as the general home cleaning. If you have a household with small children and/or people doing a filthy job and you have to do two or three loads of washing a day, you can skip reading this article unless you're really keen - your washing machine is probably never free to be cleaned and you have enough work to do. The outside of the washing machine is the easy bit to clean. The outside tends to get grubby very quickly, usually because the lid(or the top of the machine in the case of a front loader) is a good place to put the washing basket to save a bit of floor space, and cats seem to like jumping onto it (at least mine do! ).

And because the laundry is usually the place where people wash down the really grubby stuff, the top of the washing machine is often the place where scrubbing brushes, paint brushes and the like get popped down "just for now."

It's also easy to clean down, too. Just give it a good wipe with warm soapy water all over. Then toss the rag that you have just used into the basket ready to be washed. The buttons and dials are often a bit grubbier. You may have to use a bit of baking soda to rub at the flatter bits, or else get stuck in with a soft toothbrush (the latter is a must if you have an older style washing machine with switches and dials rather than the electronically controlled push-button type). A microfibre cloth such as an Enjo cloth can also do the trick.

While you're on the outside, have a quick look at the hoses. While the hoses connecting the taps to the washing machine are pretty durable, they don't last forever. Give them a quick once-over to make sure that they're not perishing.

Now for the inside of the washing machine. This is usually a lot cleaner, especially as it has large amounts of soapy water swooshing around inside it at least once a week - once a day being more like it in an average household. It won't need too much cleaning, unless you've either got it clogged up with sand and/or mud. This can happen if you've washed the towels after a trip to the seaside or if family members have got completely plastered with mud via gardening or rugby. If this sort of muck lingers inside the tub, it will get onto the next load put through the machine. Grass clippings are another common thing that gets washed off load A and sprinkles over load B, with tissues left in pockets being another.

Prevention is better than the cure, so before you put sandy towels or grassy trousers worn while using an edge-trimmer into the machine, take them outside and give them a good shake to get the worst out. If it's too late to prevent the problem or you have had to wash rugby gear, then your best bet is to pop a bit of water into the machine and put it onto the spin cycle. This should get rid of the excess gunk.

Larger items can get caught in the tub if they've been left in pockets, and consider yourself lucky if they do. If you're unlucky, they'll go out and get stuck in the pump mechanism, leaving you with a tub full of horrible, heavy clothes and water. Hair clips are the worst offenders for getting stuck in pumps (happened twice to me). Check the pockets before you wash things. And if you find coins in the machine, consider them a tip!

You will also need to clean out the lint trap periodically. This differs from machine to machine, so I can't tell you exactly how to do it. But make sure you do.

The biggest cleaning job you will have to do inside a washing machine is if you have made the once-in-a-lifetime-and-never-again mistake of going away on holiday leaving damp clothes sitting inside the machine. This is also known as a mildew factory. The clothes left inside will probably be close to unsalvageable - the choice is yours; you may want to try rescuing some items with sunlight, vinegar and lemon juice. But you will need to get rid of lingering mould and the horrible smell. Empty the machine out, spray copious amounts of vinegar inside and give it a good rub down. Leave it for a bit, then put some water into the machine and put it through the spin cycle to rinse it. Vow never to leave washing in the machine when you go away again.