What's your favorite washing machine tub cleaner?

[luuknam]

I'm not a huge fan of bleach because I'm paranoid about the next load being discolored by traces of bleach, so I tried Tide and it smells way too perfumy. So, what's your favorite? Any non-perfumated recommendations would be great.

[Epicurean]

Chlorine bleach evaporates in a short period of time, leaving behind an innocuous salt residue (assuming that there is anything left in the drum after the extra rinse, which is unlikely). So as long as you crack your washer door for a while after the cleaning cycle, you shouldn't have a problem. I've never had discoloration from cleaning the eager with bleach.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Vinegar.  And I dump it in with clothes.  I buy the extra strong stuff in the gallon jugs.  Cheap, works, and no perfumy smell.

 

 

 

 

[KarenNC]

Smelly Washer. http://smellywasher.com/

 

It worked when nothing else would in a couple of situations for us. 

[Kareni]

I've used this ~ OxiClean.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[gardenmom5]

oxyclean.  with towels, and jeans, etc

Edited July 16, 2016 by gardenmom5

[JustEm]

Vinegar

[zoobie]

Borax and OxiClean

 

Though I saw a tip to use dishwasher powder to get out baseball stains (was it on here?), so I threw in DS's caked pants with a Cascade pod and let 'er rip. My washing machine is sparkly! :)

[ScoutTN]

I'm supposed to clean my washer?

[regentrude]

I don't clean my washer. It washes clothes with detergent all the time and gets them clean - so what about it needs to be cleaned?

 

I leave the lid open when not in use. 

Edited July 17, 2016 by regentrude

[Ethel Mertz]

I don't clean my washer. It washes clothes with detergent all the time and gets them clean - so what about it needs to be cleaned?

 

I leave the lid open when not in use. 

 

Thank heavens you posted this. I had no idea that cleaning the washer tub was a thing. :confused1:

[marbel]

Sometimes I see a little grime on the agitator.  I guess it's from greasy clothing and gets deposited there during the wash?   I've noticed it more since my son started working in a welding shop as a go-fer and cleaner.  His clothes are filthy now. 

 

Anyway, I will just wipe that off with either some dawn dishwashing liquid or a magic eraser.

 

Otherwise, I don't clean my washer. I use a vinegar rinse with most loads and any dirty water goes out in the rise. 

[HomeAgain]

Charlies regular laundry soap.  It gets rid of the build up of ick around the top of the drum from other detergents.

[meena]

I use the Tide cleaner, usually every 2-3 weeks. The smell is extremely strong, so I usually use ⅓ or ¼ of a packet at a time. That seems to clean it just fine. I usually wash a load of DH's stinky workout clothes or work undershirts after using the cleaner to clear the strong scent out.

 

I've tried other cleaners like vinegar, borax, etc. and they just don't seem to have much effect in our machine.

[mamiof5]

Have never, ever cleaned my washer 😂

[Ellie]

It has never occurred to me to clean the tub of my washer. I mean, goodness, there are multiple loads of laundry going through it weekly, with hot water and detergent; why would I need to take the extra step of cleaning the tub? :confused1:

[Shred Betty]

I'm not a huge fan of bleach because I'm paranoid about the next load being discolored by traces of bleach, so I tried Tide and it smells way too perfumy. So, what's your favorite? Any non-perfumated recommendations would be great.

I used to be totally paranoid of bleach. Was convinced I'd ruin all my clothes, whatever, it was all for nothing I'm a fully reformed ex bleach hater now. I probably use it a few times a week now and only bleach to clean the washer as well. I tried the splash less but read the back, it says it's not a disinfectant soooo what's the point? Now I'm back to drip everywhere bleach...

 

I even put a little in with my colored towels, they come out looking brighter and smelling amazing!

[Tap]

We do clean our front load washer.  It makes a HUGE difference here. 

 

We live in an area with hard water and we have to use something to remove the residue or it starts to build up over time. In our area, you need a water softener or to run the cleaning cycle or your washer. Otherwise, it starts to stink and it is impossible to get rid of the smell because the mineral build up makes a perfect place for the bacteria to cling to and grow.

 

I use Afresh tablets maybe once a month or every 2 months or so and run the washer on a 'clean washer cycle'. It was a sample that came with my Washer, I can buy them at most stores and they seem to work well, so I have stuck with them.  

 

In between I periodically run loads with a cup or two of vinegar in my towels to keep the minerals from building up on them, but also to clean the washer. When I do this, I also fill all the dispenser compartments with vinegar too and let them all run out.I have a water bottle with a squirt top on it, that I put vinegar in and spray in up under all the door seals and in the drain holes.  I just put the detergent on a rag and toss it in the washer with the towels.  I usually wait 20 minutes or so to give the vinegar a chance to break things down before the load starts washing.

 

About once a month I use a rag with bleach to wipe off the inside of the door, inside the rim of the drum and under the seal (I pull it away from the drum). ,I use a small brush inside the drain holes and any where else I can get to  around the door.  When I am done, my cleaning cloths are always full of black gunk, mold, mildew...or whatever that smelly mess is.  It definitely needs to be cleaned! 

 

 

I use All Free and Clear, or Tide Free and Clear detergent.  I only use a small amount so our washer isn't overwhelmed and rarely use liquid softener (less than once a month on quilts and such that don't get dried). I leave the washer open when not in use.  But it is still amazing how gunked up our washer gets from the minerals building up and clinging to everything, encouraging mold/mildew. 

 

I know it is time to clean the washer when clothes that have been left in there a few hours have that funky smell to them.  If the washer is cleaned, I have no problem washing clothes in the afternoon and not drying them till nighttime. 

 

BTW....I also wipe out my entire dryer with a cloth covered in vinegar for the same reason.  It make sure to get the moisture sensor and to vacuum my lint trap area, to maximize efficiency. 

 

 

 

Before I lived in an area with hard water.... I never heard of washing out the washer either.  Here, it is a given that you need to, especially with front loaders. 

 

[Pawz4me]

I,use bleach. Simple, inexpensive and effective.

 

I was taught as a child back in the 1970's how to properly clean a washing machine. Even those great older machines that ran so well and were top loaders still needed routine cleaning. I've yet to find a washer that didn't get gunky to downright nasty without periodic cleaning. Sometimes you have to poke around to find the gunky nastiness but I guarantee it's there.

[nd293]

I don't clean my washer. It washes clothes with detergent all the time and gets them clean - so what about it needs to be cleaned?

 

I leave the lid open when not in use.

Same. But full points to the marketing genius who came up with the idea.

[DawnM]

We are meant to clean these things?

 

Year 14, no cleaning.......

Edited July 17, 2016 by DawnM

[Epicurean]

Guys, this is not an imaginary problem dreamed up by marketing people. Do a Google image search for washer mold. There are places in washing machines where water collects and fungus begins to grow.  It happens in both front loaders and top loaders, but in my experience, front loaders are much more susceptible to it. A sour or musty smell is a sure sign that it needs cleaning. The owner's manual usually recommends cleaning it once a month (you can look up instructions on how to select the cleaning cycle, if you don't have a dedicated button for it, online by searching for your washer's brand name).

 

While climate and the hardness of your water are factors, I honestly can't envision a scenario where someone who didn't clean their washer regularly would not have a hidden mold problem.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Epicurean

[Pawz4me]

It's not just mold. Washers develop all sorts of gunk with use. Absolutely not a marketing gimmick.

[HomeAgain]

It has never occurred to me to clean the tub of my washer. I mean, goodness, there are multiple loads of laundry going through it weekly, with hot water and detergent; why would I need to take the extra step of cleaning the tub? :confused1:

 

For the same reasons I clean my bathtub, shower, and kitchen sink, too.

[KarenNC]

We never had a problem until we got a front loader. Even with leaving the door and the drawer where one adds the detergent open between washings, we had issues with musty towels. These were exacerbated when my husband decided he needed to be frugal and wash some rags he'd been using to clean something in the garage (very pungent, forget the cleaner he was using, I would have thrown them away). I tried vinegar, bleach, Tide cleaner, Affresh, etc and nothing worked to get the smell out until I tried the Smelly Washer (and even at that I had to shut the door, fill up the machine, then pour extra hot water through the detergent slot to get it to the point it would reach where stuff had sloshed up above the water line then let it soak). I seriously thought we'd have to get a new washer. 

 

 

[magnificent_baby]

I have to wash mine, it gets musty and gunk buildup that ends up on my clothes. Gross!! (I have mentioned here several times I hate my washer). I use Tide about once every 1-2 months. It smells so strong that I have to clothes the laundry room door while in use. Seems to work well. I alternate with bleach or vinegar from time to time. 

[kbutton]

Before I lived in an area with hard water.... I never heard of washing out the washer either.  Here, it is a given that you need to, especially with front loaders. 

 

Yep!

 

We use Lemi-shine. They sell packets that are for dishwashers and for front-loaders.

 

When we had a top loader, the big problem was detergent build-up in spite of using minimal detergent. Sometimes just hot water, vinegar, and running an empty load of water worked. I would run as many loads as necessary to get the wash water to stop foaming. We inherited the front loader with the house, and I suspect that the former owners hadn't cleaned it, hence the build-up.

 

It's always a new something with our front-loader. I am not sure we'll get another. I loved it until maybe a year ago, and now I'm just getting tired of having such a touchy appliance. It's too easy to mess it up. Part of the issue is that it's not in a climate controlled part of the house, and the room doesn't get great air circulation.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I leave the door of the washer open, but I dunno what it is with front loaders they can smell weird.  I find it helps to run some loads with some vinegar in them.  I don't run it separately to clean it though.

 

 

[luuknam]

We are meant to clean these things?

 

Year 14, no cleaning.......

 

Year 8, and it's (past) time (I have emptied the filter a few times over the years). It's a front loader, and the first 4.5 years or so were in soft water land, but the past few years are in harder water land. Almost everything I wash goes on sanitize, water plus, extra rinse, with a small amount of All Free and Clear, so that's probably why it's lasted this long. After doing bleach and Tide washer cleaner twice (spread out over three weeks), I wiped down the hidden folds in the rubber gasket in the front, and collected a ton of gunk (absolutely gross). I then tossed in a little bit of baking soda and ran another tub clean cycle because I figured there were probably a bunch of loose bits of gunk left that I wanted out.

 

So, I just need a maintenance routine, and Tide washer cleaner is not going to be it due to smell.

[KungFuPanda]

The bleach from the last load of whites?