Cleaning the machine is really simple, it just requires a lot of waiting. So do this on a day that you plan to be home for a few hours. All you need to "clean the machine" is bleach, vinegar, something to measure out a quart of each, and like I said, time.
Steps To Clean and Disinfect your Top Loading Washing Machine:
1. Fill the machine up with Hot water.
2. Add 1 quart of bleach.
3. Once the machine is full, let it agitate for about a minute or so.
4. Stop the cycle and let the water sit for 1 hour.
5. Once the hour is up, let the machine run through it's longest cycle.
6. The minute it is complete, start adding the hot water again.
7. Add 1 quart of vinegar.
8. Once the machine is full, let it agitate for about a minute or so.
9. Stop the cycle and let the water sit for 1 hour. (At this time you can dip a rag in the machine and use the vinegar water to wash all the nooks and crannies of the machine)
10. Once the hour is up, let the machine run through it's longest cycle.
That is all. Easy, but time consuming. The first cycle with the bleach will disinfect the machine, the hose, and the pipes that it runs through. The bleach will also remove any stains in the machine. The vinegar cycle is where you will see all the magic. After the hour is up you will see all the nasty build up your machine has been storing. Pretty gross, but I guess I am glad it showed something or this might have been a bust. Here is a picture of the Chapman family buildup.
So while I thought this was going to be a Pinterest Fail, especially after the first bleach cycle and my water amazingly clean. After the vinegar cycle the Pinterest Pin proved to be a gross, nasty Success.
I usually just do a bleach cycle on my washer to disinfect, but now I am going to also try the vinegar cycle also. Thank you for this tip.
ReplyDeleteOMG! I just did this yesterday! I have never seen my machine so white! The vinegar got so much crap out of the system as well as a bunch of detergent build up.
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