How To Clean Your Washing Machine (So It Doesn't Smell Like Mouldy Socks) | HuffPost Life

Yes, believe it or not your washing machine needs cleaning too.

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Parents editor at HuffPost UK

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Almost one in five Brits never clean their washing machine, putting them at risk of bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, a survey has found.

In washing machines which aren’t cleaned regularly, bacteria can build up which can potentially cause pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, and other diseases.

Sadly, 19% of people are putting themselves at risk as they’ve never cleaned their machines.

Katherine Fawssett via Getty Images

The survey of 2,000 Brits by Glotech Repairs also found that almost one third (29%) said they clean their washing machine once a month. While half of respondents (50%) said they clean their machine every few months or less.

In response, Kim Woodburn from ‘How Clean Is Your House?’ said people aren’t cleaning their appliances at the right temperatures, which can result in bacteria building up. “To save money many people will consistently wash at 30 or 40 degrees,” she said. “Depending on how often you use your washing machine you need to occasionally wash it on as much as 90, because 30 is inadequate, it will not clean it out.”

She added: “If you have a large family and do a lot of washing you should clean your machine at least, at least twice a month. You also need to consider what goes in with each wash. A workman’s clothes will be full of germs and gunge. To make sure no bacteria gets lodged, people should clean those at higher temperatures and clean regularly after these washes.”

Woodburn warned against overloading the machine because this stops the cleaning process from working on all of the clothes and the inside of the device. She recommends filling the machine by one third to ensure the clothes can beat around the drum properly.

Inspired to give your washing machine a proper clean? Follow the steps below:

You will need:

An old (clean) toothbrush
Hot water
White vinegar
A damp cloth

Method:

Remove the detergent drawer and soak it in hot water, then use a toothbrush to give it a good scrub and remove any mould.
Rinse the drawer thoroughly and put it back.
Use the toothbrush to scrub the rubber seal inside the door.
Add one cup of white vinegar to the drum and set your washing machine to the hottest cycle possible. Do not put any laundry in.
Let the cycle finish, open the door and let the drum dry.
Once it’s dry, use a damp cloth and wipe the drum and rubber seals inside the machine. Try to get behind the rubber seal where residue and mould may have built up.
While you’re at it, wipe the outer surfaces of your machine too.

[Source: Persil]

14 Cleaning Hacks

Use a lemon to clean stainless steel(01 of14)

Annoying water stains on your tap and sink? Halve a lemon and use it to scrub stainless steel. It will also make your kitchen smell fresh and citrusy. (credit:Monkey Business Images via Getty Images)

Steam clean microwave(02 of14)

Had a baked beans explosion? Clean your microwave the easy way by mixing two tablespoons of white vinegar and a few drops of your favourite essential oil with water and blast it for 5 minutes. You’ll be left with a shiny clean microwave that smells amazing with zero scrubbing required. (credit:Whit Preston via Getty Images)

Use a cotton bud for cleaning keyboards(03 of14)

Instead of a wipe, take a damp cotton bud and use it to clean the difficult bits in between your keyboard. (credit:Partha Pal via Getty Images)

Fold and stack clothes vertically not horizontally(04 of14)

Organise your t-shirt drawer by folding them and stacking vertically not horizontally. This way you can flip through to find the one you want easily and minimise creasing which means less ironing, always good. (credit:Chad Mcdermott via Getty Images)

Cover fridge shelves in cling film(05 of14)

Fridge spillages can be disastrous but easily cleaned up by simply covering the shelves with cling film or plastic wrap. That way when something leaks or gets sticky, you can peel it off and start fresh, no cleaning necessary. (credit:Fabrice LEROUGE via Getty Images)

Store sheet sets in pillow cases(06 of14)

Finding matching bed sets can be a huge time waster but solved easily by organising your linen. Fold matching bed sets into the corresponding pillowcase so they are all kept together. (credit:Prasit Rodphan via Getty Images)

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Make your bathroom smell constantly fresh(09 of14)

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Refresh plastic containers(10 of14)

Get the leftover curry stains out of plastic containers by putting a solution of washing up liquid, bleach and water in them and microwaving until boiling point. Once cooled, pour away and rinse. (credit:Cultura/BRETT STEVENS via Getty Images)

Deep clean shower head(11 of14)

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Microwave sponges(12 of14)

If you’ve only got one sponge to do all of the spring-cleaning with, disinfect it quickly and easily by putting it in your now spotless microwave for two minutes. Just make sure your sponge doesn’t have any metal on it obviously. (credit:Alexandra Grablewski via Getty Images)

Use a pastry brush to get crumbs out of toaster(13 of14)

Toast crumbs are notoriously difficult to get to but using a pastry brush can help sweep away the annoying trapped bits. (credit:ozgurcoskun via Getty Images)

Put a cup of vanilla extract in the oven(14 of14)

Sounds a bit crazy but by putting a few teaspoons of vanilla extract into a mug and baking for an hour, your whole home will smell gorgeous and inviting. This is a trick estate agents swear by. (credit:Monika Adamczyk via Getty Images)

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uk lifestyle uk lifestyle news hygiene Cleaning washing machines

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