If freshly washed laundry smells unpleasant, it’s usually not because of the washing powder but because of the washing machine. High time for a thorough cleaning of the much-used machine! you can easily clean your washing machine yourself with the following home remedies.
If the washing machine smells unpleasant – and sometimes even the freshly washed laundry smells when it comes out of the drum – bacteria are almost always to blame.
The reason: nowadays, laundry is often washed at lower temperatures in the easy-care or delicate wash program. This makes sense, because it protects the clothes and saves energy. The disadvantage of too many gentle wash cycles: grease and dirt are not always completely dissolved and transported away by the water. Over time, they can build up in the machine. These deposits, in turn, are a breeding ground for bacteria and mold, which are not affected by washing temperatures below 60 degrees Celsius.
Home remedy when the washing machine stinks
You can get rid of dirt and deposits with chemical agents from the drugstore or supermarket. But you don’t have to buy an expensive washing machine cleaner, because tried-and-tested household remedies such as citric acid or baking soda are not only much more environmentally friendly and much cheaper, they are also just as effective as specially purchased products.
- Read also: make your own cleaning products – from natural home remedies
vinegar helps to clean the detergent compartment
Vinegar, for example, is known to dissolve pesky calcium deposits. For the washing machine is vinegar anyway no good idea. Because: the detergent is too aggressive and can do more harm than good in the long run. vinegar is therefore not suitable for seals and hoses, the compartment for the detergent but you can clean with vinegar without hesitation.
To do this, however, you should take out the detergent compartment beforehand: open the compartment until it stops. Usually a small button is then visible. If you press this, the compartment can be removed completely. if in doubt, consult the operating instructions. most instructions – even for older appliances – can now also be found on the internet.
Now add warm water and a good dash of vinegar or vinegar essence to the compartment. Leave the vinegar mixture to work for a few hours and then get rid of the dirt with an old toothbrush.
citric acid helps when the washing machine smells
citric acid works like vinegar, but is less aggressive. pleasant side effect: the citric acid gives the laundry a pleasant smell.
Here’s how to do it four tablespoons of citric acid into the washing drum and four tablespoons in the detergent compartment. after that the machine has a wash cycle at 95 degrees run it – but without the laundry.
baking soda: a home remedy that cleans the washing machine
Another gentle variant: run sodium bicarbonate. Spread 40 grams of baking soda on the compartment for the prewash and the one for the main wash and add another ten grams to the washing machine drum.
let the machine run at maximum temperature – but please also without contents.
Clean the sealing ring of the washing machine
Hair, dirt and a damp, slimy coating collect on the drum door rubber over time. push back the crease in the rubber and remove the film of dirt with a damp cloth and dishwashing liquid.
Alternatively, you can clean the large sealing ring with the juice of a squeezed lemon.