That funky odor in your laundry room might not be coming from the pile of dirty clothes on the floor. It could actually be your washing machine. Open the lid, take a whiff. If you’re wishing you hadn’t just done that, then it’s time to wash your washing machine.
That’s right, even our appliances need some cleaning and TLC. You might even be surprised to learn that the main cause of washing machine stink is from detergent. Some of us have a tendency to overdo it when it comes to measuring out our detergent. Are you one of those people who adds just a little more soap to get your clothes extra clean? If you’re doing that every time you do a load of laundry, then that extra detergent is building up, along with some dirty water that inevitably gets left behind during the draining process. Over time, your machine takes on a sour stench. (Prevention Tip: Try using pre-measured detergent pods to prevent the overuse of detergent).
Good news, you can de-stinkify your washing machine. Your new best friend is going to be white vinegar. For front-loading machines, add 2 cups of distilled white vinegar to your detergent dispenser and run a complete wash cycle on hot without any laundry in it. For top-loading machines, fill your machine with hot water first and then add the vinegar.
Run your machine one more time, laundry-free, with just hot water for a complete rinse.
While you’re at it, wipe down the lid, knobs, dispensers and rim of your washing machine. Give it a good cleaning inside and out. Also, note that another source of ick and stink on a front-loading washer is the rubber seal around the door. Get out that white vinegar again, some water and a rag. With a 1:1 solution of vinegar-to-water, wipe down this area until clean.
Follow these steps every month to keep your washing machine smelling better than your dirty laundry.