The front-loading washing machine uses less water and energy to clean your clothes.Unfortunately, front-loading machines are well known for growing mold and mildew on the inner gasket, but you can easily clean them with bleach or a solution.Look for a circular rubber ring in front of the washing machine drum to locate the gasket.Since the gasket is exposed to a lot of water, it's important to maintain it and keep it dry.
Step 1: Put on gloves and mix 4 cups of bleach with 1 gallon of water.
It's a good idea to wear gloves when working with bleach.Take the clothes out of the machine.Add 1 gallon of warm water and a cup of bleach to a bucket.To prevent mold from growing, deep clean the gasket once a month.Bleach can cause irritation to your skin and eyes.Wear goggles to protect your eyes if you open a window or run a fan.
Step 2: Rub the bleach solution onto the gasket with a cloth.
If you don't mind getting bleached, use an old cloth or towel.Put it in the bleach and squeeze it.Rub it over the surface of the gasket before you remove it.If the rag feels dry or dirty, soak the cloth in the bleach solution.
Step 3: The bleach solution rests on the gasket if there is a timer.
This gives the bleach time to kill the germs that are making the odors.Let the bleach sit for up to 10 minutes if the gasket is covered in mold.
Step 4: To remove bleach solution, wipe the gasket with a damp cloth.
Put the rag in the water.To get rid of the bleach, wipe the gasket and the surface with a damp cloth.Take another cloth and wipe the gasket dry.If you leave the door open, it will not get trapped near the gasket.
Step 5: If you don't want to use bleach, Rub baking soda and vinegar on the gasket
Baking soda can be sprinkled in the gasket's crevice.Next, fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and spray the gasket with it.To get rid of the mold, scrub the gasket with a scrubbing sponge.You can wash the gasket with a cycle of washing and rinsing, or you can close the door and use a damp cloth.The gasket should be wiped dry with a clean cloth.
Step 6: Check the gasket for things that have been trapped.
Every week, take a few minutes to look for tiny items that fall out of your clothes and get stuck in the gasket.Pull the gasket away and look for things that are stuck.
Step 7: As the cycle ends, you should remove wet clothes from the machine.
It's easy to forget when laundry is done, but you should set your machine to sound when the load is over.If you leave wet clothes in the machine, they will begin to smell like mold, and the trapped moisture will encouragebacteria to grow near the gasket.If you've left clothes in the machine and they smell bad, leave them there and add a cup or two of baking soda.The clothes can handle the hottest cycle and transfer the clean clothes to the dryer.
Step 8: After every cycle, wipe the gasket with a cloth.
You can dry the gasket with a soft, clean cloth when you take a load of clothes out of the washing machine.Pull the gasket back to get the water out of the hole.You don't want to transfer germs from dirty fabric to the gasket with a clean cloth.
Step 9: In between cycles keep the door open.
If you close the door after taking wet clothes out of the machine, you'll get condensation near the gasket.Leave the machine door open so the gasket can dry out.If you can't do it, open it and let the water evaporate.If you have small children at home, don't leave the door open if the kids can access the machine.Small kids can't get into the laundry room if the door is locked.
Step 10: The machine should be cleaned once a month.
If your machine has a self- clean feature, it's a good idea to run it at least once a month.If your machine doesn't have a self-cleaning option, you can run it with just one cup of bleach and no clothes.If you don't have clothes in the machine, run a hot-water cycle without them.The next load of clothes will not be damaged by bleach.