A washing machine is an essential home appliance. They help us get our clothes clean. However, you might have realized that for some time now, your washing machine has been doing the exact opposite. You put your clothes in dirty and smelly, but they come out still dirty and even smellier. This means that your washing machine needs disinfecting. No need to panic. This article will teach you how to disinfect washing machine in a few easy steps.
How Does My Washing Machine Get Dirty
You may believe your washing machine should always be immaculate. After all, it practically constantly gets washed with water and detergent! The buildup of soap scum and mold is caused by the fact that washing machines are exposed to a variety of disgusting materials. For people who live in places with hard water, soap scum accumulates in washing machines. The water’s calcium and magnesium react with the laundry detergent. There is a persistent or sludge-like residue left behind as a result. Mold enjoys growing in dark, moist environments. Mold can start to grow in your washing machine if it doesn’t have adequate ventilation in between uses or if you leave your clothing in there for an extended period. Another source of dirt in your machine is, believe it or not, detergent. It may leave a residue behind. If you use fabric softener, you are even more likely to leave a thick residue behind. Finally, if you have a HE washing machine but do not use a specialized HE detergent, there will not be enough water flow to properly rinse away the detergent.
How to Disinfect Washing Machine With Vinegar
Remember to wear rubber gloves because of the acidic content of vinegar.
1. Combine 1 cup of distilled white vinegar, half cup of baking soda, and 4 cups of water.
2. Soak a scrubbing brush in the solution and gently scrub your machine’s rubber seal, gaskets, and inner door. Apply extra where you notice buildup. Then proceed to the detergent drawer and scrub until clean.
3. Select the highest temperature or drum clean cycle on your washing machine.
4. For a front-loading washer, put four cups of white vinegar in the detergent drawer and a half cup of baking soda in the fabric softener compartment. For top-loading machines, wait a few minutes for the machine to fill up completely before adding your four cups of white vinegar and one-half cup of baking soda. It might bubble up, but that’s a good sign!
5. Complete the entire cycle. For top-loading machines, you might wish to stop it once the drum is full and let it soak for an hour before continuing.
6. Dip a cloth into the vinegar-baking soda solution from earlier while the machine is running. Give the machine’s exterior a thorough cleaning by wiping it down. Use a different cloth to dry after wiping.
7. You don’t need to finish the rinse cycle because vinegar and baking soda are safe to touch any fabric. Considering how strongly vinegar smells, some people prefer to. Run an additional rinse cycle if you’d like to get rid of any extra residue.
How to Disinfect Washing Machine With Bleach Put on your mask and rubber gloves before you begin. It’s crucial to protect oneself because bleach is a toxic cleaner.
1. Combine 1/4 cup of bleach made of chlorine with 4 cups of water. The rubber gasket, seals, and inner door of your machine should all be gently scrubbed with a scrub brush dipped in the solution. Work more diligently on these areas if you have an accumulation of scum
2. When you’ve finished with these, thoroughly clean the detergent dispenser.
3. Set the machine’s temperature to its maximum setting. A drum clean cycle is available on some machines and you can use this.
4. Fill the empty drum with the hypochlorous acid.
5. Start the cycle and let it finish. If you want to clean a washing machine that has mold and mildew, try this. It works wonders.
6. Dip a cloth into the bleach solution from earlier and wring it out while the cycle is running. Use it to clean and disinfect the exterior of the machine. After that, dry it off using a different cloth.
7. Open the door after the cycle is complete. Your machine should immediately appear and smell cleaner. To get rid of any bleach residue, run an additional rinse cycle without any detergent or bleach added.
How to Disinfect Washing Machine With HOCL Hypochlorous acid(HOCL) is a disinfectant that is made by passing electricity through a table salt and water solution. This produces a mild but very effective disinfectant that can be used to sanitize any surface, machine, and even food produce. To disinfect a washing machine with hypochlorous acid, take the following steps.
1. Mix salt and water, according to the user manual and pour it into your hypochlorous acid-making kit and plug it into an electricity source.
2. Once it is ready, scrub the rubber gasket, seals, and inner door of your machine scrub brush dipped in the solution. Work more diligently on these areas if you have accumulation.
3. When you’ve finished with these, proceed to the detergent drawer. Cleanse thoroughly.
4. Set the machine’s temperature to its maximum setting. A drum clean cycle is available on some machines. Instead of picking a cycle by hand, you can use it.
5. Fill the empty drum with a cup of chlorine bleach. You’ll get bleach residue in your system if you run it through the detergent drawer. The next time you wash your clothes, some bleach might spill onto them and harm your clothing.
6. Start the cycle and let it finish. If you want to clean a washing machine that has mold and mildew, try this. It works wonders.
7. Dip a cloth into the remaining hypochlorous acid, wring it out and use it to clean, disinfect, and wipe down the exterior. After that, dry it off using a different cloth.
Disinfecting A Dryer
Now that you know how to disinfect a washing machine, what about your tumble dryer? It must be sanitized and germ-free, too. Follow these steps:
1. First, remove the lint from the trap. Wash with warm water and air dry.
2. Spray the dryer’s exterior with a disinfectant like hypochlorous acid, then wipe with a cloth. This will remove dirt and germs.
3. Mix one gallon of cold water and ½ cup of chlorine bleach in a bucket. Wearing rubber gloves, dampen a cloth with the solution, then wipe the inside of the dryer, the door, the lint trap, and the exterior. This will sanitize your machine.
4. Dampen a separate cloth with plain water and wipe the same parts. This will remove the bleach residue.
5. Toss in some old towels or rags, turn the dryer on high, and let it run for 10 minutes. This will absorb excess water and cleaning solution.
Why HOCL is the Best Disinfectant
Hypochlorous acid is the best disinfectant for your washing machine because it:
● It eliminates all forms of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
● It is mild. It contains no corrosive or toxic ingredients, unlike chlorine bleach and vinegar.
● It can be made with ingredients easily accessible in the home, once you have the hypochlorous acid-making kit.
How Is HOCL Made
Hypochlorous acid is made by passing through a solution of table salt and water. This process is known as electrolysis, and the result is electrolyzed hypochlorous acid. This result is achieved with the help of a hypochlorous acid-making kit. So where can you get this kit?
Where To Get A HOCL Making Kit
Many hypochlorite ion(CLO-) kit makers claim that their kits also produce hypochlorous acid, but this isn’t correct. However, you can get genuine and quality hypochlorous here.
Takeaway
You have seen why you need to disinfect your washing machine. You have also learned the way to go about it and the various disinfectants that you can use. It is advisable to choose the disinfectant that does the job without any adverse effects. For more information about hypochlorous acid, contact us.
