How to clean a washing machine with vinegar and soda?

Maintaining a clean washing machine is crucial to ensuring that your clothes always come out looking brand new. Detergent, fabric softener, and dirt can accumulate inside the machine over time, resulting in foul smells and less efficient washing.

Using vinegar and baking soda to clean your washing machine is an easy and natural solution. These everyday objects can help keep your machine in top shape by removing buildup, getting rid of smells, and even killing bacteria.

We’ll show you how to clean your washing machine with vinegar and baking soda in this guide, making it a quick and simple chore you can perform on a regular basis.

Step Description
1 Start by pouring 2 cups of white vinegar directly into the drum of the washing machine.
2 Run a hot water cycle without any clothes inside to help break down residue and eliminate odors.
3 After the cycle is complete, sprinkle about 1/2 cup of baking soda inside the drum.
4 Run another hot water cycle to further clean and deodorize the machine.
5 Wipe down the door seal and drum with a damp cloth to remove any remaining residue.
6 Leave the door open to let the interior dry completely.

Using vinegar separately

A great substitute for pricey store-bought cleaners is vinegar. It destroys bacteria, erodes limescale deposits, and gets rid of offensive odors. The fact that acetic acid is used to clean spaces and get rid of persistent, oily stains is not insignificant.

Another common use for vinegar is washing machine cleaning. It is superior to other homemade and store-bought items because of the following:

  • affordable cost;
  • disinfection properties;
  • effective removal of mold and scale (deposits dissolve to the smallest particles, rather than breaking off in pieces, which simplifies removing plaque from the machine);
  • safety (provided it is used correctly).

Two drawbacks to vinegar cleaning are its overpowering acidic odor and the possibility of causing harm to the washing machine’s rubber components. However, if you calculate the dosage and give the machine a thorough rinse after the procedure, both of these "minuses" can be avoided.

Acetic acid is a disinfectant that destroys mold, bacteria, and scale.

You must adhere to the directions exactly for the acid to help you deal with scale in a safe and efficient manner.

  1. Empty the drum – the wash should be “empty”.
  2. Put on rubber gloves and open the door for ventilation.
  3. Buy 9-10% vinegar or dilute to the desired concentration of 70% (you need to mix the acid and water in a ratio of 1 to 7).
  4. Pour the vinegar solution into the powder receptacle (the dosage depends on the capacity of the drum, usually 125-250 ml).
  5. Turn on the high-temperature and long-term mode (usually "Cotton", "Children"s" or "Intensive").
  6. Turn off the spin and rinse.
  7. Start the wash, wait 10-20 minutes until the water in the tank heats up and pause (if there is no such function, then you need to disconnect the machine from the power supply).
  8. Leave the machine for 1.5-2 hours.
  9. After 1.5-2 hours, continue the cycle until complete.

But that’s not all. It is now necessary to dilute the vinegar again with water, moisten a sponge with the resulting solution, and use it to clean the drum’s and the cuff’s surface. Next, shut off the machine and set it to either a quick wash or rinse. After that, we remove the dust filter and clean away the accumulated debris. When the machine is "finished," use a rag to wipe the body and tank dry, open the hatch using a powder container, and allow the machine to dry naturally.

We use soda and vinegar without mixing

It is best to use a "combo"—add soda and vinegar to the washing machine simultaneously—if it hasn’t been descaled in a while. Sodium bicarbonate will intensify the effects of vinegar essence, hastening the fungus’s demise and deposits’ dissolution. Two heaped teaspoons of baking soda and 500 milliliters of table acid are sufficient for the process.

The vinegar is poured straight into the drum, and the soda is added to the tray after being diluted with water; there is no need to combine the two products. The longest and highest temperature mode are then activated, and the hatch is closed. One cycle is sufficient to achieve a thorough cleaning; there is no need to halt the program and wait an additional ninety minutes.

Start rinsing, unscrew the garbage filter, and clean it from the existing garbage to complete the "cleaning." Lastly, use a dry cloth to wipe the door, cuff, and drum. Leave the machine open to allow air to circulate.

Soda against mold

Baking soda can be used to get rid of mold if it has grown inside the washing machine. Fungi typically grows in the hatch cuff, particularly if the machine is left wet for an extended period of time and is not cleaned on a regular basis. For free air conditioning, experts advise leaving the door open and wiping the rubber band dry after each wash. If not, germs will grow and a thorough cleaning will be necessary.

Dealing with fungus at home is not hard. If you don’t want to begin a thorough cleaning with vinegar, you can take care of moldy areas locally by applying soda. Mix the powder and water in a 1:1 ratio, dunk a sponge into the mixture, and then clean the body, drum, and cuff. Make sure to move the rubber band’s edges and cover all of the creases and folds. Use a toothbrush for areas that are difficult to reach.

The hatch cuff can tear if it is stretched too far.

It’s crucial to proceed cautiously to avoid harming the rubber. It’s also important to keep in mind wearing gloves and personal safety. Remember to give it one last rinse.

Cleaning your washing machine with vinegar and soda is a quick and simple method to keep it operating properly by getting rid of odors and built-up dirt. By breaking down residues with natural ingredients, this method leaves your machine clean and ready for the next load.

Clean the powder receptacle

Regular cleaning is also required for the detergent tray. Cleaning is advised following every wash because unwashed gel and powder granules harden and cover themselves in grimy plaque and rust. All of this degrades the machine’s aesthetics and raises the possibility of pipe blockages, which would lower washing quality. You will need to give it a shot to get the dispenser back to clean.

The tray needs to be taken out of the body first. Since every model may have unique mechanisms and latches, it is best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. In the event that management is not available, we can easily locate an electronic copy by "breaking through" the machine’s serial number on the Internet. As a last resort, we concentrate on the brand: on Bosch, Beko, and Samsung, the powder receptacle has a unique button in the liquid compartment, and on Indesit and Ariston, all you have to do is pull the hopper in your direction.

The tray, cuff, and body of the machine must all be cleaned in addition to the "insides."

The extent of the tray’s contamination will determine what needs to be done next. The majority of the time, washing the area with soap and warm water is sufficient; occasionally, you’ll also need to brush the area to get rid of any remaining powder. You should soak the hopper in a vinegar solution for at least 24 hours if there are a lot of deposits and dirt. A quicker solution is to use vinegar to put out the soda and then apply the resulting gruel to the dispenser’s walls. After two hours, scrub with a stiff brush and wash under the faucet.

A cheap and easy way to keep your washing machine in good working order is to clean it on a regular basis with vinegar and soda. These organic components aid in removing accumulated dirt, getting rid of smells, and stopping the growth of mold.

You can prolong the life of your washing machine and preserve the freshness of your laundry by adhering to the suggested procedures. It’s a short task with long-term benefits.

Don’t forget to include this in your regular maintenance to prevent future problems that could be more serious. The washer will appreciate it!

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Ivan Petrov

Engineer by education. I enjoy understanding technical specifications, comparing different models and testing new products. My experience allows me to share useful information with you to help you choose the perfect washing machine for your home.

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