If you also prefer natural ingredients to clean the house, surely you know one of the most used in cleaning the home: vinegar. A very practical product, both for cleaning the bathroom and the washing machine. This natural product is very easy to use, it is inexpensive and we can also find it in any home. Thanks to its properties it cleans in depth even the most difficult corners of household appliances such as the washing machine. Do you want to know one of the best uses of this kitchen ingredient for cleaning your home? If so, keep reading, because in a HOWTO we explain how to clean the washing machine with vinegar, both outside and inside.
Cleaning the washing machine is part of the unfinished business of many homes: cleaning the appliances inside as well. We can think that since it is a machine that washes clothes, its interior will always be clean, but this is a big mistake. The interior of a washing machine will get dirty with use, lint, limescale and other unwanted residues accumulate for the proper functioning of the machine and the proper washing and care of clothes. So remember thoroughly clean your washing machine from time to time to prevent dirt and odors from accumulating.
You can choose to buy specific commercial products for this, but if you like to opt for the natural we recommend clean your washing machine with vinegar. And why the vinegar? Because this natural product has a great cleaning and disinfectant capacity, so it will disinfect every corner it reaches, removing mold and bacteria, it will help you to undo the residues of hardened detergent in some parts of your washing machine, to eliminate odors and to undo the lime and remove it.
The most powerful component of vinegar that achieves these results is acetic acid, for which it is highly valued in home cleaning.
Cleaning this appliance with vinegar is a very simple process, but you have to choose what type of vinegar is best to clean the washing machine, since there are a wide variety of vinegars for cooking and cleaning. Actually, the most used for cleaning is alcohol vinegar, which is distilled from potatoes, beets and sugar cane, and is not usually used for human consumption. Therefore, this could be the first option, but if you have other vinegars at home you can also use them. Specifically, types of vinegar to clean the washing machine most recommended are the following:
- Cleaning vinegar
- Alcohol vinegar
- Apple vinager
- White wine vinegar
- wine vinegar
All are useful for cleaning due to their concentration of acetic acid, so you can choose the one you are going to use depending on what you already have at home, because of their price, white and alcohol are cheaper, or because of your preferences. in the smell, which can vary a little from one to another.
The outside of the washing machine should also be as clean as possible, since if we let dirt accumulate, the machine will break down sooner. To do this, we explain how to clean the washing machine with vinegar and baking soda, as it is one of the best options, especially if some time has passed since the last cleaning the outside of the washing machine.
- Mix water in a bucket or basin, up to half the capacity of the container, with a generous stream of vinegar and two tablespoons of bicarbonate. There may be a chemical reaction and foam is created, since vinegar and bicarbonate react like this when they join, but with the amount of water that we have put at the beginning it should not happen or it will be little.
- Stir well until everything is well integrated.
- Soak a cloth or cotton rag and wring it out to get it wet but not puddle on the floor around the washer.
- Rub the entire external surface of the washing machine well, paying special attention to the parts that you see dirtiest or if you detect mold.
- Go changing the cloth and rinsing the one you finish using.
- To finish, wipe with a clean, dry cloth to remove any traces of moisture.
Discover in this other oneHOWTO article more tricks on How to clean with baking soda at home.
Now, we reveal what is the best way to use vinegar to clean the inside of the washing machine. To begin with, it must be borne in mind that not only must the interior or drum of this machine be washed, but the rubber on the washing machine door must also be sanitized every so often because it is one of the places where more humidity is builds up and molds more easily.
How to clean the drum of a washing machine with vinegar
To clean the drum of the washing machine in depth, vinegar is an excellent option that will get rid of bad odors, bacteria, mold, soap and lime residues and other elements. To use it, you just have to pour half a cup of white vinegar or alcohol, or another one that you have at home, in the compartments or dispensers of the soap or detergent and start a normal wash cycle (about 30ºC or a little more) with the empty washing machine.
When finished, if you still detect a strange smell or see some residue, you can directly pour the vinegar into the drum and rub with a scouring pad or cloth. Afterwards, return to a normal cycle with more vinegar or, if there is a lot of lime, better with bleach instead.
How to clean the rubber of the washing machine with vinegar
To clean the rubber of the washing machine well, either to prevent mold from appearing or to clean soap residues and remove already accumulated mold, vinegar is a very good option. If it’s just about prevention, wiping it dry after each wash to remove moisture will suffice. But, to use vinegar in the rubber of the washing machine, it is advisable to fill a container with water, at least three glasses of water, and add a glass of vinegar, to reduce it a little.
With a cloth well soaked in this mixture, clean each corner of the rubber well, soaking the cloth as many times as necessary. You can also soak an old toothbrush to scrub the gum well. If you can take it out to wash it better do it, but only if you know how to place it properly afterwards. When finished, remember to wipe with a dry cloth to remove the moisture. If there is a lot of mold, you can use water and bleach instead of vinegar, following the same procedure.
How to clean the soap compartments of the washing machine
Finally, you should clean the softener and soap compartments, and vinegar is also useful for this. In these compartments there is usually a lot of accumulated soap, especially if we use the powder format. To wash them, take them out of the machine and immerse them in a large bowl filled with vinegar, preferably white.
Let the product take effect for five minutes, remove the compartments and rinse them with warm water, removing any possible remains with absorbent paper or a cloth. Make sure to dry the compartments well before putting them back in the machine. If you cannot remove them, you can use a mixture of the vinegar and water and rub with a scouring pad, remembering to also dry them well at the end.
