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It’s easy to get your washing machine smelly, but it’s a lot harder to clean and fix. Nevertheless, everything is real: it is enough to take measures for cleaning and follow the rules of operation in the future.
Next, we will look at how to clean the washing machine from odor, dirt and scale, and what cleaning products to choose.
Comprehensive mechanical cleaning of the washing machine
Many housewives, having discovered an unpleasant smell, simply start the machine in idle mode with the addition of rinse aid or citric acid. This will solve the problem if it is not running.
If there is a question about cleaning the machine from dirt, one idle wash will not be enough. It is worth washing the following items with your own hands:
- Hatch rubber seal.
- Drum.
- Water drain filter.
- Water drain hose and fittings.
- SMA Corps.
- Powder collector.
- TEN (heating element).
Cleaning the drain filter
How to clean the drain filter is written in almost every user manual. But if the instructions for the SM are lost without a trace, we will list in detail the sequence of actions:
- Find the location of the filter: it is located in the front lower part of the washer behind a small hatch.
- Having found the filter cover, unscrew it to the left side.
- Take out the filter and rinse under the tap.
Important! Before cleaning the filter, lay rags on which the remnants of waste water from the tank will pour out.
- Before installing the filter back, inspect the “nest”, which may also have accumulated debris.
- Wipe all parts and screw in the filter.
Repeat this operation every 3 months and the drain system will always be in order.
Cuff cleaning
Cleaning the washing machine from the smell always involves cleaning the rubber seal. Rubber perfectly absorbs odors, and without constant cleaning, the pollution process proceeds 2 times faster.
When choosing a cuff cleaner, focus on two simple options:
- A solution of copper sulphate.
- “Domestos”, diluted in water.
If there are visible traces of dirt on the elastic, take ordinary baking soda and rub it on the stains, leaving the machine for 10-20 minutes. Then wipe off the baking soda with a sponge, wash the gum and wipe dry.
Attention! In order not to “save” the smell on the cuff, make it a rule to wipe it after each wash. Do not close the hatch immediately after washing – give it time to air out.
Chassis cleaning
This is perhaps the easiest thing to do if you have planned a complete cleaning of the washing machine, both odor and dirt. The main thing is to choose the right cleaner.
If there is little dirt, simply wipe the machine with a damp sponge, then wipe it dry.
If you find difficult stains, make a regular soap solution. If there is a special spray for cleaning windows and mirrors, it will also work for cleaning the glass of the sunroof in frontal AGRs.
Powder Tray Cleaning
The cuvette for detergents is cleaned separately from the machine – for this it must be removed.
Taking out the intake, soak it in an aqueous solution of citric acid – it will get rid of rust deposits. When the cuvette gets wet, you can additionally clean it with a sponge or technical brush, rinse and wipe dry.
The place where the powder intake is located also needs to be cleaned. If there is dirt that is difficult to wash off, use soda.
Hose cleaning
Understanding how to clean the washing machine from the smell, you can not ignore the inlet and outlet hoses. To do this, they must be disconnected: on the one hand – from the body of the washer (prepare a container for draining water), on the other hand – from the water supply and sewerage.
Important! When disconnecting hoses from communications, do not forget to close the valves on the pipes.
If you don’t know how to clean the hose, there are no strict recommendations for this process – you can use a toothbrush, a special bottle brush, and wire.
To completely eliminate blockages in the hoses, and hence the unpleasant smell from them, rinse them with warm water under the tap.
Cleaning in automatic mode
Do not limit yourself to manual cleaning – automatic cleaning will also be useful.
To do this, send a glass of vinegar or soda to the cuvette. Next, select a program up to 60 degrees – this will cleanse the CM of unpleasant odors. Baking soda and vinegar are also great at fighting mold and mildew.
If you need cleaning from scale and limescale, you will need about 150 grams of citric acid. Pour acid into a cuvette and run a long wash at a high temperature (preferably 90 degrees). You will need to rinse twice.
After washing, wipe the cuff and tank.
Under standard conditions of SM use, two such cleanings per year will suffice.
The choice of cleaning chemicals
In addition to “folk” remedies, there are a lot of professional chemicals for cleaning washing machines. Let’s figure out which of this is worth using, and which is just a marketing ploy.
To begin with, let’s talk about a tool that is well known to all housewives – “Whiteness”. In household chemical stores they assure that it perfectly fights bacteria, odors and mold. But you need to use this tool carefully. The composition contains chlorine, and for some parts of the machine it is highly undesirable.
Before filling in a product containing chlorine, look at the user manual – if the manufacturers allow this, then you can try.
Be careful: use a little bleach – about 1 cup – and choose a wash cycle of 40-45 degrees, no more. You will also need an extra rinse.
After washing is completed, ventilate the drum and the room in which the machine is installed.
Speaking of more professional cleaners, look out for these:
This was not a complete list of all available cleaning products, but it is quite enough to quickly and effectively clean the machine from dirt, odors, plaque and scale.
Now you know how to clean the washing machine from odor and dirt. The main condition is periodicity and regularity.
It is important not only to buy the powder, but also to use it from time to time.