Get rid of the smell in the washing machine using folk remedies

What should the ideal washing machine odor remover look like and what properties should it have? This question isn't easy to answer, especially since you first need to understand the causes of the unpleasant odor before making any decisions about its use. In this article, we'll explore the selection of odor removers and the causes of odor.

Review of folk remedies

Before asking how to remove the smell from a washing machine, you need to consider the cause. It's simple: if you eliminate the source of the smell, you eliminate the smell itself, especially since finding the cause isn't all that difficult. So, what could be causing the unpleasant smell coming from a washing machine?

1. The odor may be caused by wastewater flowing back into the washing machine's tub through a "siphon effect." The cause: an improperly installed drain.

The drain hose of the washing machine must be connected to the sewer through an elbow, otherwise a “siphon effect” may occur.

2. The smell is caused by bacteria and mold living in the washing machine, which accumulate there because the user does not provide routine maintenance for the household appliance.
3. A strong chemical odor can be caused by detergent residue. If the detergent is of poor quality and doesn't dissolve well in water, its residue will begin to emit a rather unpleasant odor. The problem can be solved by cleaning the machine and replacing the powder.

So, now that we've more or less figured out the causes of odors coming from your washing machine, let's look at homemade remedies that can be used to clean your automatic washing machine and remove the unpleasant odor emanating from it.

Citric acid. A washing machine that smells of mold and sewage can be effectively cleaned with citric acid. If the machine is properly connected to the sewer system and the unpleasant odor is only due to accumulated dirt, you'll notice a difference after the first cleaning, and a second cleaning will resolve the issue completely. How is this cleaning performed?

Take about 200 grams of citric acid and pour it into the detergent dispenser in the main wash compartment. Next, make sure there are no items in the drum, then close the door and run the wash cycle for 1.5-2 hours at a temperature of 90-95°C.⁰WITH.

Vinegar essence. You can also clean your washing machine with vinegar essence. Vinegar generally eliminates all odors and dirt, but it has a rather unpleasant smell itself. But the vinegar smell will disappear in 2-3 days, taking with it any other foreign odors. How to clean?

• Pour in a quarter glass of vinegar essence and dilute it with water by half.
• We start a long wash at a temperature of 90-95⁰C, and then, when water starts to fill the machine, open the powder tray and pour vinegar into it (into the main wash compartment).
• Wait for the program to finish. After the machine finishes washing, run a separate rinse cycle with a few drops of essential oil added – this will help remove the vinegar smell.

Chlorine bleach. While not the best option, it's a perfectly acceptable way to clean the inside of your washing machine, removing dirt and odors at the same time. Don't overdo it, but it's a must-do a couple of times a year. Cleaning with bleach is similar to cleaning with vinegar. Pour 100 ml of bleach into the main wash cycle, and run the wash cycle at 90-95°C.⁰At high speed for 1.5-2 hours.

Review of factory products

Some may find home remedies ineffective and unreliable, and they'll think it's better to use a commercially available cleaning powder, which comes with a manufacturer's warranty, than to sprinkle who knows what into their machine. While there's some truth to this, it's true that a commercially available washing machine cleaning powder will cost significantly more than a pack of citric acid, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Frau Schmidt. A universal cleaner for washing machines and dishwashers that removes any dirt, mold, germs, and, of course, unpleasant odors from the inside of your "home helper." One pack is enough for two cleanings. Open the packet, pour it into the detergent dispenser, and run a long wash cycle at high temperature. After the first cleaning, the result will be noticeable – the smell will disappear.

Frau Schmidt cleaner is equally suitable for both washing machines and dishwashers.

Nagara. A highly effective, concentrated washing machine cleaning tablet from Japan. Thanks to its unique formula, the tablets quickly dissolve in water inside the washing machine, softening and removing dirt and mold. After cleaning, you'll replace the unpleasant odor with a subtle citrus scent wafting from the drum.

Fine from Well Done. A highly effective tablet-based product that not only removes unpleasant odors from your washing machine but also cleans away accumulated dirt. Fine leaves behind an unpleasant chemical odor, but it quickly dissipates, leaving your washing machine with a neutral scent. Our experts recommend this product as a proven and affordable option.

Dr. Beckmann Hygienic Washing Machine Cleaner. This excellent German product effectively removes any dirt accumulated inside your washing machine. Dr. Beckmann removes most limescale, 99% of mold, and 99% of other dirt in one go. The cleaner leaves no unpleasant odor, so you can enjoy the freshness and cleanliness of your machine immediately after cleaning. Dr. Beckmann is used in the same way as all the other washing machine cleaning products we've described.

On the use of funds

We've already briefly touched on how to properly use washing machine odor control products in the previous sections, but in this case, it's crucial to clarify the order in which to use powders and tablets. When is it better to use powder and when tablets? When should you avoid using a cleaning product altogether? We'll discuss all of this in this section.

If the inside of your washing machine is very dirty, cleaning tablets won't do the trick, nor will they remove the unpleasant odors that dirt creates. Experience shows that powder detergent is more effective in such cases, but it won't completely remove the dirt the first time, so be prepared to reuse it.

If you suspect the sewer system or other underlying causes are the source of the odor, eliminate these causes first before chemically cleaning the washing machine. It's also worth noting that if there's heavy limescale buildup on the heating element, abruptly removing it can cause limescale deposits to become lodged in the washing machine's drainage system, although this is rare.

The general rules for using washing machine cleaning products boil down to adding them to the machine's detergent drawer at the right time and running the correct wash cycle. The choice of the latter will depend entirely on the make and model of your "home helper."

Preventive measures

To prevent unpleasant odors and dirt from forming inside your washing machine in the future, it's important to regularly perform a number of simple steps and never forget them.

• If your washing machine isn't properly connected to the sewer system, reconnect it yourself or hire a professional to do it. In the article Installing and connecting a washing machine yourself This process is described in detail.
• At least once every six months, dry clean the inside of your car using home remedies or commercial powders.
• After each wash, open the door of the machine wide open to ventilate, and also remove the detergent drawer so that it can dry as well.
  
• After each wash, wipe the door cuff, the inside of the drum, the door lid, and the tray dry with a soft cloth.
• After every third wash, unscrew the waste filter to drain any remaining stale water from the bottom of the washing machine. The filter itself should also be cleaned at this time.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that odor removers and washing machine cleaners are essentially the same thing. If you choose a good cleaning product, you'll be able to eliminate the odor, though it may take a while, as some cleaning powders themselves emit an unpleasant odor. You can use both homemade remedies and trendy commercial powders and tablets; the choice is yours!

   

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