Smelly washing machine? Ashamed to admit it? We’ve all been there, that horrid black mould has appeared and it just won’t shift.
After praying to the washing machine Gods and getting nowhere, there’s only one thing left to do... seek professional advice.
Well here it is. First things first, clean the dispenser drawer. Pull it right out (most of them can be removed completely) and get it straight into the sink along with some piping hot, soapy water.
***Top tip – a lot of gunk and guck can slip behind the detergent drawer so get your marigolds on and get your arm right in there. A soapy cloth should do the job perfectly.
Next stop: Time to the clean the pre-chamber. What’s a pre-chamber I hear you say? Well, most washing machines have a compartment at the front of the machine, right at the bottom, which collects any discarded items that you may have accidentally left in your pockets. Hey, if you’re lucky, you might even find a couple of quid! The pre-chamber may be located behind a flap or a kick strip, either way, they’re pretty easy to remove – you usually just have to pull and/or unclip them. Once you’ve done that, it’s simply a matter of twisting the lid and seeing if there’s anything inside. Take note, there could be a build up of lint but don’t worry, just pull it out.
***Beware – the pre-chamber may have a little excess water inside, so be sure to put a plastic container or whatever you have to hand underneath the cap before you unscrew it. Some washing machines may have a little pipe which allows you to drain this water first.
Once that's done, wipe down the porthole door, including the glass and the rubber seal. Again, hot, soapy water should do the job. Make sure you give the rubber seal what for as lots of muck can build up in its creases and crevices.
Hard work over! Now, if you haven’t done a maintenance wash before, carry out three maintenance washes one after the other. If your washing machine has a ‘maintenance’ programme use that, if not, don’t fret, just set the machine to run on the hottest wash it can – preferably over 70°C because bacteria can’t survive at this temperature.
Well done! Now, just make sure you run ONE maintenance wash each month and you’re sorted... you’ll soon see what a difference it makes.