How to clean a washing machine with vinegar?

A washing machine is a necessary household appliance in the house, which cannot be dispensed with. But it can be subject to scale formation, so it is important to take proper care of it. In this case, not only store-bought products can help to cope with pollution, but also ordinary vinegar, which can be found at home.

The washing machine can get dirty in the following cases:

• Poor quality water is one of the main causes of lime scale formation. Most often, water with a high content of hardness salts and other chemical elements that negatively affect the metal components of the washing machine comes from the plumbing. Unfortunately, in this case, nothing depends on a person's efforts.
• The use of low-quality powder and other detergents also contributes to the pollution of the machine. They can contain a lot of chemicals, which negatively affects the operation of the washing machine. Therefore, it is important to take a responsible approach to the choice of powders, buying high-quality and proven products.
• Another reason is the frequent intensive use of a household appliance. The more intensive the washing mode, the faster the plaque is deposited. It is worth alternating modes without thereby provoking the appearance of contamination.

In order to clean the dirt from the washing machine, you do not have to buy expensive products in stores, you can use a home remedy - vinegar. This method has its pros and cons:

• This method is very effective, which is a definite plus.Scrubbing with vinegar can easily remove limescale, because vinegar is an aggressive acidic substance and can corrode lye.
• The use of this substance is safe for all components of the washing machine and does not in any way affect its functions and further operation.
• In addition to removing scale, vinegar also removes various bacteria and fungal organisms, as well as flushes out mold. Thus, this substance has a disinfecting function.

• When cleaning the device with vinegar, you can forget about the unpleasant "swamp" smell.
• The method is also good in that it does not involve large spending on expensive funds. Vinegar is inexpensive and is commonly found in household use.
• It is worth noting that this substance has a pungent and specific smell, which is a disadvantage when cleaning the machine. After the procedure, it is imperative to ventilate the room and turn on the additional rinse mode to get rid of the odor in the drum.
• Despite the safety of this product, you should not get carried away with the dosages, otherwise the vinegar can ruin the sealing rubber. It will become tough and eventually tear.

To remove dirt on the surface, just use a piece of cloth soaked in a solution of dishwashing liquid and vinegar in a ratio of 5: 1. Instead of a cloth, you can use a toothbrush, which effectively removes dirt from the surface of the machine. After the completion of the procedure, the foam from the prepared solution is washed off with a sponge, and the surface is wiped with a dry cloth.

Using vinegar, you can clean the washing machine at home, not only outside, but also inside. To do this, you can use other available tools, for example, soda or citric acid, and not just vinegar. It is also possible to wash the washing machine with specialized solutions, the main thing is to choose them correctly so that they do not damage the household appliance.

This procedure must be performed every three to four months. Shortening the interval can damage your washing machine:

• To remove limescale, you first need to free the drum from all clothes.
• Then you need to pour vinegar in the amount of two glasses into the powder receptacle.
• After that, you should run the machine at high temperature for a cycle of two to three hours.
• But the previous point does not mean that you can calmly go about your business during this time, because already five minutes after the start of washing, the machine must be turned off and left for an hour so that the vinegar solution is well absorbed into the scale.
• Then the device is turned on again and waited until the cycle is completed.
• After the time has expired, the machine must be opened and cleaned with a cloth dipped in vinegar and water, a filter, a rubber seal, and a door with the drum itself.
• Then you need to run the device again for a short time so that the vinegar smell, as well as all the rubbed-off limescale residues, disappears.
• At the end of the procedure, the washing machine with all its elements must be wiped dry. The door must be left open for ventilation.

The described method of removing scale kills two birds with one stone, as it also relieves the washing machine of an unpleasant odor. If after the procedure a musty smell still remains, you should repeat the manipulations again, but already by adding a little soda to the vinegar in the following proportions: a glass of vinegar and 0.5 cups of soda (it is poured into a container for powder). You can also add essential oil there.

Rubber seals, like nothing else, need regular cleaning. It is enough to simply move the rubber back to see a large amount of dirt that has flown in while the drum is spinning. Dirt is not the worst thing that can appear on the seal, mold and mildew formation are also possible. If you find such dirt, you must first rinse it off with water, wipe it with a clean cloth and only then start cleaning with vinegar until the gum is completely clean.

When cleaning the machine, do not forget about the container where the powder is poured. To do this, you need to use a container where water is poured with the addition of 9% vinegar in an amount of two hundred and fifty milliliters. The container is placed in this solution for twenty-four hours. Then it is wiped with a dry sponge until it is perfectly clean.

You can also add baking soda to the vinegar. The prepared solution should be left in the tray for about an hour and a half, then the dirt should be cleaned with a brush, they will easily and quickly go away. It is then important to rinse the container.

If the water does not circulate well, an unpleasant odor emanates from the machine, or the device is leaking, this indicates that the filter is clogged. To eliminate the blockage, a special container is substituted so that the water is drained, then the valve is opened, and the water that remains there is also drained. After that, the filter is unscrewed, cleaned both from the outside and from the inside, and installed in its original place.

A few tips for housewives to note:

• Before you start cleaning the machine with vinegar, you need to protect your hands by wearing rubber gloves.
• Vinegar removes dirt not from the washing machine, but also from clothes and laundry. Therefore, you can safely add this substance when washing things. Vinegar is good for both colored and light colored fabrics. Washing should be done for at least sixty minutes. By the way, the substance can be added when rinsing, and it will become easier to iron things.
• In addition to vinegar, you can use other handy cleansers, such as baking soda. It removes mold well. You just need to add baking soda to the water and soak a cloth in the solution. It is worth wiping the machine once a week. You can also get rid of dirt with citric acid.
• In addition to folk recipes, you can use bleach containing chlorine, which can be purchased at the store, to clean the machine. The solution is poured into a measuring cup, poured into the drum and the mode is set to sixty degrees or higher. After the procedure, rinse and wipe the drum with a dry cloth. And it is important to ventilate the room, because breathing in chlorine vapor is harmful.
• Do not neglect cleaning the washing machine, especially in hard-to-reach places, otherwise it is there that the accumulation of dirt can lead to damage to the appliance. And repairing a washing machine is expensive.

Some housewives clean the washing machine with vinegar as a preventive measure, but, unfortunately, this tool is not able to prevent the formation of scale and other contaminants. They will still form due to the quality of the water. But you can observe other preventive measures so that the washing machine lasts a long time:

• Hot water for washing is harmful to the condition of the machine, the temperature should be medium.
• General cleaning of the device must be done every three to four months.
• Once the laundry has been washed, the drum should be wiped dry. Do not close the door until it is dry.
• Before adding new powder, you should carefully read the instructions, because some detergents are added to the drum instead of the tray.
• It is better to wash old things by hand.
• It is not recommended to overload the drum with a lot of clothes, it is better to wash in two stages. But at the same time, an interval of at least thirty minutes must be observed between two washes.

• It is better to wash small things together with large ones so that the load is distributed correctly.
• Do not choose too aggressive substances for cleaning dirt, they can harm the device.
• Do not select the forced rinse mode, otherwise the device will become clogged with tissue particles and scale will begin to form.

For information on how to properly clean the machine with vinegar, see the next video.