How to use baking soda to clean a washing machine

Baking soda is an all-purpose cleaner. It is also often used as a cleaning agent for the internal parts of the washing mashine, since it copes well with limescale deposits. Later in the article we will talk about how to clean a washing machine with soda.

Why does the machine smell?

There may be a smell in the washing mashine for the following reasons:

The appearance of scale and limescale on the internal elements of the machine. If you don't clean regularly, your washing equipment can build up a residue that can create a noticeable odor.
Pathogenic bacteria and mold. This problem is often found in horizontal loading washing machines. In such machines, often after finishing work, the water does not drain completely: a little water remains in the hatch gasket. For this reason, it is better not to close the drum of the machine. If the drum is closed, moisture will accumulate in it. Dampness creates almost ideal conditions for the proliferation of microorganisms.
Washing clothes at low water temperatures with a quick rinse. With this type of washing, bacteria are not completely washed out of clothes. They settle on the internal elements of the washing mashine and on the walls of the hatch.
Washing clothes with low-quality detergents.
Incorrect connection of the drain hose to sewer pipe. If the drainage is not organized correctly, the water does not drain completely. In this case, the circulation of water is disrupted and an unpleasant odor rises from the sewer pipe.
Salts, sediment and hard water. All this can lead to the appearance of plaque inside the washing mashine.

Folk remedies

To clean washing equipment, you need to prepare in advance:

Latex gloves. You can take both medical and regular ones, which are sold in hardware stores.
Napkin, sponge or soft cloth.
Unnecessary toothbrush;
Lemon acid;
9% table vinegar;
Baking soda;
Cotton buds.

Baking soda is one of the most effective cleaning products. It is used to remove stains from clothes, when preparing dishes, and also as a bleach.

Cleaning your washing mashine with baking soda is done as follows:

First of all, you need to protect the skin of your hands from irritation. To do this, you need to wear rubber gloves.
Next, you should mix water and baking soda in a one-to-one ratio. As a result of mixing, a homogeneous mass should be obtained.
First, it is recommended to apply the mixture to those places where mold most often appears. These places include folds cuffs, drum of washing equipment, tray designed for loading powder. Hard-to-reach areas and small parts of the machine can be cleaned with a toothbrush and cotton swabs.
Leave the solution for 30 -40 minutes.
Wipe the contaminated areas thoroughly with a sponge or soft cloth.
Turn on quick wash mode. In this case, there should be no laundry in the drum of the machine.

Why is soda used?

The most common types are:

Food. It is used in cooking.
Caustic. This product has high alkaline properties.It is used in industry.
Calcified. This product has high alkaline properties.

It is used for cleaning plumbing fixtures, sinks, bathtubs, tiles, dishes and clothes. Also as a water softener.

With constant washing in hard water, scale gradually begins to accumulate on the parts of the washing machine. However, this can be avoided by adding a small amount of soda to the washing powder.

It is important to remember that this product cannot be used for all clothes. For example, it is prohibited to use soda when washing wool and silk clothes.

Soda is an aggressive agent. That is why when using it there is no need to exceed the permissible volume.

Other substances for cleaning washing equipment

You can clean washing equipment not only with soda. There are other folk remedies. For example, lemon acid. To clean the tank of the machine you will need approximately 200 grams of citric acid.

You can pour this substance into the tray for the main powder or into the drum of the washing machine. It all depends on what you are cleaning.

Sometimes machine owners use lemon juice instead of citric acid, because they believe that it is no less effective at cleaning washing equipment. However, it is not. The juice has a much lower concentration, so most likely it will not be able to remove limescale.

The internal parts of the machine are well cleaned with nine percent table vinegar. It must be poured into the washing machine tray, and then run the long-term wash mode. The water temperature should be high. At the same time, you should not load things into the hatch.

After 60 minutes, you must stop the machine, wait approximately one hour, and then start the washing process again.Upon completion of the operation of the device, you need to clean the individual parts (remove remaining scale). This can be done with a toothbrush.

After cleaning the machine, wipe its parts with a dry cloth or napkin. In this case, it is better not to close the drum. It should be ventilated and the smell of vinegar should evaporate from it.

conclusions

You can eliminate the unpleasant odor that arises during the operation of the machine yourself.

The regularity of cleaning the device directly depends on the frequency of its use. Additionally, factors such as wear of parts, water hardness and quality of detergents should be taken into account.

It is important to remember that there are special detergents that can be used to clean the machine. They can be purchased at household chemical stores. You can use softeners that prevent scale from appearing on the internal elements of equipment.