Do you have a dirty washing machine? I did too! It was so dirty and dingy. So I gave it a deep clean. Here’s how I deep clean my washing machine.
Before we get started, here’s a before picture of my washing machine. I had let it go for a long time.
Every time I’d do a load of laundry, I was reminded that I needed to clean it, but then I would forget to clean it. So it had gotten really dirty.
Hopefully it makes you feel good that you aren’t the only one with a dirty washing machine!
How to Deep Clean Your Washing Machine
1. Run an empty cycle on your washing machine.
Start an empty cycle on your washing machine. Set it to the hottest water temperature. Also, set the size load to the biggest load your washing machine has.
My washer’s biggest load size is “super load”.
You’ll also need to set the cycle to the “heavy duty” setting. Be sure you don’t add any clothes. You are only going to run an empty cycle.
2. Add vinegar to the washing machine.
Start the load, and add 1 cup of vinegar to the washing machine.
The vinegar will help dissolve dirt and grime that has built up on your machine.
There are so many ways to use vinegar for cleaning around your house. I use vinegar on a regular basis to clean out my coffee pot. It’s a household cleaning staple.
3. Add baking soda to your washing machine.
After your cycle of hot water and vinegar has finished, add a half cup of baking soda and run another load on the largest load size, hottest water temperature, and heaviest cycle setting.
In addition to breaking up dirt and grime, the baking soda will also absorb odors that may be in your washing machine.
Now it’s time to scrub your washing machine down. The vinegar and baking soda cycles hopefully loosened up the grime and sludge in your agitator.
4. Clean the top lid.
Use a toothbrush to clean out the corners of the lid where dirt and gunk have built up. A toothpick will also be helpful at getting into those hard to reach corners.
Use a heavy duty scrub sponge to clean stuck on grime. My all-time favorite is Scotch Brite Scrub sponges. My agitator had a layer of dirt, that didn’t come off easily.
I scrubbed with my scrub sponge and and also sprinkled some baking soda on the agitator to give it more grit.
5. Clean the washing machine agitator.
You can pop off the top part of the agitator to deep clean it. I used a flat head screw driver. Once the pieces were off, I soaked them in soapy water.
6. Clean out gunk from crevices of agitator.
Use a q-tip or toothpick to clean the gunk out of the little crevices. And let me tell you, there are a ton of crevices in a washing machine that build up over time!
7. Hand wash the agitator parts and return to washer.
Remember the top of the agitator that you soaked in water? Now it’s time to scrub those clean. Then add them back to the washing machine.
After cleaning my washing machine with vinegar and baking soda and then scrubbing all the grime, my washing machine looked so good.
I love walking into my laundry room and seeing my sparkling clean washing machine. I even take a quick peek in there just to see how clean it is! Ha!
I hope this step by step guide has helped you deep clean your washing machine. Now that I’ve cleaned it once, I’ll be adding this task to my regular household chores.
Watch me deep clean my washing machine in this video.