Mold easily grows in washing machines due to them being wet and usually in small spaces with little air ventilation. But, the simple truth is that mold can make you and your family very sick – especially pets, children, or anyone prone to respiratory conditions.
The good news is that keeping your washing machine free of mold is easier than you may think!
Here are some simple ways to remove mold from your washing machine and keeping your family healthy.
4 Tips for Removing Mold from your Washing Machine
1. Keep Your Washer Door Open After Washing Clothing
Keeping your washer door open after a clothing cycle will keep mold at bay by air drying the inside of the washer. When the washer door gets shut after a cycle, humidity and heat stay trapped and are a perfect breeding ground for mold.
Whether you are using a top or front loading washer, keep the door open for about an hour afterwards to dry out the inside and keep mold from growing in the first place.
2. Wash ALL Door Seals and Dispensers Thoroughly
Remove all soap, bleach, and fabric softener dispensers and wash thoroughly with either an antimicrobial cleanser or bleach and water solution. (Make sure to wear gloves and open the doors and windows when working with bleach!)
Allow each part to dry all the way before returning to the washer.
Then, check and thoroughly clean the seals around the doors (especially the rubber gaskets on front loading washers), these are hidden breeding grounds for mold.
3. Run a Bleach and White Vinegar Cycle
Sanitize your washing machine by looking for and cleaning any hidden gunk out of cracks, crevices, and holes with a small brush, old toothbrush, or antimicrobial spray.
Then, pour 2 cups of bleach to top-loading washers, or 4 cups into your front-loading washer. Turn on the hottest washer setting and allow washer to fill with water and agitate for a few minutes.
Next, stop the wash cycle and allow the bleach to sit for an hour before starting the cycle again. Then run a wash cycle of just hot water to remove any leftover bleach from the washer.
Lastly, run a regular cycle of 4 cups of plain white vinegar to finish your washer sanitation.
4. Use an Antimicrobial Laundry Additive
You can also add an antimicrobial laundry additive such as EC3 to your regular clothing cycles to help kill mold spores in your machine and on clothing!
Synopsis: How to Remove Mold from your Washing Machine
Giving your washing machine a good cleaning, disinfection cycle, and drying it out frequently will keep mold from accumulating and you and your family’s clothing free of mold spores that can cause breathing problems!