Your household appliances of regular use need to clean regularly if you want to live a healthy and hygienic life. This cleaning formula applies to almost everything that is in use.
Front-load washing machines are an advanced form of efficient washing machines. These machines give you a good batch of washed clothes as it is gentle with them, but this machine lacks because it can grow mold inside it.
Reasons For Mold Growth:
With a lot of pros, a con of frond load washers is their design. The designs seal the water and detergent inside for good washing. A rubber gasket provides the machine’s sealing, but this is the same place that gives a place and environment for the mold to grow.
Mold needs moisture, rubber, detergent, and a damp environment to grow. An unclean and wet washer gasket provides it all. So mold will grow on it quickly.
Even if you use eco-friendly detergent or cold water cycles, mold will grow in the front load washer gasket sooner or later, and you will need to clean it for a healthier living.
How To Clean Mold From Front Load Washer Gasket – Steps to Follow
Deep and thorough cleaning is divided into a few steps to give you a mold-free clean gasket at the end. Let’s follow the steps to clean your washers.
1. Clean Out The Gasket –clean out the gasket, and you need to find it out first. Open the door to the maximum. Now look for a rubber ring, pull it open, and clean it. This is the main place of mold growth. Clear it out from the mold and if there are any foreign particles in between like clips, bobby pins, coins, etc.
2. Clean The Dust – we all know that dust goes everywhere. Dust also gathers up in the gasket, and not only dust sometimes hair also build up. Clean the dust and hair out with a wet sponge.
3. Clean The Mildew – if you don’t dry your machine properly after washing or don’t give enough time space between two washing cycles to dry, mildew will start growing black spots. It would be best to clean it too, use hot water with soap solution or use a specified cleaner for mildew to clear them out. Spray and wipe, then spray and wipe from the other side of the cloth. Don’t use the same side again and again.
4. Clean The Dispensers – the machines have dispensers for detergents. They can either be removable or partially slide-out type. Clean them too properly when you are doing a full cleaning of the device. Use soap and water to clean these dispensers.
5. Deep Clean – do a deep clean or what you can say, sanitize your machine every after few months. For this, you need to run an empty machine with a hot water cycle and 1 cup of bleach. Also, add ½ cup of it in the detergent box. After this warm water bleach cycle is complete, run 2 or 3 other processes without bleach.
6. If you still see some black molded spots after this deep clean, scrub them with an old toothbrush dipped into a 10% bleach solution.
These are some easy steps to help you clean your washer gasket from mold and mildew.
Prevention From Mold Growing:
Stop wasting a lot of time cleaning. You will not need to do this deep cleaning very often if you take some prevention. Some preventive steps include:
- Make sure the drum and washer dried out completely after the wash. Leave the door open for some time and wipe it out with a dry cloth or sponge if necessary.
- Front-load machines are efficient; less amount of detergent will also work fine. Do not load the detergent that will eventually lead to mold growth.
- After the complete machine washing, take your clothes out of it soon. Don’t let your wet clothes inside the machine for long.
- Air-dry the detergent storage compartment after you are done with the laundry.
- Try to put your machine in an area with a window or exhaust fan to avoid humidity.
- Do the deep clean run once a month with hot water and bleach to ensure hygiene and avoid workload later.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Will all front load washers get mold issues?
Suppose you are not taking care of the cleanliness of the machine and leaving it wet. It will give the environment for the mold to grow, no matter which front-loaded washers are you using.
Q. Can I leave the washer door open?
Yes, you can. It will help you with the drying of the machine and prevent mold issue. Leave the door open after you are done with the laundry.
Q. How often does the front load washer require cleaning?
If you are taking precautions, do the deep clean cycle once a month.
Q. Will vinegar damage my machine?
The use of vinegar as a fabric softener is not a bad option, but it might damage the rubber that provides the seal and can cause leaking if used very frequently and in excess.
Q. Is mold dangerous in the washers?
Mold growing in the washers will cause a bad smell in the machine and in your clothes. In an extreme scenario, it can also make you sick.
Conclusion:
Front-load washers are excellent and efficient, but they come with an issue of mold growth. Now you know how to clean it and how to prevent the mold from growing inside the gasket.
Take care of your household appliances and live a hygienic life.
