One of the Most Used Cleaning Machines That We Neglect to Actually….CLEAN!
For those of you who read our last post about cleaning your front-loading washer, but currently have a top-load washer…..HAVE NO FEAR! This blog is all about deep cleaning and regular cleaning maintenance for your top-load washer.
Let’s start off with deep cleaning your top-load washer, because let’s be honest…..how many of us actually think about deep cleaning our washer??
You will need:
Distilled White Vinegar
Dishwashing Liquid
A toothbrush or Small Scrub Brush
Measuring Cup
Bucket
First things first….make sure that bad boy is empty of laundry and detergent!
Clean cycle numero uno!
Set your water temperature to the hottest setting and select the largest load setting with the longest wash, rinse, and spin cycle. Start your washing machine and let it fill with hot water, but pause the cycle before it starts to agitate!
Add your bleach!
Mix in about 3-4 cups of chlorine bleach to the hot water in the washer drum. The bleach will kill off any bacteria, mold, or mildew in the nooks and crannies of your washing machine. If you are sensitive to the smell of bleach, make sure there is good ventilation by opening some windows or turning on your exhaust fan in your laundry room if you have one.
WARNING!!!!
Do not add your distilled white vinegar to the bleach water! If you do so, it will create a toxic chlorine gas which can be dangerous even in small amounts.
Turn your washer back on and allow the cycle to finish. Again your washer should be set to the longest wash, rinse, and spin cycle.
Now, if you have an agitator in your top-load washer, DON’T SKIP THIS NEXT PART!
The fabric softener dispenser on the top of your agitator can normally be easily removed by twisting or pulling it directly up. Take the top of the agitator and clean using some distilled vinegar and a toothbrush or small scrub brush.
if you have never removed the agitator completely to clean it…we recommend doing this next step.
Under the fabric softener cup at the top of the agitator, there should be a bolt that you can unscrew to remove the entire agitate from the washing machine's drum. Take the agitator and soak it in a sink or bathtub with warm water and 2-3 cups of distilled white vinegar for about 30 minutes. Then take your scrub brush or toothbrush and clean the inside of the agitator.
Now, take a look at the bottom of your washer’s drum and use some distilled white vinegar with your toothbrush or small scrub brush and some microfiber towels to clean the build-up at the bottom of the drum where the agitator would connect to the drum.
Let’s put it all back together.
Rinse off your agitator and the fabric softener cap and put everything back into the drum of your washer.
Take a look at the splash guard at the top of the washer’s drum. Take a microfiber cloth or your scrub brush and some vinegar to clean any grime off of the splash guard.
Second wash cycle.
Just like the first wash cycle, set your washer to the hottest temperature, with the longest wash, rinse, and spin cycles. Turn on your washer and allow the drum to fill with hot water. Pause your washer before it starts to agitate and add about 4 cups of distilled white vinegar to the water. Allow the washer to complete the cycle.
Lastly, well for this step.
Now we clean the outside of your washer and the detergent reservoir! Use a little bit of dish soap mixed with warm water to remove the rebuild-up of dust and detergent spills on the top and inside of the lid.
Regular Upkeep!
Every couple of months run a long hot wash cycle using distilled white vinegar just like the second clean cycle in the deep cleaning section. Wipe the detergent and fabric softener cups out regularly and leave the lid in your washer open after use to prevent the development of a mildew smell.
Conclusion.
There you have it! You have just finished part 2 of how to clean your top-load washer! You are now officially a washing machine guru and most definitely will have the best conversation piece at the dinner party.
On a serious note though, keeping up with these steps will not only save your clothes from mildew smells and fears of your clothes not being exactly fresh, but also these steps can help your washer stay at its full potential for a longer period of time.
Thanks for joining The Canton Cleaning Company’s Blog for yet another exciting Tips and Tricks read, we will see you again next week for another informative, yet fun (at least we think so), blog.
The Canton Cleaning Company is a full-service cleaning company providing Home Cleaning services in Baltimore, Commercial Cleaning Services in Baltimore, Commercial Cleaning Services in Charleston, SC, Commercial Cleaning Services in Philadelphia, and Commercial Cleaning Services in Washington, DC.