How to Clean That Musty FRONT LOADER Washer

I had to have those front loaders...I just HAD to have them. Leave it to me to want something that washes and cleans yet requires that you wash and clean it. High efficiency=High maintenance. So everyone who has these knows what I'm talking about when I say I have a smelly washer problem.

 These wonderfully made front load washers use less water and energy (which means less hot water) and causes a build up behind that rubber ring right on the inside of your washer. Peel this back and you will see a wonderful collection of mildew and mold that look like they are doing the dirty with your left over hair and other nasty things that have collected under there..Well...That's cause they are and it smells just as dirty. After you've grossed out enough, and sanitized your hands in bleach (Maybe your eyeballs too. JK. Don't do that.) you can rest assured I have found a solution to this accumulation of ick and guess what?? No more smell :)

First some things you need to consider doing with your front loaders.... 

1. ALWAYS take the clothes out of the washer after a washing. Unless you like your clothes smelling like mildew, just do it. 

2. Wipe down the rubber seal and the glass. Leaving water to sit will cause mold to develop in those flaps and crevices. 

3. Leave the door open to let the washer air dry.  If you have children or animals please be careful when doing this.  

4. Make sure you use HE detergent ONLY!! And only use the recommended amount (which is very little). This detergent is supposed to be low suds so there is a reason why you don't see any bubbles when washing. I will be posting about how to make your own HOMEMADE laundry detergent soon. I've been using it for over 2 months now and it's fabulous.  

So now that we've up to date on some preventative steps. Let's get to the cleaning..

Take 1/2 a cup of baking soda and place into the detergent drawer. Then take half a cup of distilled white vinegar and pour into the pre-wash drawer ( I actually poured it on top of the baking soda, which then started a foaming action..Looked cool and it still worked, but not sure on the safety of it haha Chemistry...)

Set your washer on the longest wash with the water on HOT (Or if your impatient like me and have waaay to much laundry to do, do a "quick wash" with hot water).

**If you haven't cleaned the rubber seal yet, or it's been awhile. Do it after this step. Grab an old wash cloth and using a water/vinegar solution (1:1), clean thoroughly. Let this sit for about 5 min and then wipe off with a clean towel. 

Final step is fill up the bleach container compartment and the pre-wash compartment with bleach. Sounds like a lot but trust me it works! Then run the same hot water cycle AGAIN. Once it's done, wipe down the rubber seal and glass and let air dry. Take a nice (maybe not too big) whiff. No more smell!!  *I would suggest running the RINSE cycle a couple of times if you are going to wash some colors next.  I don't want to be responsible for any tie dye clothes or undergarments.

Do this AT LEAST once a month to keep it from smelling musty and to prevent mold and mildew from forming.