Discovering mould in the sealing rubber, drum or door of your washing machine after a cycle can be quite alarming.
Mould, dirt, and limescale are common problems in washing machines, thriving in the moist environment they offer. Not only is this mould unsightly, it can also cause a musty odour in the machine – something nobody wants on their freshly laundered clothes.
Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to eradicate mould with bleach, but to stop it from making an unwelcome return, you’ll need to adopt a regular practice when using your washing machine.
Users were quick to share their advice when one woman reached out for assistance on Reddit this week, posting: “My washing machine has mould developed all over it and I am disgusted and need ideas to completely get rid of this and clean my washer. It smells really bad.”
Adding to her plea, she said: “I’ve tried using those little washer tablets from Amazon and that did not work. Please help me experienced people! I know what I need to do to prevent the mold but first I need to clean this up before I do that. I’m embarrassed.”
The photographs she included with her post revealed black mould extensively covering the rubber sealing near the door. In response, others who have been through similar scenarios suggested keeping the washing machine door open between uses to prevent mould growth.
One individual recommended: “With these washers you HAVE leave them open between washes. They’re really bad about holding a whole bunch of moisture, so in that warm dark environment it gets really gross.”
Another person added their voice to the conversation, saying: “You have to leave the door open between washes and wipe the seal with a cloth after each wash.”
Meanwhile, someone else shared their personal remedy: “I had a similar issue, I scrubbed everything clean, run a little bit of vinegar with every wash.” Further advice came from another who suggested: “Soak a rag in liquid bleach and press the rag to the spots. Let it sit for a while. Rinse, repeat.”
For those facing more severe issues, one commenter advised: “You can replace the rubber seal yourself. Find the make and model of your washer, buy the new seal, and take that sucker apart with a screwdriver and put it back together again.”
Echoing this solution, another said: “I have this washer and I replaced the rubber seal and bought a rubber magnetic thingy to keep the door open between washes, it needs to stay airated.”
In short, simply opening your washing machine will it dries out can make all the difference. You should also be sure to wipe down regularly.