Cleaning Washing Machine: Can You Put Bleach In A ... - Daily Express

Your washing machine strips your clothing and other belongings of sweat, dirty and harmful bacteria, and all these nasties stay inside the machine. Washing machines are a breeding ground for salmonella, fungi and germs, so why don't we bother to disinfect them? Will bleach do the job?

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If your washing machine smells or isn’t functioning properly, it is time to give your machine a deep clean.

Your washing machine manual will let you know how to maintain and clean your machine, but most people use specific cleaners, vinegar, or soda crystals.

We all know that bleach kills harmful germs and sanitises most surfaces and household items, but can you use it on your washing machine?

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Can you put bleach in a washing machine?

Always check your machine’s manual before cleaning it.

Most of the time, it is absolutely fine to clean your washing machine with bleach.

Bleach is probably the best way to give your machine an intensive clean because it will kill off all lingering bacteria and germs.

If you want something gentler, try white vinegar.

Cleaning washing machine: Don't go overboard on the bleach (Image: Getty)

How to clean your washing machine with bleach

Before sanitising your machine with bleach, you need to clean the filter and gasket.

The filter traps all the large things that accidentally go into the machine, and if it becomes too full it can make your washing machine ineffective.

Check the machine manual to locate the filter and find instructions on cleaning it.

Usually, you can open the door and loosen the filter, but always put a towel down before you do this to catch the excess water.

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Pull out any visible lint and hairs and run the filter underwater.

You can clean the inside as much as you can with a sponge and a bathroom spray.

Find the washing machine drum seal inside the machine and turn it inside out.

Clean it with a dry cloth to start, and then use a bleach solution spray to clean it.

Cleaning washing machine: Clean the filter and gasket first (Image: Getty)

The experts at Laundrapp suggest using 60ml of bleach to clean the drum and hoses.

Don’t use any more than this and don’t use it with any other cleaning products, because bleach is highly reactive.

If you did, your machine could be damaged.

You could also fill the room with foam since bleach and hot water produce a lot of bubbles.

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Add 60ml of neat bleach to the detergent drawer and run your machine on a hot cycle.

Alternatively, turn the dial to the highest temperature possible and select the long wash option.

The bleach will be released into the water once the machine has filled up.

Don’t put any clothes in the machine while using this method.

At the end of the cycle, open the door and check if you can smell bleach.

If you still can, run another hot cycle to get rid of the smell

Next time you wash your clothes, add your favourite essential oil to the drawer to add a fresh fragrance to your items.

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