It's a clear sign that there is mold in your washing machine. So how do you remove the smell of mold from your washing machine?
Household black mold is a type of fungus that can form on all surfaces and spreads at an enormous rate.
How to get rid of mold in the washing machine
The main causes of the appearance of this type of fungus are:
- Increased humidity in the room.
- Insufficient ventilation.
- Poor lighting.
- Poor heating in the room.
- Congestion of large amounts of household waste and dirty things.
- Infrequent wet cleaning.
- Clogged ventilation pathways.
- Leaking plumbing fixtures.
Getting rid of mold on the washing machine gum is quite easy and simple, if the affected area is not very large, and you noticed the problem in time. But it happens that the drum gum is affected by the fungus almost imperceptibly, and after detection it turns out that the result is terrible. Consider also the fact that Mold poisons your laundry, easily spreading these spores throughout the air of the apartment and creating an unpleasant smell that one cannot immediately detect.
You should be prepared for the fact that if you thoroughly clean the infected surface, you will have to resort to radical methods, sometimes even to the replacement of parts of your washing machine. If the fungus appeared, which is firmly entrenched and spreads over a large area - a simple disinfection and treatment with fungicides you will not get away with.
That is why, in order to protect yourself and your family from this harmful fungus, and in the future not to face such an unpleasant problem, you should regularly carry out preventive measures and follow all rules of care for your home appliances.
In particular - for the washing machine, which due to the nature of the activity is a lot of water, which predisposes it more than other appliances to mold damage.
Top 5 places for mold to grow
The very first rule of thumb when fighting mold is a general analysis for other growths and the extent of the lesions.
Check the following parts of your washing machine:
The rubber sealThe rubber seal located by the door of the machine.- The powder and rinse aid dispenser.
- The water conductor hose.
- Hose for water drain.
- Filter element.
It's also worth checking the parts that have direct contact with water and have a chance of mold infestation. This fungus easily adheres to almost all surfaces and can well ruin some of the parts if you don't clean them in time.
Treat affected areas should be treated with household remedies with fungicides, which are sold in large quantities in the departments of household chemicals.
Causes of black mold in the washing machine
It is worth noting that mold can spread in the bathroom or other parts of your home due to increased humidity levels during those seasons when the fungus is particularly active and ready to multiply.
But in the washing machine, the chances of occurrence are increased if you use a quick wash at 30-40 degrees Celsius and forget to take the laundry out of the drum of the device in time.- Laundry powders and rinse aid also play an important role. Cheap powders with little bleach do almost nothing to clean the machine from mold, but only encourage it to spread.
Washing at low temperatures does not kill mold. Moreover, mold is also comfortable at 60 degrees Celsius.- Bleach products can not only clean your clothes, but also kill the fungus in the machine. However, if you use cheap products or don't use them at all, there is no disinfection and the bacteria remain in your machine.
Laundry that is forgotten in the machine is a perfect breeding ground for fungus. So be extremely careful and take things out in time, and after that leave the drum open to dry and wipe hard to air out places with a dry cloth or sponge.
What to do to prevent fungus from ever appearing
If you have just bought a machine and want to know about how to prevent and remove mold if you suddenly need it, follow these guidelines:
Mold fungus is not good with acid. For this purpose, you can clean the drum as well as the drum gum and hoses with a solution of bleach chlorine or slightly diluted citric acid.- Also, mold cannot live at high temperatures. Therefore, after cleaning the drum, do a 90-degree wash to remove the pest or just the rudiments of it. And in the dispenser for the powder, you can pour a little bleach or vinegar solution.
- As a preventive measure, cleaning the drum and parts with hydrogen peroxide or acetic acid is excellent.
But it is also important to remember that for household appliances, these powerful chemicals can be detrimental, so do not forget to read the instructions and be careful so as not to lose your nice helper on the household. This is how you will keep your washing machine from getting moldy.
If you have already found the answers to all the questions in our article and want to protect your equipment in the future as well, follow these rules:
Never forget to wipe the drum dry after you have finished laundryand wipe down the rubber seal and hoses.- Dry the powder and gel tray.
- Do not leave damp freshly laundered laundry in the drum for more than one hour.
- Try to have a "hot day" once a month: wash at high temperatures, adding anti-mold products and high-quality detergent or gel to the drum.
Every 6 months, arrange for complete cleaning the entire washing machine with vinegar or citric acid. These "acidic" treatments will remove accumulated dirt and bacteria, which without such cleaning can create mold and ruin your entire machine.
Do not use a variety of laundry conditioners and rinses often, as they are great for helping the development of harmful microorganisms inside the machine and are almost impossible to wash out completely.- Do not forget that mold affects not only the gum in the drum, but also the hoses and the filter element. Because of this serious threat, make it a rule to clean not only the gum, but also other devices with special chemicals every two or three months.
How to get rid of the smell of mold in the washing machine
To avoid this, pay attention to this:
After cleaning with chlorine solution or citric acid, pay attention to the fact that there may have been bits of dirt left on the rubber band, which you have not washed off and which spread the unpleasant smell. To do this, you should perform a boil-down idle wash with the same vinegar or other means.- Unpleasant odor can be due to a clogged hose. In this case, you should either clean the hose well or buy a new one.
- The heating element can also be the cause of a musty odor, prompting the eternal question "how do I remove the musty smell?" Experts in this field will help you understand this issue and tell you whether the part is worth replacing, or whether it can still be cleaned somehow.
As you can see, treating your washing machine regularly, and following a few simple rules will be an excellent basis for ensuring that no fungal growths will appear in your unit, and you won't face the problem of cleaning your washing machine of fungus.
In addition to regular cleaning, don't forget that not only the machine can be a hotbed of mold, but all appliances need proper care. Air out your rooms more often, try to make sure you always keep warm and well ventilated, and air out the rooms with flowers, so they don't start to get mold as well.
