How To Clean A High Efficiency Top Loading Washing Machine

High-efficiency appliances have been all over the market in the last couple years. It's no surprise that the laundry room is one of the most marketed changes to HE. Everyone does laundry because everyone wants clean clothes. The great thing about these HE machines is that we save quite a bit of water and energy when we use them. Saving you a few bucks a year certainly adds up over time. But just like every other washer, sometimes our HE washing machines can start to have a certain aroma about them. They can start to smell musty or moldy and they can even go so bad that they start to make your clothes stink! You're definitely not putting your clothes in the laundry for them to come out smelling worse than they did before! How do you clean an HE washing machine? There a few things that you have to do differently when you switch to HE, but cleaning isn't necessarily one of them.

Definitely going to try this trick to clean my HE washing machine.

Treating the Smell in Your HE Washing Machine

There are a lot of options out there that usually work pretty well. That is, for a couple of weeks or so. They have "cleaners" that you can pop into the washer and it will mask the smell for a few days until you have to go out and buy more for it to keep working. You can also use the old method of pouring some bleach in the wash and running an empty load. The bleach works a little better than the cleaner they have in most stores. It will last a bit longer and keep you thinking your washer is as clean as day one! However, what if I told you that there's a way for you to clean your HE washing machine AND help clean your clothes AND soften your clothes at the SAME TIME?

Treating the Source

There's a secret weapon in the war on smelly washers and you probably already have it in your kitchen. Vinegar! Regular old white vinegar which is great for just about everything comes in to save the day again. This time in a little bit of a different way. Instead of running your washer with a cup of vinegar here, a cup of vinegar there, check out this easy method to keep your washer smelling great. All you have to do is use your normal laundry soap like you always do, but now you're going to add in vinegar to the bleach dispenser in your HE washer. Just pick up a gallon of vinegar and keep it next to your laundry detergent. Every time you do laundry, pour some in the bleach dispenser. Vinegar kills bacteria and will fight the smell at the source. It also helps keep your clothes clean, vibrant, and soft!

Learning how to clean an HE washing machine isn't much work. Just because there are a few things that you have to change your laundry routine when you get an HE machine it doesn't mean the old methods don't work the same if they're tweaked a little bit. Using white vinegar with every wash is a very cheap solution to your smelly washer situation! Have you ever tried using vinegar to clean your HE washing machine? Did you notice the effect it had on your clothes too? Let's talk about it!

What a great tip on how to keep a clean washing machine.

Gina Luker is a writer, photographer and lover of all things quirky. She's usually found with a drill in one hand and a cocktail in the other while blogging along the way. She's addicted to coffee, polka dots, rock stars, Instagram, and everything aqua.