Just a few months ago, many of us got $0.49 Heinz Vinegar at Wags. I wish I would have gotten more…..but alas, I didn’t. Anyways, I got some Vinegar the other day at Fry’s and this morning I tackled the job of cleaning my washer. WOO OHOOOO most fun thing to do on a Tuesday morning. Let me tell ya.
Last time we cleaned our washers was April when I last posted this hot little tip. So I think we’re due for a reminder!
I’m guessing most people would run out and buy Tide Washing Machine cleaner — which I have used once (it was free on FB)… but I am cheap, and because I’m in desperate to stretch the bucks, I try to make every penny count (ha!)
Cleaning your washer with Vinegar is the MOST easy thing anyone could ever do. I mean, I love doing it because it makes me feel like I’m a mad scientist… hahaha 
Plus my daughter thinks I’m inventive and that’s always a plus for me.
Believe it or not, your washing machine NEEDS to be cleaned. The dirt that is washed out of your clothes (and in my case, diapers) will produce bacteria in the machine, even with a stainless steel drum – bacteria can accumulate in the hoses also, which also need to be taken off and cleaned regularly too. Cleaning your washer will lengthen the life of your machine… and save you money down the road. BUT, cleaning does not require you spend $$$ on fancy dancy products – cleaning your machine is as easy as grabbing a few cups of Vinegar from your pantry:
- Pour 2 C. Vinegar into the machine
- Run it for 3 minutes on hot
- Then stop the machine – however you do that – I have to push the button in.
- Let it sit over night
- The next morning, pull out the knob, let it finish, and then run a rinse cycle on cold
Easy as pie … and one more reason to make sure you always have Vinegar in your house!
Now, it’s been 3 months since we last cleaned our washers. Whatcha say I help you tackle this job today?!
How do you clean the hoses?
Also, my machine is a front loader. Where the water drains there are three little holes in the rubber, if you pull that back you see the same wholes in the plastic. I can’t move the plastic, but stuff gets stuck between the hard plastic and the drum. Any idea how to get out?
Any idea on how this will affect a septic system? hmm.. might have to look into that. but great tip.
Vinegar is safe on septics, so don’t delay…go clean that washing machine today! LOL! :)
What a good tip! Is it bad to say in the 3 years we have lived here I have never washed my washer? I am a clean freak and NEVER thought of this one!! I am going to do it today! Thank you!
I will have to bookmark this so I don’t lose it! :) Thanks for the tip!!!
Are the instructions any different for a front-loader? Namely, do you put the vinegar where the soap normally goes, or into the drum?
My first washing machine lasted almost 20 years without ever being cleaned. Imagine how long the new one will last with a vinegar cleaning regiment! Does this work for dishwashers too?
Hi Ruth,
My mom had taught/showed me to always put Vinegar in the dishwasher everytime I ran it to wash the dishes. She just said it will get them extra clean & leave less water spots. I just poor @ the bottom below the bottom rack where the spinner is. Put my dishwasher soap where it belongs & let it run it’s cycle. =)
The vinegar dosn’t make your dishes stink? LOL
No it doesn’t! LOL
Sheryl, I need a recipe for pet stain remover for my carpets. Im sure there is a vinegar recipe out there :) TIA
that’s what im tackling today…..
I can’t wait to try this in our washer! I never buy the fancier stuff for the washer. Before I knew about the vinegar I started to notice my washer leaving brown line along the rim of where the water stops when it fills up. It was grossing me out because I knew I needed to wash lots of other clothes. This would happen more often when it’s sport season for my husband and son w/their dirty clothes. & whites I always soak in hot water over night if not that than a couple of hrs, so those dirty socks leave a dirty line in my washer. I would always end up getting a wet rag to clean inside the washer, then a clorox wipe to wipe it down. this sounds much easier! LOL
I also use cloth diapers so we have made this a habit in our house. I also use about 1/2 cup of baking soda to the vinegar and hot water.
My front loader has a clean cycle. Per the manufacturers instructions I put the vinegar in the soap dispenser and set the machine to the cleaning cycle (I run a towel under all the seals before running the cycle to remove some of the soap build up).
you can also use vinegar as a fabric softener per the Queen of Clean……and it’s green…and cheap……
Great idea!!! I already use vinegar and baking soda to clean my drains with, so this will fit right in with my green cleaning ideas! And better yet- you don’t have to invest a lot of time into it!!! Thanks for sharing!
Just got around to doing this recently with my washer. Vinegar is wonderful for cleaning- I use it to clean my toilets and it is seriously better than all those shower cleaners on hard water deposits- it took off what many cleaning with both green and non-green cleaners could not (I even used CLR without success before trying the vinegar!)
Thanks for the great tips, I did even knoe i was supposed to clean my washer.
I would also like to know; How do you clean the hoses?