Yuck. My washing machine has grey slime between the grey rubber door seal and the metal drum - does yours? Please check for me.

[snooks]

Just noticed this when I put a load on this morning. I do pull out the dispensing drawer and give it a good scrub sometimes because that gets gunky too, but how do I get rid of this watery slimy stuff?? It's a wonder our clothes don't come out smelling of drains. It's where the rubber seal meets the metal drum, under the crease IYSWIM?

[brimfull]

oh yes we have this
I find it thickens soup nicely
scoop out with cloth

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

Mine gets that too. I just get it out with my fingers then give it a good clean round with a cloth and some Flash cleaner

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

Yes, I've had this for the last few months - first time ever.

I posted on ehre and somene asked if I'd swopped to liquid detergent as that often causes it. I had done, so have now swopped back to powder. Its stopped now.

[poopscoop]

yes, i think it is from the liquitabs??

I have to give mine a wipe every so often, it is vile, otherwise you drag the clean clothes across and end up with snotty smears all over the freshly washed.

[Buda]

My mum's has this and I always end up cleaning it out if I am using it when at home. I wipe it out with lots of kitchen roll and then give it a good clean with hot soapy water. Then I put the machine on for a hot wash with nothing in it.

I think if you give it a wipe regularly it doesn't build up as much. Mine doesn't seem to do it but I leave my machine door open when the machine is not on so maybe that dries it out.

[Buda]

Aah. Makes sense. My mum uses the liquitabs and I don't. I use liquid in the ball thingie and put it in the machine.

[snooks]

Glad it's not just me then - yes I do use liquid stuff, interesting, I will swap back to powder.

So now not only do I have to clean the house etc and wash the clothes, I have to clean the darned labour-saving washing machine too. Bit of a design fault there surely?

Gross, got it all in my nails

[poopscoop]

i think it doesnt dissolve properly and the outer 'skin' bit gets chucked to the front of the machine and collects all the shitty water. very pleasant eh?!

[snooks]

poopscoop I don't use the liquitabs but I do use liquid (poured into the drawer). Think I will switch to powder anyway and see what happens. I dread to think what's in the pipes etc that you can't see.... think I will go back to my washboard and mangle

[wotulookinat]

Just scoop it out.
I use powder and it still happens.
I occassionally put the drawer in the top shelf of the dishwasher (as recommended by someone on here) but it's better if I clean it myself.

[chloesmumtoo]

I get it too, sometimes even on the washed clothes. Yeah I clean it as much as possible but I think it also builds up inside internally so I often put it through the hottest wash now and then to try to clear it. My dd has eczema and so alot of her creams are on clothing ect and so I did put it down to that but obviously not if you all get it too! I use surecare washing liquid and occassionally ariel tabs

[soon2befamilyof4]

I think powder is better all round TBH as it completly disolves properly and you have completle control over how much you put in (unlike tabs).

I don't know anybody who has any problems with powder TBH.

[wotulookinat]

Oh God, I would never go back to using tablets - there were always little undisolved bits, no matter which brand I used.

[Madwelshwoman]

It's because we wash at such low temps now and don't use powders plus increased use of non-bio powder. The man who came to fix my washing machine told me about it, you can buy stuff to clean it but it won't harm the washing machine. I was shocked as it actually coats the outside of the drum. A good hot wash every month with bio powder will help. Apparently hard water areas have trouble with limescale and soft water areas have this grey gunk.

[wotulookinat]

Actually, come to think of it, I have had less of a problem since I started using bio powder.

[Buda]

Which powders are bio? (Disclaimer - am in Hungary and cannot read the boxes!!! We get the normal Ariel and Persil brands but other than the brand name, everything else is in Hungarian)

[BonsoirAnna]

I use liquitabs and don't have this problem. Wash hotter. And make sure you do a 90° wash at least once a week. And use Vanish stain remover from time to time in your wash.

[maddylou]

i had a skin problem and got sensitive everything including washing liquid and my washing machine and clothes started smelling-Yuck -had to do some hot washes with bicarb and biological stuff .

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

I don't even do a 60 degrees wash never mind a 40 degrees one.

[hiccymapops]

I use powder tablets and still get it, i'm not sure if it's got more to do with using fabric softener to be honest.

[Rosie111]

I get this and not long ago it became so disgusting that cleaning it out didn't get rid of the stench so a friend of mine who works for a washing machine company had the seal changed for me....lazy but effective! I had since vowed to keep it pristine.

[solidgoldbrass]

Is it safe to run the washing machine on hot with nothing actually in it apart from detergent? Cos I think mine might benefit...

[Altagloria]

My machine was smelling really damp and was rather gungy so I poured a bottle of white vinegar into the drum and put it on a boil wash. Totally sorted it out. Now I always leave the door wide open (when not in use ) and the smell hasn't come back...

[poopscoop]

I just went to check mine again and found a pound coin in the sludge! Every cloud has a silver lining

[AnnasBananas]

What can I use to 'clean' my machine?? I have grey slime/sludge too.

Is there a product to buy and if so what is it called? Or can someone suggest a vinegar/hot empty wash or some such natural remedy to try?

The grey slime keeps building up and coats the clean clothes as you are pulling them out.

Also I am getting dried white streaks on the clean clothes, only really noticable when they are dry. Do you think this is washing powder?? Does this mean I'm overloading the machine?