90 degree wash to clean machine - does it have to be empty?

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Sorry, probably a silly question: if I'm going to run a 90 degree wash to give the machine a bit of a clean and maintain, does the drum need to be empty, or can I bung a few dishcloths etc in with it? and do I put powder in too or just leave the hot water to do the trick? thanks.

After reading this my machine is on on a 90 wash with bleach!

Thanks. I know what I'm doing this weekend!!

I did a 90 degree wash yesterday. I didnt put anything in it. Was the first time I had ever done that too. We were going to buy some white vinegar today, but forgot. How much do you put in? Im another who usually puts a couple of tablets in the drawer.

I have an indesit, but its not a moon. Fingers crossed I will be ok. It is just over 3 years old and apart from some gunk on the seal (not sure if its mould or gunk) it looks as good as new. Cant seem to clear the gunk though. Any suggestions?

W ehave a towel we use to dry the shower out, I stick that in when I do a 90degree wash

I think the theory with the bleach is that it'll kill the mould. Not sure vinegar would do the same, though I guess the 90C still does its part.

I do the thing with vinegar - think its to target limescale more than anything? I only do it because i couldn't afford a new one if it broke...

I wash towels and dog bedding on 95 with bleach. If the dog's bedding is especially stinky I will run an empty 95 afterwards, with just a touch of bleach.

I also wash the dd's white cottons (school uniform) on 95* with bleach.

I wash everything in 30 degrees. Am I ruining my washing machine by doing this? Should I up it to 40 or even 50? I cant afford a new washing machine.

Regarding my once a month cleaning wash: How much bleach? What sort of bleach? I might give that a go to get rid of the gunk on the seal, then move to white vinegar regurlarly with a 90 degree wash. Im not intending to put anything in the machine to wash, just do a wash to clean it.

I've never done anything with my machine and haven't had mould or gunk. The motor recently blew up but it was 11 yrs old and had industrial equivalent use.

What did the Watchdog programme say?

Daft question

How much bleach should i use and where do put it? Direct in drum or drawer?

Never done this before

i have had my machine about 12 years and never done this

Juicylips, I bet their customer service dept was all ready, waiting for calls to come in after the watchdog show last night. Glad they are on the case.

My 90 degree wash with vinegar has finished, and my machine smells fresh and looks clean. Note to self...find out where to buy white vinegar cheaper than Waitrose small bottles...I use it to do bathroom too MrsTittlemouse.

Another one who's never done this.

Mine never runs higher than 30 degrees.

I didn't see the Watchdog programme, but haven't noticed any gunk in my machine tbh.

happymole if it's a daft question I will join you, I do a 90 degree wash sometimes but cannot bring myself to do it empty, and have no idea how much bleach/vinegar to use or where to put it. Also, do you have to choose bleach or vinegar? can you use both or do they react in a bad way? will bleach linger and fade your darks or is it washed out completely?

I can see I've been doing this laundry lark all wrong, am reading all the laundry threads on Mumsnet with a sort of fascinated horror

I run 90 deg empty washes from time to time because it said that you should in the instruction booklet. I usually choose to do it after I have washed something really dirty!

If your machine smells ok, and doesn't look gunky, it's probably fine. The watchdog programme was about a specific make of machine, the Indesit Moon, which has problems keeping clean.
I think most machine manuals recommend a really hot wash every now and then to kill any lingering bacteria. So the programme on TV made me remember to do this. A bit of bleach helps the germs, or vinegar helps limescale. Good question about whether you can use both, I don't know - anyone?

NO!
Vinegar plus bleach = poisonous chlorine gas

Not recommended.

Maybe of use (just copied from webpage):

Why would people want to mix vinegar and bleach?

There is evidence that vinegar lowers the acidity of diluted bleach, making it a more potent bactericide. Diluted household bleach has a pH which is quite high (i.e it is quite alkaline). Adding vinegar lowers it and makes the bleach a more effective killer of bacteria.

Is this mixing of vinegar and bleach safe or necessary?

The short answer is "No!".

For domestic use the dangers are too great. When acids are mixed with bleach chlorine gas is given off. This is quite toxic and can be a considerable health risk.

One lady who tried this as a child spent days coughing and choking afterwards and felt lucky to have fully recovered from the effects after a few weeks.

Vinegar is a fairly potent bactericide in its own right. If you feel the need to use bleach too, then separate them out. Use bleach in small quantities, diluted in water to top up your cleaning programme.

There are several different things going on here.

Usually, washing machines that are run mostly on cool washes, and/or with greater amounts of powder or fabsoft than the makers recommend, will get a sludge and slime buildup composed of old soap and softener. Mildew and bacteria live on this and stink. It can be removed by doing a periodic maintenance wash with NO POWDER OR SOFTENER at the highest temperature. A Hot White Cotton wash is suitable. Put in white cotton towels if you have them. If the machine foams up, you will know it is doing it with the residue of old soap sludge that has been dissolved by the hot water. Do it again until it stops foaming (this means you have no soap sludge left).

A rarer problem is that if you do cold washes and have greasy washing, for example if you use a lot of bath oil or body lotion that rubs onto towels and sheets, you will get a sludge of emulsified fat inside your machine. Again, a HOT wash will clean it out, but you need to add powder. Ariiel is good as it is quite aggressive. Again you can put your white cotton towels in to save wasting water and energy on an empty machine.

Bleach and vinegar will have no effect on soapy or greasy sludge.

Bleach will temporarily kill bacteria and mildew; but if you do not do a hot maintenance wash, the sludge will still be there so it will quickly be recolonised and start to stink again. The hot wash kills bacteria and mildew anyway.

Vinegar will remove limescale, but this will not be in the tub, it will be coating the heating element. You can also use Calgon or similar to prevent limescale (or buy a water softener, or move to Birmingham). There is a view that the money and effort you spend trying to prevent limescale is greater than the infrequent cost of a repair. Limescale is nothing to do with sludge and mould.

Remember to clean out the pump filter from time to time. This is described in the machine instruction book which you have not read since the day you bought the machine.

Right so no to vinegar and bleach at the same time.

I think I will use bleach then the following month onwards use white vinegar.

So how much Bleach and where to put it, in the drawer or in the drum?

Remember to clean out the pump filter from time to time. This is described in the machine instruction book which you have not read since the day you bought the machine

the main problem I have (Bosch machine) is with the drawer. I never put detergent in it, only fabric rinse, & try to leave the drawer open (& the door) when machine isn't running, but still get black gunk on the drawer itself, & behind it in the machine...

so every now & again I spray the drawer & the slot with mould & mildew cleaner, scrub it out with a kitchen brush, spray it again, & then run a hot wash.

any better ideas???

The Kitchen Cleaner With Bleach spray is good for the soap drawer. Use a nylon washing-up brush to scrub the black milldew off. It comes off easier once the bleach has killed it. Take the drawer out first. On the Bosch drawer there is usually a latch you press down with your finger to pull it right out.

Pay particular attention to cleaning the "ceiling" of the hole the drawer goes into. Leave it open when not in use to dry out and reduce mould growth.