Washing machine detergent drawer - how to keep clean???

[maldivemoment]

That's it really. Ours seems to get filthy, and I mean filthy, all the time. I've taken it out and scrubbed it but does anyone know why it's so disgusting and if there's a good, more effective way to clean it?

Thank you!
(PS; God my life is boring!)

It's mould! Wash it in the dishwasher or scrub it with bleach & a toothbrush & try & leave the drawer open after the wash has finished so it dries out. It will still get mouldy but not as quickly!

Put your machine on a long cycle on hottest temp overnight once a fortnight, with nothing in it, after scrubbing out the drawer & the aperture in hot water.

Gives the machine a good clearout & you'd be amazed how frothy the water gets which shows the soapy residues that are in the pipes.

Use liquid detergent and not powder helps it not to get very gunged-up.

yes, you can take the drawer out and scrub it with hot water in the sink. Also scrub the slot it slides into, using a nylon brush, and some "kitchen cleaning spray with bleach"

The instructions will tell you how to take the drawer out, and how to open the softener lid if not obvious.

If you use powder, you can try, like I do, putting the powder through the door of the machine, which saves the drawer getting clogged.

Most machines are cold fill now, which does not dissolve powder as easily as hot.

Cool washes also tend to let soap sludge build up in the machine, so an occasonal Max Hot cycle, with no powder, will help it dissolve.

I was having real trouble with this until I bought a new washer and vowed never to use the drawer. 18 months in it is still clean. You don't need it! I use a liquid detergent in the washer drum, either in a dispenser or squirted directly onto the top of the washing load. For conditioner I use a downy ball which you can buy on eBay. Ignore the bit about it being specifically for top loaders; it has always worked for me and the machine is much much cleaner!

I have just started to use powder, and already have. Washed the drawer a few times. Can you put powder straight into machine ? And if so what do you put it in ?

tb -funnily enough I was going to say the exact opposite!! When I used liquid the drawer used to go gunky and the machine often smelled really bad the first time it was used after a period of inactivity (eg. first load of washing after we returned from a holiday).

Since using powder the drawer doesn't need cleaning as often and it smells nicer.

Also I no longer use a liquid fabric softener as the powder is a 2 in 1 so that might help too.

PigletJohn do you just sprinkle your powder into the machine on top of the clothes before you put it on or do you put the powder in first? And does it dissolve ok if it's a delicate or lower temperature wash or does it leave powder marks on dark clothes? Very interested to try this (anything to avoid the ritual cleaning with a toothbrush so frequently...)

I had problems with a smelly machine when using fabric conditioners and/or liquid detergents.They leave a residue and because we so often don't wash on high temperatures the bacteria that clings to this film isn't killed,thus leaving a whiff.

The solution is to use higher temperatures( at least periodically) and use a powder.I've had no whiff since (but still get a mouldy black dispenser drawer)

I throw the powder in after the clothes out of the scoop

I believe in an older machine like mine it is possible for the powder to fall to the bottom of the tub where is does not easily get mixed into the water. Some machines pump the water round and it showers over the top of the drum so should mix it better. I have a water softener so it dissolves I think better than in hard water.

For dark loads I use a liquid (no bleach so does not fade them) but yes I did see white powder marks on black track suits and hoodies after a cool wash. The hotter white washes always dissolve powder better. I do think towels and sweaty sporty clothes come out smelling better after a hotter wash.