Mould in washing machine, any suggestions????

[lemur]

Our washing machine has grim black mould in it and smells like a stagnant pond. We try to leave it open but the fitted door cover blocks entrance to kitchen when we do... could I chuck some bleach in it and put it on a cycle (despite bad environmental conseqences of bleach...) or are there magic solutions to this little problem? Any tips very welcome....

Can you run a wash at 90 degrees (or at least 60?)? I think bed linens should go at 60 sometimes. I wonder if that would kill it.

Good thinking, will try that now, thank you.

i've run mine through with bleach before now but i'm sure that someone will come on here with a more environmentally kind way though

Run on a hot cycle with white vinegar in the drawer?

Thankyou - hot cycle means have very clean, slightly shrunk tea towels and machine smelling better but can still see mould, so will try white vinegar, and then may resort to bad old bleach...

Don't bother putting any washing in run it with the drum empty.

Do you use washing liquid not powder? Mine used to do this then I switched back to powder (tablets) and is fine. I think the liquid gunks it up. If you do a search there are a few threads about it, it was suggested to me on here that that was my prob and it was!

Repair man once told me to do a hot cycle at least once a week to avoid black mould/slime. Do it empty perhaps?

Hi, yes mummyhill, I use ecover liquid, so perhaps I will try tablets for a bit. I am running an empty hot wash now Emmylou, and will try to remember to do a weekly hot wash ... I wonder if I will ever be free of this mould, it seems to have followed DP and I from his first student house 10 years ago... it gets everywhere damp that we move to! Not that it is a big deal, in the scheme of things!

Countess Dracula, the liquid tip was yours , sorry, and thanks!

Suggest you try running an empty wash with three big tablespoons of soda crystals. We do that for limescale reasons every month, so may work for mould.