How to clean my Indesit and other stories ..

[jasperthehamster]

So I cleaned the powder drawer today for the first time since purchase (a while ago..) and am now keen to give the machine a good clean. Is it a hot wash with vinegar or something?

Thanks!

My friend told me a washing machine engineer had told her to do a hot wash with white vinegar. Apparently washing liquids encourage mould & the best thing to use (to avoid mould build up) are powders.

So whereabouts would I put the vinegar and how much? I use the liquitabs (cba to dole out powder every wash) as well as Comfort conditioner every time which probably is a bit bad

Just stick the vinegar in the drawer or sling it into the drum and put the machine on the longest, hottest wash your machine does - usually a cotton's wash. What's so difficult about using powder?!

Just thought it was safer with small DS wandering around as well as less spillage , works for me anyway :) I only buy the Tesco own brand ones so it's not too expensive.
How much vinegar?

Yeh liquitabs are notorious for leaving washing machines smelly and moldy. Powder is best to use as it keeps the machine cleaner.
You can use white vinegar (about a tea cup sized amount), soda crystals or dishwasher tablets on a boil wash to clean the machine

I've been using them since I bought this machine (16 months) and no problems so far but thought it could benefit from a wash through ! Thanks all

Dishwasher tablet?? To clean the washing machine? Really? Warning: I will try this if you say yes!

Oh yes. Put 2 of them in the drum (3 if you have a big drum washer) and stick it on a boil wash.
Dishwasher tablets get rid of food, grease and god knows what else from your plates, they do the same thing inside the washer

Yes, another one here who uses dishwasher tabs to clean the washer (also use bleach, vinegar, original dettol and actual washing machine cleaner) - of course not in the same cycle, just what I have to hand/feel like using at the time of cleaning it (which is far too often, as a bit obsessive about it ).

Dishwasher tabs are also really good for soaking clothes in that a 3yo has been let loose with a bolognese with. As Rabbit says, they're designed to remove food, so work great on food stains.

Chemically, I don't think dishwasher detergent is all that different to washing powder (oxygen bleach, enzymes etc appear in both). Not 100% on that though.

I'm going to be buying some dettol laundry cleaner tomorrow , as we have been experiencing norovirus here recently

There are no bleaching agents in liquid detergents or liquitabs. This means that not only are they less effective on stains, but they actually contribute to the build up of muck inside the machine instead of helping to keep everything clean the way powders do.