Cleaning a washing machine with bicarbonate?

[IsolaPribby]

Please can someone give me the lowdown on doing a maintenance wash with bicarbonate of soda? How much do I add and where? And do I add vinegar also?

Thank you!

You need soda crystals, stick them in the powder drawer and do a hot wash.

I use bleach sometimes to get rid of bacteria and smells in the washing machine (after washing DS clothes when he has had a leaking accident). I just put it in the liquid detergent part of the drawer. Just the equivalent of a small teacup and I make sure that the first wash after that is white towels.

It isn't bicarb that you want, but soda crystals, usually found next to the washing powders in the supermarket. If you have some biological washing powder use that, or failing that some bleach.

You need to run your machine at the hottest temperature as well.

When I had babies, I used to wash nappies at 90deg. Now, I do white towels at that temp once a month. I never run it empty because it seems wasteful. Not sure if that makes a difference, but my machine is over twenty years old, so i must be doing something right.

I live in a hard water area, so I use soda crystals in every wash anyway.

500g of soda crystals on the hottest, longest wash.

I live in a super hard water area and also add soda crystals to detergent for every wash.

So much cheaper than Calgon!

@theneverendinglaundry how much soda crystals do you put in each wash and where do you put them?

I found that a right faff

I saw a hack to use dishwasher tablets and it worked brilliantly, got rid of the damp smell and any I was surprised at how much crap was in there as the water when it was washing was awful.
I do it every month now with 2 or 3 tablets

I’ve recently been converted to the MN obsession with Zoflora. A hot wash with a cupful of soda crystals in the detergent drawer and a capful of Linen Fresh Zoflora in the fabric conditioner compartment.

@grahamnortonsjacket I live in a hard water area and use 75g for a full load (and adjust accordingly for half loads). I weigh it out in an old yogurt pot, then mark a line with s marker so I dont have to weigh it out each time.

When I do a clean, I pour half a bag into the drum - 500g. A couple of cups of vinegar also does a good job.

More info here: www.dri-pak.co.uk/how-to-clean-your-washing-machine/

Oh and I put the soda Crystals in the drawer when doing a wash.

I use a pink scoop from an old Vanish carton if I add soda crystals to a wash - one pink scoop for a normal wash. Nowadays, i make washing powder with borax, soda crystals and grated soap. I add some Ariel to it although that wasn't in the recipe I found online.

For whites or anything disgusting, I add an extra scoop of soda crystals.