Can I use toilet cleaner to deep clean my washing machine?

[rebelwithoutclothes]

Did a load of washing today and it came out smelling horrible, with limescale deposits (I assume) on the darker clothes. I've run out of my usual Dr Beckman stuff to deep clean the washing machine and don't want to visit the shops just to get that one item. Can I use my toilet limescale remover/bleach in the washing machine instead or will I kill it? I don't have any baking soda (have bicarb soda which is two years out of date) or lemon or vinegar to try cleaning the machine in an eco-friendly way either.

Bicarb of soda is baking soda. And two years out of date won't matter at all. I'd use that.

Although I think that would only help with odour, I don't think it would work on limescale unless there was something acidic as well.

Yeah use the bicarbonate, don’t use the toilet cleaner it could rot the seal, it’s really harsh stuff

Can you get a few bottles of white vinegar on your shop and run it with these emptied into the drum? Then do a hot wash afterwards with the whole tub of bicarbonate to get rid of the vinegar smell.

No. Just use the old bicarbonate or run a 90 degree wash.

You could use a dishwasher tablet on a hot wash

@rebelwithoutclothes
Small amount of bleach will kill bacteria.
One squirt.
More and it will foam to much

dishwasher tabled on a really hot wash. that's what i use.

or a smidge of bleach. definitely not a whole cup full. i made this mistake once. suds and foam came out onto the floor. washing machine was clean though....

Put a spoonful of soda crystals in with every wash from now on. Much cheaper than calgon but does same job