How do I effectively clean the rubber seal in my washing machine?

[WePanickedAtTheDisco]

As the title says really! Our machine is a few years old, but in good condition and I regularly run a cleaner though and clean out the drawer. But the rubber seal is manky and mouldy. Any ideas on how to get rid of the grime?! Have tried the white stuff and also mold and mildew stuff but it will not shift an inch!!

I've used vinegar with flannels. And done 90 degree washes with just one towel to circulate as much water as possible.

It's a pain in the butt. We just got a new machine after ten years and I think in the end, we should have got a new one two years before we did. I just couldn't shake the musty smell and black bits that kept coming through.

Mould has tenacious root-type structures that can penetrate some materials, making it impossible to remove successfully. (Don't use bleach, as that just bleaches it ie takes down the colour. Doesn't remove it. And it makes the mould release its horrible mycotoxins, which are worse for your health than the actual mould.) Fortunately you can replace the seal. There are how-to videos on YouTube.

Following as we've tried all sorts and I'm pretty much resigned to replacing the seal at this point

Try soda crystals and white vinegar, make a paste, apply it and leave it for a while before running a hot wash.

It's not perfect but greatly reduces it.

Add soda crystals whenever you wash towels and it will help keep it down and keep machine clean.

Always leave your door open after a wash and wipe down the seal with a dry cloth.

My current machine is 10 years old, minimal signs of mold and I've never had a musty smelling washing machine in my adult life.

I tried everything, vinegar, soda crystals etc but in the end it was Astonish Mould and Mildew Blaster that did the job after a recommendation on here. Sprayed and left for a few hours and all the black mould disappeared and hasn't come back 6 months later. Bought from Amazon, about £5.

Brill. I’ll try the astonish!
If not, maybe replace the seal then. Is it a pretty each and cheap task??

We replaced the seal on our washing machine - it was cheap and a massive PITA to do 😄. It should be do-able though - our washing machine opens differently to other washing machines, and we just couldn't stretch the new string around where it needed to go, so we just used the old one in the end. There are lots of YouTube videos.

^spring, not string

Try the Astonish first..... Replaced the seal before and agree with PP that stretching the spring was so difficult took two of us and my fingers were still sore after a few days. Wasn't going to do that again and luckily the Astonish did the job. I find I still got mould even if I left the door open but it hasn't come back since I used it. Worth a go for a fiver.