Mouldy Washing Machine!?!

[sarjon]

Sorry for such a yawn thread but I've just bought a 2nd hand washing machine and the rubber seal at the front has mould spots on it. I've tried to scrub them away but they wont budge - does anyone have any handy tips on how to get rid of them??

(Oh God, am only 25, feel far too young to be asking questions like this!?!!?! )

TIA

Dettol do a mould and mildew remover spray. Might be worth a try?

Have you tried vinegar?

Hi, thank you for your replies.

I usually make my own cleaners and/or use eco ones but wasn't sure if the vinegar would harm the rubber?? Not trying to sound thick, just wasn't sure!!!!

I shall give it a go now but if it fails think I'll have to give the Dettol a go!

If they won't scrub away they won't come off on your clothes (says she sounding like an utter slattern). You can get replacement door seals (have a look on ebay - there are spares businesses on there) but I've no idea how much they cost.

If you mean black mildew spots then no, they won't come off but as moo says they won't affect your washing either. Get the mould and mildew spray and give it a good clean (make sure you rinse well because it's chlorine - don't inhale while you're spraying either!) and it should be fine.

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Phew, got a bit worried for a second there Mosschops!!!!

I've tried the vinegar but it hasn't really helped so will get my DH to pick up some of that mould and mildew spray on his way home from work.

It has a 90 degree wash but don't think that will help - might just blast it thru with that to see if it makes any difference!

Its quite an old model tho (only cost us £20, well, only £19.95 if you discount the 5p I found in the seal whilst cleaning it!!! ) so I'm not going to go too mad with it, just thought it was slightly nicer to have it all clean and ready to use (but you've allayed (sp.??) my fears re: whether the mould will cause any harm to my clothes).

Thank you for all your help!! x

We had this problem. It started off with a few specks of black that wouldn't shift. Over the next few months it got blacker and blacker despite bleaching and regularly cleaning it. In the end we had to buy a new washing machine.
Apparently you should, once in a while, run it at it's hottest temp (95oc) so that (ugh)skin cells, fat and other residue are dissolved. Leave the door open at the end of each wash to let it air and dry.