Share your best tips for keeping your washing machine in tip-top shape with Fairy Non Bio - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

Keeping your washing machine in good condition is vital step to having fresh, clean clothes...who knew?! Fairy Non Bio would like you to share all your methods and tips on how you keep your washing machine clean and in tip-top shape.

Here’s what Fairy have to say: “With the amount of washing we all do, we need to keep our faithful machines in tip top condition to keep it running for the long haul. Whether it is running a powder wash or a hot cycle every now and again, we would love to know your tips!”

Perhaps you give everything in the machine a wipe down after every wash? Do you have a schedule for how often you do an empty load? Or maybe you have some home remedies that you turn to that you think work brilliantly?

Whatever your methods are, share them on the thread below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck.

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Make sure all pockets are empty so that no tissues/sweet wrapper/hair clips etc make it in the wash and block up the filters.

Running a regular cleaning cycle and emptying the filter also helps.

Use a washing machine cleaning powder at regular intervals

Once every couple of months I will clean out the washing machine compartments with a cloth and kitchen spray. I will then use white vinegar around the washing machine brim and pour a little bit as well as washing machine cleaner in the drum and put on a boil wash to give the system a clear out. Once every 6 months my husband will drain the machine and clean out the underneath compartments

After every wash I leave the door open and the powder drawer open until next use, this reduces the amount of black mould.
I also run a really hot wash with vinegar and a cap of bleach once a month for the same reason.

Periodic descaling treatment.

I descale it every few months

Mine has a 'drum clean' setting so I use that, I leave the door open between washes, and of course I use Fairy non - bio and have done so for many years. and after every couple of washes I wipe round the inside with an anti bacterial wipe.

Ours fortunately has a drum clean setting which we use after every 30-40 washes! woohoo

run the hottest wash possible at least once a week to disinfect

Clean it regularly by running it with soda crystals and a splash of vinegar on a hot wash!

Keep it clean by not using it ;) I always use self clean mode, give it some tlc

Do a regular hot wash using washing machine cleaner

I leave the door open after I am finished .

Saying to my husband 'it's about time I looked at cleaning the washing machine'....which for some reason always makes him get up and say, oh I'll do that! (I am very lucky!)

I do an empty hot cycle with a descaling pod in the machine every other month and use a cloth to clean any other areas

I am very careful about checking that there's nothing left in pockets. etc before going in the machine. I empty (or at least open the door) asap after wash ended to air the machine. I leave the door open until it's dried out and then leave it slightly ajar. I put white vinegar in around every other wash for the final rinse. (in fabric conditioner compartment as I don't use conditioner) Once or twice a year I do a really hot wash with a whole bottle of white vinegar.

Put the machine on a hygiene wash empty every couple of weeks to get rid of bugs and excess product

I live in a very hard water area so I run the machine with citric acid occasionally. But mostly I neglect it...

I use Calgon whenever I remember and always leave the door open otherwise it starts to smell.
I have a lovely smelling disinfectant that I wipe round it every few weeks but other than that I do little else.

I don't overload my machine ever!

White vinegar is my tip. It works amazingly well at getting the washign machine in tip top condition. I just add a cup of it to the machine and do it on a hot wash with nothing else in it and it keeps it from getting gungy. Also I wipe the seal often because otherwise it ends up getting mould on it.

People maintain their washing machines? I haven't ever done but I'm enjoying reading what other people do, maybe I will try out some ideas to keep my washing machine in tip-top condition.

I always leave the door open between washes and I'm good at keeping the drawer clean and not gungy but apart from that I don't do anything. Except one good tip is to make sure DH has no clue how long kitchen appliances are meant to last. Then when he says "How come you've broken another one?" be prepared to jump in with "It's lasted about as long as can be expected- especially seeing as there's 5 of us!"

Follow the manufacturers instructions at all times. Don't overload it. Run the clean cycle on a weekly basis and use products that clean the inside of the drum and remove limescale. Use biodegradable cleaning products.

I run mine on a hot wash with a descaler/degunker once a month and leave the door ajar between washes. When the drawer gets gunky I do take it out and wash it but this is less necessary now that I buy liquid capsules rather than using powder.