How to clean your washing machine!
If you’re looking to save money, save energy and keep your washing machine running at optimal performance, use our washing machine cleaning tips to help you clean like a Bosch and prevent an unnecessary washing machine repair.
Within this guide, you’ll find out the best and safest way to clean your machine and what products we recommend to use with your washing machine:
Clean the detergent drawer:
When not cleaned regularly the detergent drawer can accumulate germs, mould and congealed washing powder. To prevent this small space from underperforming, please follow the below steps:
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- Remove the entire drawer and place into a bowl of warm soapy water.
- Whilst the drawer is soaking, start cleaning the drawer cavity with warm soapy water or bicarbonate of soda and white wine vinegar for tougher spots.
- Give the drawer a good scrub using an old toothbrush to remove all residue.
- Dry both the drawer and drawer cavity and place everything back together.
Cleaning the door seal:
Your washing machines door seal can hide black mould and harmful germs. To keep this area clean is very quick and simple and will prevent you from needing a washing machine repair.
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- Once a week, take a damp cloth and wipe over the seal and in the creases. This will stop your door seal from smelling or getting damaged.
Cleaning the drum:
In order to prevent germs and keep your machine running efficiently, we would advise you to keep your machine’s drum clean. It’s a quick and easy job and something that should be done once a month.
If you have an automatic dosing machine such as the Bosch i-DOS, you can run a ‘clean programme’ and this will clean your machine’s drum.
If you don’t please follow the below instructions:
- Add the recommended amount of Bosch washing machine cleaner to your washing machines drum or you can use bicarbonate of soda and a disinfectant such as Zoflora concentrated disinfectant.
- Run a full 90-degree programme with nothing in the machines.
- And your drum is clean.
Cleaning the filter:
It’s important to clean your washing machine filter because this is where coins, lint and other debris collects. If you clean the filter out regularly, this will prevent any potential damage to your machine’s pump and will help you save money by ensuring your machine can run at its optimal performance. Please see below how to clean this area of your washing machine:
- Locate the hinged filter cover.
- Place a large bowl or pan under the filter to catch all of the dirty water and debris.
- Remove the plug and allow the filter to drain out.
- Once the machine has drained out, carefully unscrew the filter and allow any remaining debris and water to future drain.
- Double-check all of the dirt has been removed and wipe over all components with a clean cloth to ensure they are free from germs.
- Reassemble the filter and plug and ensure all parts are secure and not leaking.
Keeping on top of cleaning your machine is essential to prevent an unnecessary washing machine repair. Regular cleaning using the correct products every 3 months will save you money and energy.
In addition to cleaning your machine, we would advise keeping your washing machine door open slightly when the machine isn’t in use. This helps to air out the machine and prevent any nasty smells.
Finally, detergents matter. Ensuring you’re using the correct detergent and the correct dosage is key to maintaining your machine. This is why we love the Bosch i-dos so much, it takes the guesswork out of laundry. For more information on detergents, head over to the Bosch website here.
If you have cleaned your washing machine and it is still smelling or not performing correctly, please get in touch with our friendly engineers. We fix 99% of faults on our first visit, and there is no additional charge if a further visit is required.
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Service Areas
Our engineers perform appliance repairs across central England including Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Birmingham, and Oxfordshire. You can see a full list of counties we service on our coverage page. Alternatively, view the map below.
The easiest way to see if there are engineers in your area, and to check if we support your brand of appliance, is to fill out the online booking. It only takes a few seconds and the form will automatically tell you if your area and appliance is covered.
Repairs can be booked online or over the phone by calling 0330 205 0220.
