Best way to clean a washing machine? I found the winner

As Ideal Home‘s Cleaning Editor, you’d think I’d like cleaning more than I do. But certain tasks just seem like a never-ending (and often ineffective) battle, and deep cleaning a washing machine is one of them. That’s why I wanted to test out three washing machine cleaning methods to see whether I could find one that actually works.

Of course, I know that I should clean my washing machine at least once a month, and I try to maintain this cleaning schedule as much as possible (especially as the paw-rent of a feral swamp monster dog who regularly covers himself and our clothes in mud). However, no matter how hard I’ve tried to clean, I’ve never actually been able to stop my washing machine from smelling. It constantly smells damp, musty, and mouldy, and this then lingers on my clothes.

That’s why I decided to put my money where my mouth is and test out the common washing machine cleaning methods I write about regularly to see if any of them could banish the smells and build-up of mould inside the drum and the drawer. And while I started on the assumption that one particular method would work better than the rest, my prediction wasn’t entirely correct.

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A quick list

If you’re in a rush and need to know how to clean a washing machine quickly, this is a brief run-down of the products I tried – and their order of effectiveness during testing:

The washing machine cleaning test products

Testing bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar

The ultimate cleaning combo

I swear by cleaning with white vinegar. This magical product may make your nose twitch, but it’s one of the best natural cleaners you can buy – especially when mixed with the power of bicarbonate of soda.

Because of this, I assumed that cleaning your washing machine with vinegar and baking soda would be the end-all, be-all of washing machine cleaning methods.

In fact, I’ve been using this combination for years, as I have always thought it to be the most effective. I always start by making a paste of bicarb and water to clean the rubber seal, then give it a good scrub with an old toothbrush to agitate the mould and grime that builds up under there.

Then I poured about 2 cups of baking soda directly into the drum and set the washing machine to its hottest cycle for an hour. This creates an incredibly soapy sud mixture, and the hot cycle kills any germs or bacteria hidden in the drum.

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During my testing process, however, I noticed that while the drum seemed shinier than ever after this first cycle, the grime was still there, and a lingering mustiness persisted. So, I moved on to the next step and added two cups of white vinegar to the machine this time. Again, I popped the machine on for a hot cycle.

When this had finished, I left the washing machine door open and cleaned the detergent drawer with the white vinegar. I simply removed it from the washing machine and soaked it in a 50/50 mix of warm water and white vinegar for about 20 minutes, then rinsed it in fresh water.

With all that done, I wiped down the door with a clean cloth (I use these SEEP Eco All Purpose Bamboo Cloths from Amazon) and inspected the inside.

The result? Cleaning my washing machine with this combination of products was effective and made it look and smell visibly cleaner, which is why I’ve used them for so long.

But if I’m being honest, it didn’t offer the sparkling results that I was after. So, instead of settling for something less than perfect, I decided to try a quicker, cheaper way to deep-clean a washing machine.

Testing washing machine cleaner tablets

The fuss-free method

The next month (I can’t test all the washing machine cleaner methods in one go, after all), I decided to test dedicated cleaning tablets.

Generally, I try to avoid these specific appliance cleaners in favour of natural cleaning hacks, but I bought the Ecozone tablets, which are environmentally friendly and don’t contain any nasty chemicals. Even the plastic around the tablet is soluble, so you can pop it straight into the washing machine drum.

So, that’s exactly what I did, and I then followed the instructions on the pack to run another hot (60-degree) cycle without a pre-wash. And while I didn’t hold out much hope for this product, I was pleasantly surprised.

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It wasn’t as effective as the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar mix, but it still did a pretty good job, leaving the washing machine gleaming with minimal odours. The grime on the seal was still there, so I’d probably have to scrub some baking soda onto it as an extra step if I were to use it again.

You can also only use these tablets directly in the drum, so I still had to find alternative products to clean the washing machine detergent drawers, too. Luckily, I still had white vinegar and bicarb lying around to do this, but this does put a slight dampener on this cheap and cheerful method of cleaning.

Would I choose to use this washing machine cleaning method every time? Probably not. But I’d definitely keep a few tablets under the sink just in case I wanted to clean my washing machine quickly and without too much fuss.

Testing soda crystals

The ultimate hack for pet owners

I must admit that I’ve never used soda crystals before, as I don’t think they’re as popular or as common as other cleaning products. But I’ve heard great things about cleaning a washing machine with soda crystals, so I was intrigued to give them a go.

I bought a 1kg bag and learned from reading the instructions that I would need to use at least 500g of soda crystals to wash my appliance effectively. So, I poured in half the bag and popped the machine on for the same long, hot wash I’d used previously. Then, I simply waited to see how it fared.

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The result? This was by far the best way to clean my washing machine – especially when it came to banishing the odours and getting right into the seal to give it a good clean and remove the mould. My washing machine looked and smelled clean, and I didn’t have to do any extra scrubbing or wiping of the door or the seal itself.

As if that wasn’t enough, my washing machine finally seemed free of the human and dog hair that often lingers and sticks in the drum and on the door itself. In fact, I’ve since learned that soda crystals can dissolve hair when mixed with hot water, so this is ideal if you want to get pet hair out of a washing machine. It’s also a great way to address any issues you may have with this appliance, such as a leaking washing machine.

I also found that soda crystals kept my washing machine cleaner for longer than the other methods did. So, that’s another bonus.

But the biggest perk? You can use soda crystals to clean a washing machine either directly in the drum or in the detergent drawer (or both), so you can clean all aspects with the same product.

The final verdict

All in all, the three washing machine cleaning methods did what they needed to do. They all cleaned my washing machine, and they all left it shinier and fresher than it had been at the start. However, there was one clear winner: the soda crystals.

What I loved most about this method, aside from the fact that it battled odours, mould, and the general dirtiness of my washing machine better than the other methods, was that it was a great all-rounder that could tackle every aspect of the appliance – from the drum to the drawer. I didn’t have to scrub the seal afterwards, wipe down the door afterwards, or pick out any loose strands of sodden hair.

So, I think soda crystals have become my new favourite hassle-free washing machine cleaning hack!

Do you have a washing machine cleaning method you swear by? Let me know in the comments so I can try it out!