it's a sad and somewhat expensive time
here at kalima space headquarters
because our beloved washing machine
recently passed away
it went out with a bang and some squeaks
and lots of extra water but don't worry
we've got enough clean undergarments to
survive for
at least a few more days
hopefully this machine has appeared in
countless clean myspace videos and it
feels like part of our family now so to
honor the
fine service that this machine has
provided us over the years and because
it's one of our most requested videos
and it's a perfect spring cleaning job
this week i'm finally going to show you
how to thoroughly clean your washer
and your dryer
when this video is over head to
cleanmyspace.com where you'll find an
exclusive video talking about two super
easy and very cheap diy fabric softener
recipes so be sure to check it out i'll
put the links to click or tap in the
description box below
now the method i'm going to explain can
work for both front load and top load
washers
start with an empty washing machine and
add in about two cups or one box about
this size of baking soda directly into
the washing machine just dump it in
this is going to gently scrub the inside
and combat those stale moldy odors that
are left behind via old soap and fabric
softener deposits now you're going to
run a large long hot water cycle and
leave it be if your machine has a
self-cleaning cycle this is the time to
use it
once the baking soda cycle is complete
we'll then add 2 cups of plain white
vinegar
and 10 drops of essential oil like tea
tree or lavender this helps combat
mildew and mold the vinegar will also
act as a mild disinfectant as will your
essential oils which are by the way
completely optional just run another
cycle through again the longest hottest
biggest one you can find and let it rip
the vinegar will help break down any
deposits and further remove moldy smells
once both cycles are complete you can
give a quick wipe down to the drum and
agitator if you have an agitator using a
cotton cloth and vinegar if you have any
stains try rubbing them with a paste of
baking soda and water and a
non-scratching sponge that should remove
just about everything
this rubber seal which is found on front
load washers clings on to all kinds of
bad stuff so to clean this just dip a
cotton cloth into plain white vinegar
and add 10 drops of tea tree or lavender
oil if you like and give it a good wipe
down you've got to get rid of all of
that mold and mildew because that will
affect the odor of your clothes when
they come out of the wash
next we'll tackle the door and exterior
parts of your machine including
detergent dispensers cracks and crevices
frames and all other exterior surfaces
all you need to do is use an all-purpose
cleaner or vinegar and water and
pre-soak any really dirty areas scrub
where necessary using a cleaning
toothbrush and wipe everything clean
with a cotton cloth if possible you can
soak your dispensing trays and then wipe
them clean
just a few final points regarding your
washing machine and taking good care of
it always leave the door open when
you're done with your washing this lets
any remaining moisture evaporate and
avoids mold and mildew growth
also and i know this one might be a
challenge but try to remove your clothes
from the washing machine as soon as the
load is over same reason as my last
point
finally use the correct amount of
detergent in high efficiency washers
too much detergent will cling to the
walls of your machine and lead to odors
and dull clothes these detergents are
designed specifically to be used in
small quantities
giving your dryer the old
one two is a little bit more difficult
than cleaning your washing machine but
arguably it's a lot more important to
clean your dryer because dirty dryers
can lead to
fiery dryers
you see lint is flammable stuff and if
it touches a heating coil you know what
happens now you can do this every 6 to
12 months depending on usage
start by unplugging your dryer and
emptying your lint trap you can also
take the discharge hose out from the
back of the dryer and give it a good
shake to remove any debris you might
find something interesting caught in
there
now all dryers are created differently
and i would recommend consulting your
manufacturer's instructions for the
exact directives on this next step but
essentially you want to unscrew the back
panel and pop it off when you remove
that you'll likely see a ton of lint on
the base in the canal leading to the
discharge line and throughout the inners
of your machine vacuum this up and use a
brush attachment or crevice tool to get
into any difficult to reach areas
i'll also take a vacuum attachment and
get into the area where my lint trap
resides then i'll vacuum out the
discharge hose
once this is done give it a quick wipe
down using an all-purpose cleaner and a
cotton cloth and then put everything
back together again including panels
hoses and of course plug it back in now
once this is done you'll notice your
dryer will do much hotter and more
effective cycles not to mention your
machine will be safer to use and use a
lot less energy now fear not about the
broken washing machine because with the
bad news comes some good news we've just
placed our order for our new washer and
dryer and they are on route being
shipped tomorrow so i hear and this has
prompted chad and i to
finally finish this somewhat scary and
creepy unfinished area in our basement
laundry zone because when that's done we
will finally get around to shooting our
highly requested laundry video series so
definitely something to get pumped about
and we will keep you in the loop in
terms of our renovation progress down
here in our basement our common question
of the week is what do you want to see
included in the laundry series what
laundry quandaries do you have let me
know in the comments below
there's a button down there that lets
you know you care so click it if you
like this video and don't forget to
click this button right here to
subscribe and catch more of our great
cleaning videos
thanks so much for watching and we'll
see you next time