Hi there Somewhat Simple readers!  I am so excited to be here with you today.  I am Anna of Ask Anna, I’m a new contributor to Somewhat Simple, and I’m excited to start sharing cleaning and organizing tips with you ever month.  Today, I’m going to share one of my most popular posts, and one of Stephanie’s favorites: How to Clean your Washing Machine.  So here we go…

When I first wrote this post back in February my washing machine was in desperate need of a good cleaning, just look at that picture ^^^ (ewww!)

Fill the washing machine up and pour in 2 cups of white vinegar.

Let it set for 1 hour, then start the washing machine over again and let it run through a complete cycle.

When the machine drains if it still has grime on it, use a sponge and some straight white vinegar and scrub it down really well.

(Look at how much better that is!)

Fill washing machine up again and pour in 2 cups of bleach.  Let it soak for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, use Q-Tips to detail all the nooks and crannies.  My washer hadn’t been cleaned since my dad bought it 15+ years ago so it needed a good detailing!  Don’t forget to clean the knobs and the lid too.

Restart the washing machine and let it run through a complete cycle.

Once the cycle has finished you are done; your washing machine will be clean and shiny!

If you have a front-loading machine, don’t worry, you can use these same steps to clean your washing machine but with a few modifications:

• Instead of putting the vinegar and bleach (at separate times!) directly in the tub and then letting them soak for an hour, you will put each ingredient {at the appropriate step} in the detergent dispenser and run the machine through a complete cycle.

I think the pictures speak for themselves, isn’t the transformation amazing!?  I definitely won’t be waiting another 15+ years to do this again.  I recommend cleaning your washing machine at least once a year, it’s a great task to add to your Spring Cleaning list!

*This post needs some clarification as there are TONS of comments about the dangers of mixing vinegar and bleach. Yes, mixing the two of these causes toxic fumes, but read this tutorial again and see that you are not mixing these two liquids together. Vinegar is used in one step and a washing cycle is run and then beach is used in the next step. No lungs will be harmed in this process!