Although washing machines are part of almost every household with the goal to help us clean and disinfect our clothes, a lot of them are actually doing the opposite due to the excessive presence of a bacteria-laden mold that may leave the clothes with an unpleasant and moldy odor after they are removed from the washing machine and dried.
Why Do You Have Mold in Your Washing Machine?
As explained on Healthy Cures, a washing machine is the ideal environment for mold to thrive- it is warm and humid enough. What’s more, the front-loading ones are especially prone to mold due to the air-tight rubber seal placed with the goal to avert moisture from escaping the machine.
In addition to making your clothes smell horrible, indoor molds may also be the main cause for a lot of health issues. Did you know that a lot of people are sensitive to mold exposure and they may experience allergy-like symptoms like itchy eyes, wheezing, irritated skin, and congestion? Other more serious reactions to mold due to prolonged exposure are shortness of breath, fever, and even lung infection.
How to Eliminate all Mold from Your Washing Machine?
Before we learn more about how to remove as much as mold possible from our washing machines, we need to know that despite cleaning all visible mold, there are high chances that some mold spores survive and you may need to clean the same spot in about six months or so.
To thoroughly clean mold, you need potent and effective disinfectants and antifungals, however, the store-bought versions contain a lot of dangerous chemicals that may be bad for our health as much as mold itself. With this in mind, we decided to present an all-natural and safe method to eliminate mold from your washing machine. You just need two simple ingredients, i.e. vinegar and lemon juice!
The Recipe
Needed:
A cup of white, distilled vinegar
¼ cup of lemon juice, freshly-squeezed
A clean spray bottle
Napkins
Preparation: Pour the two ingredients into the spray bottle and close it. Shake it well to mix the ingredients.
Use: Spray the moldy areas with this mixture and leave it to do its magic for half an hour. Afterwards, dab a napkin in the blend and use it to rub the areas until the mold is entirely removed.
The Benefits of the Ingredients
Lemon juice is known to possess antifungal and antibacterial properties and it works as a great disinfectant in moist and watery surroundings, which is why it is ideal for the removal of mold from washing machines. And, it will leave a pleasant, lemony smell too.
Vinegar is also a powerful antifungal which is easily-affordable and it has no side effects whatsoever. Therefore, it is an ideally safe replacement for store-bought antifungals.
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