How to clean your front load washing machine properly

Your clothes might be dirtier after you wash them. - by Livia Gamble

Your washing machine might be dirtier than you think.

If neglected, the appliance can become the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, with some claiming clothes might be dirtier after you wash them.

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"If you wash a load of just underwear, there will be about 100 million E. coli in the wash water and they can be transmitted to the next load of laundry," Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona told the ABC.

"There's about a tenth of a gram of poop in the average pair of underwear," he added.

While using bleach isn’t always an option, the simple solution is to clean your washing machine.

Gather your supplies

2 cups vinegar
1/4 cup bicarbonate of soda
1/4 cup water
A sponge

Modern laundry with timber bench and indoor plant

Rachel Claire via Pexels

What to do

Mix bicarb soda and water together, and add to the detergent container.
Next, pour the vinegar into the drum. Set the temperature to hot and press start.
Once the load has finished, give the opening of the machine a good scrub.

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Livia Gamble

Based in Newcastle, Livia Gamble will not sleep until she has discovered every possible way to use bi-carb soda and vinegar. When she isn’t reporting on ways to improve your home and garden, she can be found knitting socks (by choice) and will never say no to pizza.

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How to clean your front load washing machine properly

Gather your supplies

What to do

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