cleaning washing machine?

[Nate Nagel]

Hi all,

in the interest of domestic harmony, I obtained a new(er) washing machine today - coworker's dryer died, and she's one of those types that likes stuff to match, so when she mentioned that the washer worked fine and she just wanted to get rid of it, I offered to take it off her hands. I guess my old washer was kind of old; almond paint and woodgrain haven't been in vogue for a couple decades :)

Anyway, the new washer is fine after a quick leveling and wipedown, but I didn't realize until I picked it up that aforementioned coworker had dogs. There is a vague doggy odor in the tub; I ASSume that this is because at some point in the near past some dog bedding or something that the dogs slept on was run through it and it's become intermixed with the guck that inevitably builds up on the outer tub. I don't really care, so long as my clothes come out clean, but SWMBO might have issues with it as she actually is allergic to most critters with fur. So... are there any shortcuts to cleaning the outer tub, or am I going to have to tear this puppy down? (please say no.) It's a typical Whirlpool top loader deal.

thanks

nate

[Pete C.]

I'd try a good long soak with a fairly strong bleach solution. Bleach is wonderful stuff.

A note on the allergies, suggest finding a good allergist and doing the immunotherapy thing, it works for ~90% of folks, isn't drugs and should be covered by insurance.

[hrhofmann]

A gallon of Bleach with the machine at maximum filling and highest speed agitating for one wash cycle, don't let it spin out, then let it soak for an hour or so, and then recycle the timer back to the longest wash cycle and normal drain. Then run a load of old clothes through the machine, it may retain some of the bleach so really old clothes.

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Sat 07 Jun 2008 06:13:25p, Nate Nagel told us...

You might try for a quick fix by running a full load of hot water, a small amount of detergent, and several cups of Clorox through a full cycle. If that improves it but doesn't totally eliminate, repeat it until there's no smell left. OTOH, if there's no noticeable difference after the first attempt, you may have to go into the machine.

[Phisherman]

Run a load of rags with a box of baking soda and household bleach.

[HeyBub]

You want to wash a washer?

Take towels, for example. When you get out of the shower, you're the cleanest thing in the house. If anything, towels should be getting CLEANER every time they're used and there should never be any need to wash them!

The only time I wash my towels is to get them to bend.

As to allergies - not a problem. They have shots for that.

[Tomes]

"HeyBub":

Then what is making the towels not bend? Cleanliness?

[HeyBub]

I don't know. It's a mystery.

[Norminn]

I would run a cycle with very hot water (boiling water added if needed) and about 1 C. ammonia. Run another cycle with tepid or cool water and a gallon of white vinegar for soap scum and hard water. If that doesn't do it, nothing will. Is there a lint trap that might have snagged dog hair? It is hard to envision a washer with doggy odor.

[aemeijers]

Expensive, and the side effects are often worse than the symptoms. Avoiding the allergen is always the preferred course of treatment. My sympathies to OP's SWMBO- I also have to live life carefully to avoid the exploding head, the hives, the sore joints, etc. I have had a reaction, weeks later, when putting on clothing last washed at a relative's house with 4-legged family members.

As to the towels- I give them the sniff test every day, and when I can smell them, they get washed. I use supposedly hypoallergenic soap (Cheer Free), no softeners, and no dryer sheets. I don't want my textile products to smell fresh, I don't want them to smell like anything.

-- aem sends...

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Allergic people most often has lots of toxic build up in their body lowering tolerance to their threshold for reaction to allergens. Doctors give shots such as antihistamine kind to mask symptom. I'd go into whole body cleasning to improve the situation. I have 3 cats and a dog as a part of my family. Our washer does not smell any pets. We use softened water and use the washer properly depending on load.

Heck I wouldn't buy some one's used washer. I'll go out and get a front loader with a steamer as soon as current one quits.

If you really want to clean the wahser inside out, run couple cycles with bleach, then remove top and side panels, take it outside, wash it down with steam cleaner. That will do it.

[jmeehan]

Toxic build up related to allergies? Do you have a reference for that?

Antihistamines don't mask symptoms. It prevents them or rather they usually reduce them.

Many people with allergies take shots that help build up a resistance to specific allergens.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, When histamine is produced too much it can make people sicker. It is a toxin your immune system produces as a smoke screen. And shots? do you ever see a shot w/o side effect?

If you're interested, find out your local alternative medicine practitioner and immerse in total body cleansing regimen starting with correct diet. And see what happens to your allergy reactions. Allergic people should avoid acid/mucous causing food in general for a starter. Socrates said, "You are what you eat. All your medicine is in your food"