The most satisfying thing to clean- The Washing Machine!

The Washing Machine. I mean wow, how lame to consider cleaning a cleaning machine an enjoyable Sunday pass-time, but it was. And I have some pictures to prove it. Since we bought this newer washer from a yard-sale a few months back, I've yet to really clean it other than run a bleach cycle through. In an effort to keep spring cleaning momentum going, I decided cleaning the washing machine before my husband needed to wash his uniforms before work tomorrow would be the perfect time.... for some reason. I have a bottle of CLR I got to desperately attempt to clean our shower door's orange hard water stains. It helped very little. I read on their website about using it for washing machines, too. The chemical smell is very strong with it & the instructions weren't that great- so I Googled for other options... and found many other sites using all-natural cleaning methods like lemon juice, baking soda, and white vinegar.

Right up my alley! I used Anna's technique found here.

I filled the washer to the largest setting with hot water & dumped in (eyeballed it) 2 cups of white vinegar. I let it agitate for a bit & then turned the machine off so I could do some detail work. I used some q-tips, toothpicks, and a old t-shirt rag. I used my trusty half & half white vinegar & filtered water in a spray bottle to clean the exterior of the machine and to soak some tough spots. Tough spots like the hinges, the bleach dispenser (which carefully wiped with only water bcz you don't want that mixing with vinegar, is my understanding), and the outer tub's... crevice? Not sure what you'd call it- but there was a lip that just seemed to collect water & lint nastiness. Good thing I have small hands, though I still couldn't get out all the goop. After the tun did the spin cycle, I stopped it again to get in there with a toothbrush, sponge & baking soda, to help scour the agitator and tub of any remaining residue- which there really wasn't much left in there. Then I reset it to a new cycle so it would fill twice to rinse out anything left in there.

And bonus- came across Anna's part 2, cleaning the fabric softener dispenser. This is were things got interesting disgusting.

(note: pictures 1 & 2 will make you want to gag)

Added ick factor: all of that can't be just ours- the previous owners

must not of known about the secret cleaning area, either.

But here's the after pic!

Yay for a clean fabric-softener-dispenser! Needless to say, I am going to stop using the blue crap.

I barely used it anyway, plenty of sites have talked about the benefits of using vinegar in it's place

(and no it won't smell once the laundry is done). Added plus- the washing machine will get

that clean kick from vinegar being in the tub anyway!

I detailed the dryer, too. the seal on the door had a lot of dust particles stuck in there, smoothly ran

a toothpick in that & it cleared right up. Wiped down the (what I assume is from Bounce dryer sheets) residue with my trusty spray. Tackled the dryer vent, which we keep clean anyway... but still have some dried

on lint to peel off. Now- the only thing I have yet to do is the dryer vent system.... though I don't have the great tool, yet- will be getting one from Menards or Amazon soon, soon. The Lint Eater Jr. was recommended

from an article on About.com. Lots of instructional pictures, and I love pictures.

Which I would have taken more in my quest today....