As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to take care of your washing machine. According to commercial appliance repair professionals, there are plenty of tips that you need to consider for you to keep the unit in top shape. Some of these tips include:

Use the right detergent

When it comes to the detergent, you should use one that is made for high-efficiency machines. You should avoid regular detergents as they tend to produce more suds and when you use them for a long time, they build up a film on the drum and hoses. The film becomes a breeding ground for mold.

You should note that some detergents are marked as high-efficiency compatible, but they still produce a lot of suds that are difficult to rinse out.

Even when you get the right detergent, you should take care that you don’t use a lot of it. Just use minimal amounts of it and you will be good to go.

Watch out for fabric softeners

If you need your clothes to be ultra soft, you should wash them with a fabric softener. When using the softener, be on the lookout that you don’t use too much of it as you can end up damaging the machine.

If you can go without the softener, you are better off without it. When it comes to bleach, you also should take care that you don’t use too much of it. High efficiency machines use less water; therefore, when you use too much of fabric softener and bleach, you will have a hard time getting rid of it.

When buying the softeners and bleach, ensure they are of high quality.

Run a monthly cleaning cycle

At least once a month, run a cleaning cycle aimed at keeping the machine clean. For you to do it you need to pour distilled white vinegar instead of laundry detergent into the dispenser then add one cup of baking soda directly into the drum.

The purpose of doing this is to neutralize the pH while at the same time providing a scrubbing action. You should then run the machine on the hottest cycle.

For extreme cases of mildew, you should replace vinegar with bleach and run a few quick cycles with hot water. Does your machine allow a self-cleaning cycle? Follow the instructions given in the manual to the letter.

Keep the filter clean

Every washing machine has a lint filter. Depending on the type of machine, the lint collector is located in the agitator tube, which is the center column of most machines. You can also find it near the top of the washtub. For your machine to run efficiently, you should clean the filter.

At least once every few months, you should take a look at the filters and if dirty, clean them. Sometimes the filters are too dirty or damaged for cleaning. In such a case, you should simply replace them.

Don’t overload the machine

To save time and water, some homeowners load as many clothes in their washing machines as possible. While this might save you some time, it often leads to inefficient cleaning. It also sometimes leads to damage to the washing machine.

For you to keep the unit in top shape, you should avoid overloading it. Even when cleaning the clothes, wash the heavy and bulky items in small loads as these are often harder on the appliance.

Clean the washing machine

While the unit is meant to clean the clothes, it also should be cleaned. For a crisp look, you should clean both the insides and outsides of the machine. You should clean out the washing machine door’s rubber seal using water and vinegar.

Are there hard to clean areas? Use Q-tips to clean them. During the cleaning, get rid of any bits of hair or fabric that you may find. These materials tend to trap odors, sludge, and provide a breeding ground for mold.

Watch out for the small objects

The small objects can easily damage your machine; therefore, you should keep your eyes open for them. To protect your machine, check your pockets for foreign objects such as coins, hair clips, and any others. If they are there, appliance repair Fairfax professionals recommend that you remove them.