IF YOUR CLOTHES  are coming out of the washing machine smelling less than fresh, it’s probably a sign your machine needs a proper clean.

Luckily, this is something you can easily do yourself without any emergency calls to the plumber, according to Laura de Barra. 

Every fortnight de Barra brings her home maintenance expertise to the Glenveagh Home Magazine on TheJournal.ie – and this week she’s tackling the humble washing machine. 

Good god, why is my machine smelling like damp?

So, you thought you left a load in too long and a few washes with extra detergent would kill the damp smell off… but it’s still there and getting worse. That musty smell is most often the result of mould hiding somewhere in your machine, usually from one of two reasons:

- Over-using detergent: Ideally, leftover water in your machine will evaporate, but if you use too much detergent, the water will be soapier, meaning it hangs out longer and encourages mould.
- Lower temperature cycles: Hot temperatures kill mould spores. Using lower temperatures (on an eco cycle, for example) means mould has more chance to grow. This doesn’t mean you should stop using the eco cycle, but it does mean you need to be more conscientious with maintaining your machine.

How do I know if there’s mould in my machine?

First, check inside the rubber door seal. You may spot mould here when you peel the rubber back. Second, check inside the detergent drawer. Water enters here first and moistures gets trapped – especially as most of us open them less these days thanks to laundry pods.

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Can I ever banish the horrible smell?

OMG, of course! Your machine just needs a deep clean. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Rubber gloves to protect your hands
• A sink full of washing up liquid and warm water (a.k.a. the Goddess Bath)
• Cloths x 2
• White vinegar
• Bicarbonate of soda

1. First, plug out the machine or turn it off at the wall. Safe is chic.

2. Pull out detergent drawer, pop it in the goddess bath, and leave it to soak while you tackle the rest. Make sure you wipe down the interior of where the drawer sits with some vinegar and a damp cloth.

3. Then another vinegar wipe down for inside the drum, removing any dirt or hair that’s stuck inside. If you see mould when you pull back the door seal, wipe this off. Don’t use any abrasive cleaning products or scrubbers that could damage the seal. If it is particularly bad, lay a vinegar soaked cloth in the folds for a few hours and this will work its magic. Wipe clean after.

4. Remove your detergent drawer from the soapy water, rinse it, dry it and pop it back in its place.

5. Run a deep clean cycle, using bicarb and vinegar instead of detergent. These, combined with hot water, will gloriously wash through the system and remove mould spores, soap scum and so on.

To do this, pour one cup of vinegar into the drum, and a mix of ½ cup water and ½ cup bicarbonate of soda into the drawer. Then simply turn on a hot wash setting. Once it is done and has cooled down, wipe dry, paying special attention to the seal. Leave the door and drawer open so that the machine air dries. If it’s a really smelly machine you may need to do this a couple of times.

How do I keep mould away for good?

First, use the right amount of detergent in all washes, and don’t be tempted to over fill or throw in another pod. I won’t even get started on what it does to your clothes.

Second, leave the door and drawer open after every wash to help the machine dry out.

And finally, run a self clean or vinegar and bicarb hot cycle once a month. Also, do some hot washes whenever possible.

Follow @lauradebarra on Instagram for more pro cleaning tips (and plenty of other fabulousness too).