It is easy to forget that the appliances in your home that keep things clean also need to be cleaned themselves. Make sure that you put aside a small block of time this summer to clean your washing machine.

Cleaning your front-loading washing machine will help keep your clothes clean, ensure your machine runs smoothly, and will prevent your washing machine from taking on a funky smell. This regular cleaning will also help you be familiar with your machine as a whole, which means you'll be better prepared to spot any need for washing machine repair.

#1 Start With The Seal

The first thing that you need to clean is the seal on your washing machine. The seal goes around the door of your washing machine and helps ensure that water doesn't get out. This is one of the most important areas to clean because it is always wet, making it the perfect place for mold and mildew to grow.

You are going to want to mix together in a bottle one-part bleach with about ten parts of water. The bleach water doesn't need to be that strong, just strong enough to do a little disinfecting. You are also going to need a rag as well as some gloves; bleach can really stick to your skin if you don't protect your hands when using it.

Spray the bleach cleaner around the seal. Then, take the rag and run it around the seal. Be sure to run the rag into between the seam on the seal where it folds over itself, and lift up the seal and clean under it as well. If your rag gets dirty during this process, rinse it off or switch to a new rag.

After you clean the seal once, clean it again with a clean rag to ensure that the entire seal, top, middle, and underside, are all as clean as possible.

#2 Move To The Basin

Second, you should clean out the basin as well. To clean out the basin, you are going to want to fill the detergent portion of your washing machine with bleach and set it to the longest cycle possible. Run an entire cycle with nothing in the washing machine. This should clean and sanitize the basin and the internal portions of the hoses on your washing machine and kill any mold or mildew lurking around.

After you run a bleach cycle, run another cycle with no soap at all to ensure that all of the bleach is out of your washing machine. You wouldn't want to put in a load of nice clothing and have them ruined by bleach residue.

#3 Finish With An External Wipe Down

Finally, finish up your cleaning job with an external wipe-down, which you can use any general household cleaner for. Wipe down the sides and top of your machine. Pull your machine away from the wall and clean the down all the components you can see on the back side of your machine. You want the outside to be just as clean as the inside of your washing machine.

You should clean your washing machine every couple of months to ensure that mold and mildew do not take hold and to give your washing machine the best shot at a long and useful life as an appliance in your home.