One of Those Monthly Chores

Cleaning your washing machine once a month, maybe on the 1st, will ensure that it stays clean along with your clothes.

You fill up your washer with clothes and then add laundry detergent but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to clean the washing machine itself. While the washer gets the dirt off your clothes it doesn’t always wash it all down the drain. There is a build up of detergent residue and dirt that stays behind.

If you have a newer, HE (high efficiency) machine it is more prone to developing mold and mildew especially around the rubber seals on front loading machines. And if you live in an area where the humidity is high it can get bad quick. This odor will permeate your clothes and just make loading and unloading the washer very unpleasant.

Most washing machine manufacturers recommend cleaning the washer once a month. I suggest setting a date on the calendar on your phone or fridge to remind you.

Identify what type of machine you have because that will dictate how you will need to clean it. HE front loaders and top loaders are cleaned one way while non-HE top loaders are cleaned a slightly different way.

Check the owner’s manual for your washer on how they suggest you clean the machine. Vinegar is a great non-toxic way to clean and is easy to get at the grocery store. Some manufacturers may recommend bleach or other chemical cleansers. There are also some products available at your local Walmart (Lemmishine) that you can use also. This one provides a cleaning rag to wipe down the rubber seal when finished. Choose one and stick with it. You don’t want to mix cleaners.

Newer HE machines now come with a “clean cycle” which makes your process simple. Just put the product in the machine and press clean cycle and let it go. When done, wipe down the rubber seal. If your machine doesn’t have a clean cycle, just use the hottest water setting. Add an extra rinse, fill the bleach dispenser with your cleanser choice, fill the tub to the highest level and run the machine. If you don’t have an option to add a second rinse cycle, run another rinse. Wipe down with vinegar and a microfiber towel.

For older top-loading machines, create your own clean cycle by choosing the hottest water and longest cycle, fill tub to the max level, pause the machine. Put in 4 cups of white vinegar or 1 cup of bleach and let machine agitate for a minute or two. Pause the machine again and let sit for an hour. Use a microfiber towel dipped in the solution to clean the top of the drum and agitator where the water doesn’t reach and the inside of the lid.

Don’t forget the detergent and softener and bleach dispensers. Then clean the outside of the machine. Restart the machine and let it finish the cycle.

In between cleanings, it is recommended to leave the door open all the way or cracked especially in high humidity areas. This allows the interior to dry completely and lessens the chance of mold and mildew buildup before you clean it in the next month. Another tip is to wipe down any condensation left behind. It will lessen your buildup of dirt.

Greenville Local News

Looks like COVID can’t keep down Fall for Greenville. This year it will be virtual. It will be a combination of virtual cooking demos, musical performances, virtual brewery tours, and restaurant deals during the festival weekend and throughout the month of October. Also every Tuesday and Thursday during October, breweries will give the public a behind-the-scenes look inside their facilities and answer viewer questions. Since it is a fund raiser, local chefs have teamed up to host demos for donations, offering private demo packages where 20% of the proceeds will benefit the five nonprofit festival partners this year.

Real Estate News

Housing prices rose 6.5% over the same time last year according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) in its latest Home Price Index. This report also noted that the price appreciation accelerated to record levels over the summer months. The bottom line is that home values have weathered the pandemic remarkably well. If you would like to know what your home is currently worth, give me a call.

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People are on the move and I am ready to help you buy or sell in the Greenville area. Please contact Victoria Cottle by email [email protected] or call (864) 275-3953 for your real estate needs in the Upstate of South Carolina!

Victoria Cottle is a Realtor? in the Greenville South Carolina area and if you, a friend, or a family member need assistance with selling or buying a home I can help. Referrals and people needing relocation assistance are welcome! Search Single Family homes in Greenville. Search Condos and Townhomes in Greenville.