Keeping your washing machine clean and fresh is essential, and soda crystals are the one natural product that's perfect for the job. No domestic appliance works more tirelessly than the trusty washing machine. Even in a household of two, it's unusual for a day to go by without requiring a wash cycle.
Clothing, sleepwear, bed linen and towels accumulate daily, and maintaining control of the laundry proves far easier when operating several cycles across the week. And precisely because it's utilised so regularly, maintaining the machine's cleanliness and freshness is vital. Once the appliance starts to smell musty and mouldy, it won't take long before your entire wash follows suit.
Why do washing machines develop unpleasant smells?
The interior of a washing machine represents virtually the ideal environment for dampness and mould to thrive. It's dark, damp and inadequately ventilated, unless the door remains open following each cycle - which everybody genuinely ought to be doing, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Items including hair and other debris can become lodged in the filter, which may also result in disagreeable odours. And depending upon which products are employed for laundering clothes, detergent residue or fabric conditioner can generate nasty smells too, especially in the dispenser drawer. There's nothing more frustrating than finishing a complete load of laundry only to find it reeks when removed. Maintaining the machine's cleanliness is the most efficient method to prevent this, and just one natural product is needed.
How to clean your washing machine drum
In my opinion, soda crystals represent the most reliable method for keeping a washing machine smelling pleasant. Having worked through countless bags, they're not only superb for this particular task, but prove equally useful for a whole host of other household cleaning jobs, including cleaning glass, tackling limescale and removing stains.
Their high pH level makes them outstanding at cutting through stubborn grease while simultaneously neutralising unpleasant odours - which explains precisely why they perform so brilliantly in the washing machine. The packaging suggests repeating this process monthly, which I'll admit isn't always achievable, but every couple of months seems to do the job perfectly well. Simply pour 500g of soda crystals - half the bag - directly into the drum and run the hottest available wash cycle.
Each time I use this technique and open the washing machine door afterwards, I'm met with a wonderfully fresh and clean scent, with absolutely no hint of mustiness remaining. The drum itself looks immaculate inside, and even more impressively, it appears to stay clean for a considerable period afterwards, which is always a bonus.
Having purchased a new machine at the start of the year, I've been making a concerted effort to keep it in the finest possible condition. I can honestly say I've never encountered any unpleasant odours, and I'm certain that's entirely down to the soda crystals.
Additional benefits of soda crystals
Soda crystals also demonstrate their value in the laundry department. They function to break down hard water and soften garments, meaning you can manage with less detergent and ultimately pocket some savings. Adding them to the drawer instead of the drum also assists in eliminating any musty odours, making it genuinely a win-win situation.
A one-kilogram bag of soda crystals cost me just £2 from Savers, bringing each deep clean down to as little as £1. Affordable, natural and remarkably effective - they're certainly worth trying.
