Moldy Washing Machine

[thanh]

Hi,

I just moved in to my apartment. Everything seems fine, except my washing machine has been giving me some trouble recently.

It looks very tidy on the outside and the plastic container on the inside looks fine, too. The problem is that there is this strong moldy smell that comes from the machine. It's quite odorous, and sometimes when I step into my kitchen I get a big dizzying whiff of it, too. The smell seems to come and go throughout the day. I asked a lot of Japanese people about buying bleach for cleaning (I got the Kabi Killer stuff and sprayed and washed the inside of the machine with this with no success) but no one's been able to direct me to some pure bleach for whiter clothes/cleaning. I took out a small compartment in the machine and cleaned out the muddy gunk in it, but that wasn't causing the problem. I was wondering if I can get any tips on how to clean this machine.

Thanks!

[Elfe_noire]

Hi !

The washing machine I got from my predecessor has the same problem, except that I didn't get a smell but some dark stuff in the water everywhere when I was running it...

I just went to Big Camera (big electronics store) , at the washing machine floor, they sell come cleaner for the machine. You usually have to do it 1 time every 3 months apparently.
So if your washing machine is old and it wasn't done for a long time, I recommend you do the same as me : just buy 2 (it's 2000 yens one) and do it 2 times.
You usually put it into the machine, let it stay for 12 hours, do a cycle and then do it once again.

My washing machine is all clean now thanks to that. If it's still bad, try 3 times or... buy a new one >.<

[Musashi]

Also, you might have a bad solenoid in the washing machine.

So there might be a slow water leak. (My old washer had this problem)

What I did was turn the water off at the tap after washing a load. The mold problem stopped after.

Sent from my HTC Desire

[word]

Find this at your local store. It is sold everywhere. It is bleach (I think--it sure smells/works like bleach). The label may vary slightly; the stuff I've seen has a similar label (same brand) and a slightly-different colored cap, but it's prob'ly all the same stuff. It'll certainly clean your washing machine. Careful; it's strong. Don't spill any on clothing you like.

[SaitamaPA_Denise]

Yeah, they sell special cleaners to de-moldify washing machines. If you go to a drug store or a larger grocery store, look for a cleaner with the label 洗濯槽クリーナー, or 洗たく槽クリーナー. (The reading is sentakusou kuriinaa.) I've used a couple of different ones and I think this one, called 洗たく槽ハイター ("sentakusou haitaa") was the one I found most effective. It's a powder form, so you don't have to worry quite as much about it splashing onto your clothes.

Not sure if you're fine with the Japanese directions, but with the powder forms, generally you fill the machine with water to the top, put the cleaner in, let it swish around for a minute or two, and then let it sit for an hour or two (depending on the brand) before letting the full wash cycle continue. You'll need to clean out the little net that traps laundry gunk, and depending on how much is built up, it may be a good idea to run an empty rinse cycle again. The first time I cleaned my washer, I had gunk floating around my machine for a couple of days afterwords since I didn't think to rinse. :-/

As general unsolicited advice, different websites have recommended prevention measures including leaving the top open to let it dry and keeping the area around the washer from getting wet. (Might not work too well for those of us with washers outside...) Using bleach should help between deep cleanings. Vinegar (as a laundry softener, def. not to mix with bleach) will help a little too.

[thanh]

Thanks Guys. That really helps. Despite having a Megamart right in front of my apartment, it wasn't until I went exploring smaller, more specialized stores that I was able to find some of the items you suggested.

[positivity]

Find this at your local store. It is sold everywhere. It is bleach (I think--it sure smells/works like bleach). The label may vary slightly; the stuff I've seen has a similar label (same brand) and a slightly-different colored cap, but it's prob'ly all the same stuff. It'll certainly clean your washing machine. Careful; it's strong. Don't spill any on clothing you like.

I was wondering what that bottle was in my cupboard. Why does it have a picture of stuff being washed up on the front though? Just to trick gaijin no doubt.

[Musashi]

In Japan I think they use Bleach as we know it mainly for house cleaning. They use special laundry powder bleach for clothes.

I personally used that stuff in your pic to clean my kitchen, floors, toilet and shower.

I also soaked my old towels once a month or so in water and bleach just to kill all the molds that accumulate.

[word]

In Japan I think they use Bleach as we know it mainly for house cleaning. They use special laundry powder bleach for clothes.

I personally used that stuff in your pic to clean my kitchen, floors, toilet and shower.

I also soaked my old towels once a month or so in water and bleach just to kill all the molds that accumulate.

Yeah, this. I use bleach as a disinfectant and cleaner far more often than I use it for laundry. I use it in the laundry for the occasional load of towels or when I wash my bathroom rugs. Only a tiny bit, of course, heavily diluted.

[Elfe_noire]

So what kind of bottle is used for white bath towels and kitchen towels ?
I have a few spots that my washing machine cannot take off and I would like to try using a stronger cleaner if possible... any recommandation / product name / insctructions on how to use it ?

Thank you !

[Elfe_noire]

Thanks for the explanations ! I'll go look for this product and try it !

[Daichi]

Just to weigh in as I had a very similar issue... you can buy that "special cleaner" basically a cold water bleach at the hyaku-en shop for a lot cheaper then the appliance store and it does the exact same thing. Look for it in the laundry section.

[Elfe_noire]

I used the hyakuen shop one at first, but if your washing machine is VERY moldy and kind of old, it won't work, you would need to use the one from appliance stores...

[Antonath]

This thread is relevant to my interests.

I've been getting little black flakes in my laundry for a while, and I know I need to clean the machine. I've even spotted the cleaner in the supermarket, but I wasn't sure about the directions, so this has been useful. One question: do you really have to fill the machine to the top with water manually? I don't have a hose to fill it with, and doing it by bucket will take ages. Is there a "fill" or "clean" cycle on washing machines, or am I doomed to a day of carting buckets?

[pnksweater]

This thread is relevant to my interests.

I've been getting little black flakes in my laundry for a while, and I know I need to clean the machine. I've even spotted the cleaner in the supermarket, but I wasn't sure about the directions, so this has been useful. One question: do you really have to fill the machine to the top with water manually? I don't have a hose to fill it with, and doing it by bucket will take ages. Is there a "fill" or "clean" cycle on washing machines, or am I doomed to a day of carting buckets?

Use the soak function on your machine. If you can’t read enough Japanese to find that on the control panel you can simply pause the machine during its basic wash cycle after the machine has filled with water.