Cleaning expert reveals the exact time you can leave your laundry in the washing machine before it starts to smell
EVER leave your laundry in the washing machine for a bit too long and have to rewash it all to get rid of the damp smell?
Well, according to cleaning whizz Mary Futher, who goes my Madame Sweat online, there’s a precise time limit on how long you can leave your clothes sat there.
The cleaning whizz took to social media to reveal why clothes start to smell, and the tricks she swears by to get rid of them.
Apparently, it’s ok to leave your clothes in the machine after they’ve been washed, but you shouldn’t do it for longer than 12 hours.
This is the maximum time you can let them sit for before they start to have that grim mildew smell.
Of course, if you can avoid leaving them for that long you reduce the risk of having to wash them again.
She explained: “If you’ve let them sit for more than 12 hours, that’s the cut off point.”
Mary suggested using half a cup of baking soda with your normal detergent on the second wash to help banish mold and mildew smells.
She’s not the only cleaning whizz who recommends re-washing, Lucinda Ottusch, Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science’s lead home economist, also said the maximum time is no more than 12 hours.
According to the expert, not only can it leave your clothes with that damp smell, but leaving them in the machine for too long can damage the machine as well as your clothes.
The damp smell could also linger in your washing machine, meaning you’ll have to not only wash your clothes again, but give your machine a deep clean as well.
How to clean your washing machine
1. Run a hot cycle
Run an empty, regular cycle on the hottest setting (at a minimum of 60ºC)
Add around 250ml of white vinegar to the detergent tray. White vinegar is a great natural ingredient to neutralise bad smells and kill any lingering bacteria in the drum of the washing machine.
2. Clean the exterior
As you wait for the cycle to finish, clean the exterior of the machine with a white vinegar cleaning solution and a cleaning cloth.
- Check out Sun Selects’ roundup of the best washing machine cleaners here
3. Run a second hot cycle
Run one more empty, regular cycle on hot – but this time don’t use any detergent or vinegar.
Instead, you can add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the drum to clear away any buildup.
4. Wipe down the interior
Once the second cycle is complete, take a cloth and your desired cleaning spray and wipe down the inside of the machine.
Wait for it to dry completely before closing again – as this will prevent any mould.