Have you noticed your washing machine smelling musty or moldy? Especially if you forgot a load and the wet clothes have been sitting in there overnight? Look no further than your kitchen for a natural solution: lemons! My favorite way to disinfect my washing machine is to use fresh lemons instead of smelly chemical cleaners. With just a few fresh lemons and some hot water, you can disinfect and deodorize your washing machine, leaving it smelling like a lemon grove. So next time you're at the grocery store, grab a few extra lemons and give this natural cleaning method a try.
Lemons aren't just for the kitchen. They are also a surprisingly strong cleaning agent due to their antibacterial and antiseptic qualities. When used in a washing machine, lemons can kill mold, mildew, and bacteria lurking in the moist environment of the machine tub. Major eww. Also, the oils within lemons cuts through greasy grime buildup, leaving the inside of your washing machine fresh and clean.
First, to disinfect your washing machine, I prefer to start with fresh, whole lemons. But store bought bottled lemon juice works just as well, I think. Let me know which you like best in the comments! Next, cut them and extract the juice. Then, pour the lemon juice into the washing machine and run it through a full cycle on the hottest setting. Using the hottest setting will help to disinfect and deodorize the machine, leaving it clean.
Occasionally, if the washing machine is super smelly, I like to add in 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda with the lemon juice. Baking soda is an efficient deodorizer and it will help remove hard water deposits from the inside of your washing machine.
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