Workplace Washing Machines – How to Banish Bad Smells

Workplace washing machines have the very real potential to be just about the most unpleasant and downright nasty appliances on the premises. But from uniforms to tablecloths to bedding and so on, thousands of businesses depend on their washing machines.

Which begs the question – what can be done when the machine itself starts smelling anything but fresh? It’s supposed to be cleaning the fabrics you put in, but smelling as bad as it does you start to wonder if it’s actually making things worse.

Well, the good news is that less-than-fresh-smelling washing machines are an extremely common problem – not to mention one that’s (usually) quite easy and cheap to remedy. So if you’d like to inject a little freshness back into your own workplace washer, here’s how to make it happen:

1. First of all, your machine should have been supplied in the first place with a manual featuring full cleaning instructions. Some have self-cleaning cycles, some can be cleaned using standard commercial products and others recommend against the use of certain cleaning agents. So before going any further, check out the specifics of your washing machine.
2. If it is a front-loading machine, start by taking out the detergent drawer and giving it a good clean inside and out. Use a toothbrush and hot water to scrub it back to pristine condition, then put it back in your machine.
3. When it comes to sanitising the inside of the machine, there’s very little that will get the job done better than a simple cup of white vinegar. Just throw a cupful inside the drum, close the door and set your washer on its hottest setting for a 60-minute cycle, or use the auto-clean function if available.
4. Once the cycle is complete, open the door of the machine and give it plenty of time to air-dry, allowing the excess heat to escape and cooling the machine before too much damp can linger around inside. As it is drying, you should be able to tell whether or not the cleaning process has worked, or if the bad smells are still there. If so, repeat the process once again and see if this helps.
5. Last but not least, when you’re happy that the vinegar has worked its magic on the interior of your machine, take a damp cloth and give all those exposed rubber bits and pieces (seals etc.) a good wipe down. Be sure to get into the kinds of cracks and corners that harbour an unholy amount of grease and grime.