Happy Thursday, friends! Today I decided to wash the sheets and duvet cover in our master bedroom. Since they are all white, I knew I needed to use bleach. As I was opening the soap dispenser drawer in my washing machine I was appalled at how gross the drawer had become. It’s time to clean the machine! Come check it out! #howtocleanyourlgwashingmachine
We bought this LG front load washing machine about 3 years ago after the original pooped out. It’s worked beautifully and I love having a front load machine. However, like everything else, over time it needs some attention! Today is that day. This is the detergent dispenser drawer. See how it has grown mold underneath the inserts? And I’m sure there is scale build up as well.
I pulled out the instruction manual to see how to remove the detergent dispenser drawer from the machine so I could clean it properly. Turns out all you need to do is press down hard on the disengage button near the back that says, “PUSH”. Simple enough. Then I removed the blue inserts. Yuck.
The instructions recommend cleaning the components only with water. I used a magic eraser and water to remove the mold, but in hard to reach places I used an old toothbrush and a toothpick. I dried it thoroughly. Much better!
The blue wash inserts were also super dirty, especially on the bottoms.
The blue inserts cleaned up nicely with just water, the toothbrush and magic eraser.
I replaced the inserts back into the dispenser drawer. But, before replacing the drawer, I cleaned out the housing compartment too. Then I simply slid the drawer back in its place until it snapped. They recommend doing this once a week, but I seriously doubt that will happen here.. But, now I’m loving how clean it looks and makes me feel better that I”m not sending that mold and scale down in our laundry.
While I was at it, I cleaned out the Drain Pump Filter. If the filter gets too clogged, the washer fails to drain properly and can back up. (I have done this a few times since we’ve owned the machine.) There is a drain pump cover at the lower left of the machine. The door is easy to open. (See your model’s instructions for how-to’s on your type of machine.)
For my model, this is how it looks behind the door. It’s just a tube with a stopper and a little round filter which is screwed into place. My model shows you how to drain and clean it step by step right on the inside of the door.
Have a bowl ready and unscrew the plug from the drain hose and drain out all of the water. In my case, there was too much water for this bowl so I temporarily plugged it back up and emptied the bowl and then continued to drain it until it was empty. Replace the plug snuggly and place the hose back onto the clip.
Remove the pump filter by turning it counterclockwise and remove the filter. Mine wasn’t too bad since I cleaned it not too long ago.
Just use a toothbrush and water to clean the filter. Be sure to clean around the base where you screw in the filter. Replace the filter by screwing it in firmly and clock wise.
I also cleaned the door seal and the inside and outside of the door and vacuumed out under the machine. All clean! This really didn’t take long at all and I can see myself realistically doing this twice a year or as needed. I hope this will help keep our laundry safer and cleaner and help extend the life of our washing machine!
My whole house clean-a-thon continues! I’ll be sure to share lots of tips along the way and some products that make cleaning and organizing more efficient and attractive! Move over Marie Kondo, queen of organizing and sparking joy!
Tomorrow I’ll share our favorite new quesso dip my husband discovered. Just in time for those football play-off games and the Super Bowl! Meanwhile, I hope you have a great day! xoxo Dell (aka Marie Kondo 2.0 haha)
