Disinfect washing machine:

The hob is wiped off, the refrigerator and the oven cleaned, floors and windows are cleaned regularly - but when did you finally clean the washing machine thoroughly?

It is one of the household appliances that are mostly forgotten. All dirt that has accumulated on our clothes goes through the washing machine when washing. One part remains in it even after the washing process, so that germs cheerfully multiply in the still warm and damp drum. No wonder that the washing machine sometimes begins to smell mogly. That can also be a reason forbe!

So that you can still find your clothes clean and freshly fragrant after washing, you shouldn't wait until it comes to that. We reveal how you can disinfect your washing machine - even without disinfectant!

Before we tell you how to disinfect your washing machine, an important information: There is currently no indications that the coronavirus is transmitted via textiles, i.e. clothing, towels or bed linen. Nevertheless, you should also consider hygiene rules when your laundry.

For example, you should wash towels and bed linen at least 60 degrees. The high washing temperatures in the machine kill pathogens. The infection of the washing machine also makes sense when you have washed laundry from sick people.

Dirt, fat, sweat, skin scales - our washing machine comes into contact with a lot of bacterial herds through the laundry. In addition, most of the laundry lengths have to be washed somewhere at 30 or 40 degrees. The washing machines are also increasingly designed to save energy and they do this by not running so hot. All of this means that after each wash, some bacteria remain in the washing machine.

Regular washes at 60 degrees help with disinfecting. But most bacteria only die at temperatures above 70 degrees - and even at more than 70 degrees, some bacteria can survive. Therefore, the actual periodic disinfection of the washing machine is so important.

Hygiene cleaners or hygiene riders consist of disinfectants and fragrances. They promise to have germs and bacteria effectively eliminated and can disinfect the washing machine with them.

The problem with hygiene pairers:They are often used unnecessarily. With exaggerated hygiene, people can develop allergies. Children in particular must be exposed to germs to develop a strong immune system. In addition, certain bacteria can become resistant to the active ingredients through constant contact with the cleaners. Hygiene riders are also a burden on the environment.

When are hygiene pollution sensible:Since our clothes can no longer be cooked through as before, they sometimes have to be disinfected. Many synthetic fibers that may not be washed at more than 40 degrees will eventually become bacterial herds. So it happens that clothing can still stink after washing. For example, if you sweat a lot in it. Then a dash of hygiene cleaners for laundry makes sense.

Citric acid is an effective, antibacterial and environmentally friendly way to clean the washing machine. It has a similar effect to vinegar, but it is less aggressive. In addition, citric acid can also be added to a normal wash cycle (but better only with light laundry). Simply put 5-10 tablespoons of citric acid directly into the drum.But be careful: do not wash over 40 degrees, otherwise calcium citrate is formed, which can be deposited and the washing machine can damage.

Tipp:Clean the seals with a little lemon juice and a damp rag. The citric acid in the juice also has a disinfectant effect.

Soda can also effectively remove bacteria, mushrooms and germs. In contrast to citric acid, soda has no effect on lime. Put 50 grams of soda (about 2-3 packets) in the washing powder compartment and then washed at least 40 degrees.

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Baking powder is a mixture of soda and wine or citric acid. This means that baking powder can be used as well as baking soda to disinfect the washing machine. It also has an antibacterial and fungicide. In addition, it can also be active against lime due to the acid. Mix baking powder with water to a paste and put it directly in the drum.

Vinegar should not be used to disinfect the washing machine.Vinegar is an environmentally friendly and effective home remedy, but it is too aggressive for the washing machine. It can attack the metal and rubber parts of the washing machine and damage it sustainably. So you prefer not to risk anything and leave your fingers from vinegar for the washing machine.

The washing machine should also not be cleaned with dishwasher tabs.Dishwasher tabs have fat -solving properties and can therefore clean the washing machine well, but, like vinegar, they can be too aggressive for individual parts of the washing machine.