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Aussie mum shocked by hidden dirt in washing machine: 'Absolutely disgusting'
A good washing machine is a necessity but while we use it to clean our clothes multiple times a week, have you put much thought into how clean the machine is itself?
One woman who has a top loader machine shared with her Facebook cleaning group just how much gunk had accumulated under the central agitator.
"So I found today how easy it is to take the agitator out of the second-hand machine we were given," the lady wrote in the group on Facebook.
"This is your spring cleaning reminder that even washing machine cleaner isn't always enough. We've put multiple washing machine cleaners through this machine when we were given it."
Washing machine cleaning tips
She went on to reveal to fellow group members that she'd used a combination of dishwashing liquid and bleach with an old sponge and scrubbing brush to get the machine clean.
"I popped straight bleach into the worst parts and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes while I cleaned the agitator. That was probably my saving grace," she explained.
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She also told the group that as well as using washing machine cleaner, she also cleans out the fabric softener container regularly.
"The fabric softer part I clean about every fourth wash (just rinse in hot water) as it's always slimey," the original poster said in the comments.
Dirt build-up stuns social media
The group was shocked at how much grime could be hidden inside an apparently clean machine.
"Okay so I just seen this post and thought I’ll check mine as I have never done it and omg," one person wrote in the comments including a photo of her offending machine. "Absolutely disgusting," she added.
"It’s gross how revolting they get for a machine that’s built to clean," another commented.
"I always clean my agitator once a month," a third advised.
And if you thought it was just the agitator that gathers sludge, think again.
"Wait till you take the whole drum out and see that same muck around the outside of the drum!" one person wrote including a picture of her drum before and after cleaning.
Hard work pays off
Some members weren't sure how to get the agitator out of their machine, with one writing, "Has anyone else had an issue with taking the agitator out?
"I’ve tried a heap of times."
While another added: "l can’t get mine out I’ve tried many times to unscrew it but it’s nearly impossible."
Everyone agreed the end results were worth the hard work, though.
"Unbelievable!! Looks so clean," one commented.
"So happy with the result!" another added. "I wasn't expecting much but this was amazing!"
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