From not mixing colours to avoiding unfortunate shrinking mishaps, we’d like to think we’ve pretty much mastered washing clothes by now, thank you very much.
So, imagine how surprised we were to hear that we might actually have something to learn when it comes to using the washing machine properly…
It turns out that we’ve been missing out an important step after taking our freshly washed clothes out of the machine.
And, as a result, we could actually be risking both mould and bad smells developing inside the drum…
The crucial step we’ve been missing? It’s keeping both the door and the drawer of your machine open after the end of a cycle.
That’s according to tech expert Richard Wilkinson, Appliance and Household Testing Manager at the Good Housekeeping Institute.
Speaking to Good Housekeeping UK, he explained: ‘Keep your washing machine door and drawer slightly open between uses.
‘This helps aerate and dry the machine out which will reduce the chance of black mould and bad smells.’
And it turns out that’s not the only washing machine tip we’ve a bit lax about.
‘Be sure to run a maintenance wash every so often,’ Wilkinson added. ‘I generally do mine every couple of months.
‘Use the hottest setting the machine has (usually 90 degrees) on the cotton wash. Add ½ the usual amount of detergent to the drawer (biological powder is the best) and run the machine with an empty drum.
‘This is especially recommended if you usually wash using a 30 degree of lower temperature.’
