Australian woman receives advice to get rid of mould on the inner seal of her washing machine

An Australian woman made a shocking discovery when she tried to clean her washing machine – the inner seal was covered in dark mould.

She was surprised to find the fungus as the machine is relatively new and she had been taking precautions to prevent it from occurring.

Hundreds of people shared their tips for cleaning and preventing the problem after the woman pleaded for a solution. 

The little-known issue is frighteningly common. Research suggests at least 17 per cent of front loading machines are affected by mould, in comparison to three per cent of top loaders. 

‘Damn it. I have only just realised that my not so old washing machine has mould,’ the woman said when she shared her problem to popular Facebook group Mums Who Clean.

‘I thought I was being careful by leaving the door open after every wash and cleaning with vinegar and bicarbonate of soda but must have been while we were away over Christmas.’

‘I know I have seen some tips on here before but I cannot remember. Could I please have suggestions on how and if is possible to remove.’

Research suggests mould thrives in washing machines due to the dark environment, warm temperature, the presence of soil and bacteria from clothes and detergent and fabric softener residue.

Cleaning enthusiasts had a long list of different solutions to the issue. 

Many suggested the best way to kill mould is to clean the seal with bleach, then run a hot drum clean cycle.  

However, they advised doing your first wash post bleach with old items.

For those who prefer a more natural solution, cleaning expert Chantel Mila recently shared her three-ingredient solution that kills mould and prevents spores.

The mum-of-two mixes one cup of white vinegar, with one tablespoon of dish soap and 10 drops of clove oil and sprays it on mould prone surfaces before cleaning as normal.

Another mum agreed that clove oil is the best anti-mould product, explaining that bleach kills the mould but cloves stop it coming back by killing spores.

‘I spray mine with clove oil solution to kill the mould, then the next day soak sheets of paper towel in Mould Away from Aldi, line the rubber all around the seal and leave it overnight,’ she said.

Before and after: One mum swears by Aldi’s popular Mould Away spray. The seal of her machine was completely infested before using the product (left), but 100 per cent mould free after using it (right)

One mum swears by Aldi’s popular Mould Away spray. The seal of her machine was completely infested before using the product, but 100 per cent mould free after using it.

‘Get the Mould Away from Aldi and spray over night! Then wipe it and run the machine with the drum cycle and then one normal cycle and one empty cycle and that’s it,’ another agreed.

However you decide to clean the machine, avoid removing the seal.

‘Whatever you do don’t take the rubber off, you’ll never get it back on. Even the repairer couldn’t do it,’ one woman warned.

Others shared the preventative tips they use to stop the growth of the fungus. 

Several people advised regularly running a wash with a machine cleaner from the supermarket.

Many say they thoroughly wipe the seal dry after each wash, leave the door open and regularly clean it with bicarbonate soda and white vinegar.

‘You have to dry the rubber seal thoroughly EVERY time you’ve finished with the machine for that day. Also always leave the door ajar.’ 

However, others say they believe the common mould issue lies with front loading washing machines.

‘What a debacle. I’ll stick with my top loader. I read almost nothing but problems with front loaders,’ one woman said.