At first it might seem odd to clean an appliance that itself cleans your clothes, but thinking about it, of course it makes sense. You wouldn’t wash in a dirty bath or shower so to ensure your clothes get the best wash possible, you’ll need to know how to clean a washing machine.

Giving your washing machine a regular MOT will help banish mould, bad smells and clothes-ruining residues – and potentially prevent it breaking down to, so a little care and cleaning goes a long way.

Follow our guide, as well as top tips from the experts and your washing machine will be back to it’s best in no time.

How to clean a washing machine

Image credit: Future Plc/Colin Poole

1. Clean the detergent drawer

The detergent drawer can be a haven for germs, encrusted washing powder and mould and it’s a little space that can get dirty faster than you would imagine, considering this is where you put the formula designed to clean your clothes and linens!

For the best results, remove the entire drawer and set to work with an old toothbrush and an ordinary domestic cleaner. If you are unsure about how to remove your drawer, consult the user manual. Don’t forget to clean the drawer cavity too. It’ll be spotless in mere minutes and your clothes will feel fresher instantly.

2. Clean the filter

The debris filter is there to protect your washing machine’s pump by stopping lint, stray tissues, coins and general dirt in its tracks. That means that, like the detergent drawer, it’s a place where germs collect. It is also warm and humid so provides an ideal breeding ground for dodgy smells to infiltrate the machine… and your laundry.

The solution? Empty it regularly to remove the fluff and dirt that has gathered inside. The washing machine filter is usually located along the lower edge of the machine, behind a hinged cover. Check your user manual if unsure. Carefully free the emergency drain tube and place a bowl or pan on the floor below it.

Unplug and allow any trapped water to drain off. Replace the plug, remove the bowl and lay a towel on the floor. Carefully unscrew or release the filter cover. Any trapped debris should run out with the trapped water, but check inside the cavity to be sure. Wipe around with a cloth, clean any components and replace the cover. Check again that you have replaced the cover properly to prevent any accidental leaks.

3. Clean the drum

Image credit: LG

Even if the inside of your washing machine looks sparkling clean, it’s probably not. There are lots of nooks and crannies where germs can hide and fester. The best thing to do is run an empty wash every couple of months.

To clean the washing machine put it on a cycle while empty, adding detergent directly into the drum. It doesn’t have to be a long cycle it just needs to be hot. A hot wash should preferably be 60 degrees. This should kill germs, remove odours and stop soap scum and limescale building up in hard-to-see places.

Cleaning expert Lynsey Queen of Clean recommends using soda crystals, ‘Pour 500mls into the drum directly and pop it on the hottest wash that your washing machine will.’

4. Prevent bad smells

Ever opened your washing machine door to be greeted with an unpleasant, musty smell? This may be because the damp conditions of a freshly-run machine are perfect for mould to grow.

Leaving the washing machine door open slightly after washes allows air to circulate around the drum, which helps stop germs breeding and reduces the associated damp scents. This is even more important during warmer weather in the summer.

Make sure your outside drain is also kept clear of debris and regularly cleaned as odours can feed back up into the machine.

5. Clean the door seal

Image credit: Armac Martin

When you’re pushing your washing into the machine and pulling it back out again damp, it’s easy to forget about the space between the door and the drum. That rubber seal that’s stopping water from spilling out on to your kitchen or utility room floor is also a place for excess detergent and dirt to hide. If you let this build up, it does turn into mould and becomes increasingly difficult to remove.

Before and after each wash, use a damp cloth to give the seal a gentle wipe and that should be enough to keep this part of the machine in good nick. It also means your clean washing doesn’t pick up fresh dirt as you take it out to dry.

6. Use the right detergent

When you’re faced with the mind-blowing array of detergents lined up on the supermarket shelves, it’s easy to think only about the effect they have on your clothes. Interestingly extra suds and liquid softeners have been linked to leaving a residue in the machine that may contribute to bad smells and mould.

In short, if you want to be kinder to your washing machine (and help it last longer) use powder rather than liquids. Knowing what to use and how to wash clothes helps achieve better washing results every time – it sounds so obvious, but you’d be surprised!

7. Regularly clean your washing machine

The best way to get the smell out of a washing machine, is to prevent it getting smelly in the first place. That means adding cleaning the washing machine to your list of household chores.

Lynsey Crombie, Queen of Clean, recommends cleaning your washing machine every other week. ‘I clean my washing machine every other week. Especially in the summer when it’s hot, and your washing machine starts to smell more easily,’ she explains.

If you can’t keep up with that, try to do it at least once a month. Just try not to wait until it starts smelling too bad.

Image credit: Future Plc/ Colin Poole

If your washing machine still smells funny there is a possibility it’s beyond saving and you may need to buy a new washing machine.

But before you throw the towel in, try out these handy tips on how to clean a washing machine, because it might just need some TLC to get your whites whiter.

How do I deep clean my washing machine?

‘It’s important to make sure your washing machine gets cleaned regularly, as bacteria can build-up leading to unpleasant odours, says Susan Fermor, Marketing Director at Dr Beckmann. ‘We recommend washing your machine every 2 months, or every 30 washes to ensure the appliance stays clean and to reduce the risk of a build-up of limescale. Dr. Beckmann’s Service-it Deep Clean Washing Machine Cleaner thoroughly cleanses your machine and eliminates 99.9% of bacteria and microorganisms.’

‘Pour the powder directly into the bottom of the empty dishwasher or drum of the washing machine, then select a standard cleaning programme and run the cycle. Home appliances are on a never-ending cycle, so using a specialised cleaner to banish the bacteria and microorganisms living inside will ensure your clothes and washing machine are left smelling fresh and hygienically clean.’

How do you clean a smelly washing machine?

While there are many specialist products you can buy to eliminate bad smells in your washing machine, opt for the more natural route and use basic store-cupboard items instead. Baking soda and white vinegar are the two ingredients you need, so grab the former and add 1/4 cup to 1/4 cup of water then pour this solution into the washing machines detergent dispenser. Next take 2 cups of white vinegar and add this to the drum, then run a high-heat cycle, while leaving the machine empty. The baking soda and vinegar combined, along with the high heat will banish any unpleasant smells and leave your machine clean and fresh.

What do you run through your washing machine to clean it?

If the vinegar and baking soda solution doesn’t work for you or you want something a bit punchier, try something like the Dettol 5 in 1 Washing Machine cleaner which promises to remove mould, banish bad smells and eliminate limescale. But if you keep on top of cleaning your machine, leave the door ajar between washes and treat it with care and respect, you shouldn’t have to reach for harsh chemicals too regularly which is good on all accounts.

Additional words: Holly Walsh

The post How to clean a washing machine – 7 ways to keep yours fresh and healthy appeared first on Ideal Home.

Looking for bathroom lighting ideas to change up your bathing space? You need to know your stuff when it comes to IP ratings explained. It’s all about the importance of bathroom electrical zones, so you can be sure that the lighting and fixtures you plan to use comply with safety regulations.

You may have your heart set on a bathroom pendant or bathroom wall lights but these bathroom lighting idea aren’t as appealing if they turn out to be dangerous! Jo Plant, head of design at Pooky says, ‘Personal taste and stylistic flourishes aside, the main thing to consider in a bathroom is always safety.’ That’s where the IP rating system comes in. It’s a guide to help you make sure that safety doesn’t become a matter of guesswork.

We’ll guide you through what the different bathroom electrical zones are, what IP ratings are and how they relate to bathroom electrical safety.

What is the IP rating chart?

Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles

Bathrooms by their nature are rooms that are going to get wet and where moisture is likely to be an issue. As everyone knows, exposing electrics to moisture is something that should be avoided, unless they’re designed to withstand it. There’s a system in place to make sure lighting and electrics are installed safely in such an environment. So, for IP ratings explained, lights and electrics are given an IP rating.

IP stands for ‘Ingress Protection’. Giuseppe Capanna, Product Safety Engineer at Electrical Safety First explains ‘An IP rating is a number applied to appliances or installation products relating to their level of protection against the ingress of water and or solid foreign objects.’

A standard IP rating is made up of two numbers. The first character, between 0-6, relates to the level of protection against solid foreign objects, like dust. The second number, between 0-9, tells you how much protection is offered against contact with moisture.

It can seem confusing, but once you have had IP ratings explained, it’s pretty self-explanatory. Put simply by Jo Plant, Head of Design at Pooky: ’The higher the number, the more resistant it is.’

What are the different zones in a bathroom?

Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Whitmore

Of course, not everywhere in a bathroom is exposed to the same amount water and moisture. Some places, like inside the shower or beside the bath are likely to get wet all the time. Other areas – such as above the sink – may only get occasional condensation. For IP ratings explained there are places in a bathroom where there will be very little or no contact with moisture at all. To reflect these differences, bathrooms are split into different IP zones.

ZONE 0

This covers the space inside a shower cubicle or basin or within a bath itself. In this area, any light fitting is likely to come into contact with or be submerged in water. Any fitting used in this bathroom zone must be low voltage (max 12V) and be rated at least IP67 which means it’s immersion proof.

‘Mains powered, that is. 240V products, should never be used in zone 0,’ explains Giuseppe from Electrical Safety First. ‘They are likely to be submerged and there is a much greater risk of electrocution.’

ZONE 1

This covers the walls in and above a shower, or the wall next to a bath. While these areas might not be submerged to the same degree as inside a bathtub or shower basin, they may still be exposed to significant amounts of water splashes and condensation.

ZONE 2

An area stretching out 60cm from a sink, bath or shower enclosure, as well as any area within 60cm of a washbasin or tap. This area covers places where there might be lighter or very occasional splashes or spraying of water.

ZONE 3

These are also known as ‘outside zones’. They cover any area that is not in contact with collecting water or exposed to water jets.

What IP rating should bathroom lighting be?

Image credit: Future PLC/David Parmiter

What lights are safe for bathrooms? ‘For most lighting in a bathroom – lighting mounted on the ceiling of a bathroom or recessed into the ceiling – there is generally no requirement for the lighting to be protected against the ingress of water,’ advises Giuseppe from Electrical Safety First.

This is as long as the ceiling or the light mounted on the ceiling is more than 2.25m above floor level. If the light doesn’t hang down below the 2.25m level, it does not have to be IP rated. ‘Although there is no requirement for the light to be IP rated, I would always recommend a rating of IP44’ says Giuseppe.

‘If a light is within 60cm from a sink, bath or shower enclosure – or in zone 2,’ explains Charlie Bowles, Director at Original BTC, ‘then choose a light rated IP44 or above to guard against spray and condensation. If further than 60cm from a bath or shower enclosure (un-zoned), you won’t need higher than IP20. If the lights will be located over or in the shower (zone 1), they’ll need to be at least IP55.’

Bathroom-specific lights will be labeled as such, along with their IP rating. ‘Our bathroom range is IP44 rated and suitable in zones 2, 3 and above,’ explains Niki Wright, founder of Lights&lamps.com. ‘A main ceiling light is recommended and flush lighting usually works best to stay within the zones. A statement wall light by a mirror or single pendants either side add an additional practical light as well as a considered design element.’

Where do you put a shaver socket in a bathroom?

‘Ideally a shaver socket should be located outside of the zones,’ says Giuseppe from Electrical Safety First. ‘However, they are allowed in zone 2; as long as they comply with BS EN 61558-2-5 and are installed where spray is unlikely to occur.’

The post IP ratings explained – everything you need to know appeared first on Ideal Home.

Over the past few years, we’ve fallen in love with art deco inspired, shell-shaped furniture such as the Oliver Bonas, velvet Scalloped armchair or more affordable copies like Aldi’s divine Scallop bed. And, as the weather warms up for the summer season it’s that time of year when breezy coastal living comes into its own.

So, it’s no wonder seashell home accessories are quickly becoming one of the biggest home decor trends of 2022. Over the last three months online marketplace eBay has seen searches for ‘shell decor’ have more than tripled, up 220%.

Image credit: B&M Stores

Seashell home accessories

Shell inspired accessories in all their forms are trending, but it is searches for ‘shell vase’ on eBay has risen by 89%.

It’s s not just in coastal bathroom ideas that we are seeing these shapely and sandy icons pop up. The nostalgic influence makes shell shape ceramic vases look completely at home in maximal schemes or vintage-style spaces.

Mags Milliken, lead designer at B&M Stores explains ‘The charm of the ocean has forever enchanted interiors as we see ocean-inspired micro-trends year after year. With the joy of natural and simplistic materials, combined with the calming yet bold and vibrant colours that the ocean brings so wonderfully – you can understand the draw of wanting to bring that into your home whatever the scheme.’

Image credit: eBay

So, what are you waiting for? We can’t take you to the beach but we can help you collect seashells (minus the bucket) with our pick of seashell shaped accessories to bring a touch of the seashore into your home.

Shell inspired home accessories

Pearl shell lamp, £10, Primark

Image credit: Primark

This Primark shell lamp has already whipped up a following on Instagram. When it was posted on the brand’s Instagram this week it clocked up over 6,000 likes, with shoppers eager to get their hands on it. It is giving up Little Mermaid vibes, in a good way.

Shell pot, £95, Ferm Living at Nest

Image credit: Ferm Living at Nest

Contrast its natural tone with a lush structural house plant. Or, create a striking and contemporary table centrepiece. This Nautilus shell-shaped pot from Nest will add exquisite yet simple style to your scheme.

Shell ornament, £6, B&M Stores

Image credit: B&M Stores

This Scallop shaped vessel hones in on the seashell trend on a budget-friendly scale. ‘Seashells especially treat us with natural scalloped edges and reactive glazes that add texture and dimension to an interior. They are an absolute joy to work with and feel inspired by,’ adds Mags Milliken.

Pink shell artificial Gypsophila plant, £9, George Home

Image credit: George Home

Adding a muted touch of shell pink, this dainty planter comes with a flurry of faux ‘Baby’s Breath’ and is part of George Home’s Mono Minimalist range. Priced at just £9 it is created for those who crave clutter-free living.

The post Searches for this seaside inspired micro-trend are soaring – and we’re here for it appeared first on Ideal Home.