Cleaning washing machines

Most people here wash dog and horse blankets in a large outdoor machine at the garage.

I have read online about using a dish washer tablet on a hot wash. Intend to try it.

These washing bags, apologies for a stupid question, but if the bags keep the 'crud etc' in them, how do the items come out clean but not covered in the crud, too?

Careful !

I've clogged the filter on my washing machine and broken it .
I used to vacuum the blankets thoroughly, shake and vacuum again prior to washing them .
My dogs also had a major groom once a week and a gentle shampoo - and that helped .

I use Dr beckman washing machine cleaner every couple of months. I also use a dishwasher cleaner every month. I won't show you the pictures of the dishwasher filter...

Half a cup of washing soda or white vinegar are my favourites - either will clean the washing machine and dishwasher. The machine will be completely grease and odour free, without poisoning anything along the way.

Every couple of months I use washing soda and white vinegar in an empty machine on a very hot wash…keeps my machine clean…🤓

Buttonjugs No I’d emptied and cleaned the filter straight after

You just need to give them a thorough vacuum before putting in the wash. That’s what I do with our cat blankets/fleeces with hand held Dyson. (Does a great job of getting all the hairs). Then they’re relatively fuzz-free to wash. Never had a hairy wash load after them!

Janburry

I used to tumble dry my dogs blankets before l washed them to take off most of the hair before putting in the machine

Oooh didn’t it smell?

I love my twin tub!

Dog hair and all manner of lovelies (dust and hay seeds a few weeks ago, I was On the tractor with the haybob going) get caught in net or stay on the bottom when emptying, so is easy enough to clean out. Several whizzes later (set machine to wash whilst emptying at same time using a hose pipe to put more water in, gives it a good clean out. I usually put bleach through it then just to clean it for next time!)

I was brave a few years ago, unplugged it, got the drill out and unscrewed the central pin, expecting to see a fancy mechanism etc. Nowt like that!

Like I said, love my twin tub.

Lakeland do a couple of little felty things you put in the washing machine at the same time as your pet bedding, which are supposed to trap the dog hairs / pet hairs. They are very inexpensive - I haven’t tried them but I am going to asap.

I'd suggest putting anything hairy into a washing bag, you can get big ones as people with horses need big ones
The hair is caught in the bag, hang it outside on the line inside out and brush it away
To get the filter in the machine clear, you need to physically remove anything, it often gets caught round other things that make it into the filter, so any remaining hairs lurking have a chance to just go down the drain

Before washing my cats' blankets I spread them out on a flat surface and wipe them hard with the business side of a sponge pot scourer, wrung out in cold water. This lifts hairs.

I also regularly clean upholstered furniture and once or twice yearly the sitting-room carpet in the same way.

I use hexaphosphate to clean my washing-machine, but using the pot scourer method I have never had hairs sticking to the clean washing.

I'd love to know the answer my small, non-shedding (that didn't work) dog leaves black fluff evenly distributed across every part of the house invluding the WM 🤭

NO to wet wipes!!

The sewage pipe crossing my garden was blocked by a foul mountain of wet wipes flushed down the toilet by a carer upstream. Since then it’s been an ongoing problem and I now have my own set of rods. All those wipes end up somewhere - they don’t just disappear.

I find the occasional use of soda crystal works for general gunge in my w/machine, but probably not for dog hair.

To clean mouldy looking rubber seals, a couple of dishwasher tablets and a hot wash.

Washing soda on a hot wash is my go to, costs pennies and does the job , I use it once a month or so. I just bung about 4 tblsp in the drawer, not too precise as does no harm.
As to pet blankets I use a damp rubber glove to remove most of the hair then hang outside, wind does the rest !

Given that microfibre. cloths tend to 'collect' all sorts of bits of fluff, dust, hairs etc I would wash few on a hot wash after washing the dog blankets, perhaps it will collect all the unwanted hairs etc.

Probably a bit late now but I got a large bag from Amazon specifically for washing dog/cat beds etc which keeps the hair in the bag. The beds etc come out clean. You turn the bag inside out and put on line. Has worked so far

I used to tumble dry my dogs blankets before l washed them to take off most of the hair before putting in the machine

How much washing soda should you use?

I hung the pet blanket/bed on the clothes line and used a hair removing tool before washing it.

A friend who mended washing machines for a living told me that everyone should run a very hot wash with washing soda now and again!

I have no new ideas for cleaning your machine, but here is a pet hair-proof washing bag for the future, with several others on the page.
pet laundry bag