# Cleaning HE washer - alternative to Affresh?



## YinYang

I just got some new HE w/d







: They came, of course, with Affresh... which I'm not even sure where to buy... let alone whatever it is









Since I'm sure many of you already have HE w/d's -- what do you clean your washer with? I do want to clean it monthly --- just not sure what to clean it with.

Thanks mamas!


----------



## MommaShark

I have the same question - I've used vinegar and baking soda....but still have mildew problems in the gasket. I think they are just stains at this point because I can't scrub them out......I turn up my water heater and do a really hot wash too.......When I first got my HE I wasn't careful enough about wiping out the gasket and using HE soap.....


----------



## cristeen

Huh?

I have an HE (6 years now), and I've _never_ needed to clean the inside of it. Do leave the door standing open when you're done for the day, though, to let it dry out - it prevents mildew and the funky smell. But I'm running clothes and cleaners through it all the time - the clothes scrub it far more thoroughly then I could.

The only time I've even needed to wipe it out was when I washed something that was caked in cat fur - and that just required a paper towel wipe down to get the excess fur out of the filter.


----------



## time4another

Your instruction manual should have the alternative to the affresh listed...it is bleach.

I wash my washer 1X a month (as recommended) with bleach and you should see the suds in there!

I really love my new machine!

Heather


----------



## YinYang

OK I was looking for a more natural substitute. I'm not a fan of bleach and usually there is some baking soda / vinegar solution people have concocted as a workaround








Was just checking....

Oh I do leave the door and the detergent bin open when not in use.... just being overly cautious (read: these cost way too much!).


----------



## MommaShark

Didn't mean to scare you - I've had mine since they first came out with them and my model is notorious for having mildew in addition to the early mistakes I made...


----------



## annethcz

After a couple of years of use, all of a sudden my front load washer is smelling musty. I read on another website that especially if you use liquid detergent, the detergent can build up in the washer. They recommended using Cascade Complete dishwasher detergent to get rid of the build up. I'm not sure what it is about Cascade Complete, something about breaking down the enzymes, but it has to be that specific type/brand...

Anyway, I tried it and I could not believe the gunk that came out of my washing machine. I ran 5 empty cycles of Cascade Complete with hot water, and there were tiny little dirty globules of ...stuff... that came out. Before I tried washing the machine, I couldn't see any dirt or build-up anywhere on the washer (only a musty smell), but it must have been lurking somewhere inside. I was totally shocked, it was just gross.

I just tried this a couple days ago, so I don't know if it has completely solved my musty-smelling washer issue, but after seeing all of the crap that was lurking in the washer, I know it certainly didn't hurt.

FWIW, my washer isn't known for having mildew issues, and I do leave the door open when not in use. I also think that the large amount of iron we have in our well water can't be helping either.


----------



## sallyinseattle

Do I put the Cascade Complete cube in the little detergent bin ?? Or should I just throw it into the washer tub of my HE washing machine?


----------

