Maintaining what you have, keeps you from needing to buy something new. This fall I’ll celebrate ten years with my washer. Here are a few things I do to keep my washer humming along.
1. Keep your washer clean Once a year I use hot water and a cup of white distilled vinegar in the wash cycle. Vinegar helps remove soap scum and mineral deposits in the washer and hoses. Plain ol’ vinegar is amazing stuff. Check out Heather Levin’s excellent post on the many uses of vinegar.
2. Keep the washer door or lid open Your washer likes the chance to dry out.
3. Use 1/4 to 1/3 of the recommended amount of laundry detergent When it comes to laundry detergent, more is not better. Figure out how low you can go. Try using 1/4 of the recommended amount and check your results. Are your clothes still clean?
4. Don’t overload your washer No one likes a heavy load.
How about you? Share your laundry secrets in a comment.
My secrets… I’ve had a great experience using eco-friendly Dropps laundry detergent, and I love my expandable, collapsible clothes drying rack.
An Exercise in Frugality 