Do you know that you have to clean the insides of your washing machine thoroughly to avoid buildup of mould, mildew, scum and terrible odours (especially when almost all brands of front loading washine machines will have bad odours)? Well…I didn’t! 
It was only recently that I found out there is a way to properly clean the interior of our washing machines. Mine is a Zanussi front loading washing machine, and all this while, I have just been cleaning its detergent drawer, the exposed part of the rubber seal at the doorway and the external body.
Of late, I noticed an odour that is a bit mildewy and my detergent drawer was growing some black stuff, which I only knew after doing some research on the Internet. was BLACK MOULD! OMG! I was shocked and quickly found what I needed to do to get rid of this mould, gunge and slime ……and at midnight last night, I gave my washing machine a thorough cleaning. 
Now, my machine looks almost like new (although it is 5 years old), the glass door and external body is gleaming, and best of all, the mouldy odour inside is gone! 
For washing machines like mine that have not been properly cleaned for a long time -
(Note – Make sure the power supply is turned off before starting)
1) remove the detergent drawer and soak it in 1 litre hot water, 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup vinegar for 10 minutes. Give it a good scrub, and if there are persistent stains, spray some undiluted bleach on it. After rinsing, leave it to dry and put back later when you have finished cleaning the “hole” that you removed the drawer from.
2) make another batch of the baking powder-vinegar-water solution in a pail – use a long handled brush to clean the hole/compartment that contains the detergent drawer. There is a lot of black mould in there, which is not good for our health as it can easily spread to the rest of the washing machine and may cause allergies if we wear clothes that have black mould.
For harder to access nooks and crannies in the hole, I used a spray bottle to squirt the cleaning solution inside. Use a bottle to spray the water in to rinse off the dirt. My washing machine is located in my laundry room and I can use a hose to directly spray water inside. Make sure the cover to the drainage located on the bottom front of the washing machine is open so that the dirty water can drain out from the front, when your washing machine is turned off.
Then as I was not satisfied with the cleaning that way, I even squirted some undiluted bleach into the hole and let it stand for a few minutes, while I went on to clean the other areas of my washing machine.
The rubber seal at the doorway for my washing machine is folded and in the fold there was a lot of buildup of slime and gunge, which I was not aware and so I used the same baking powder-vinegar solution to scrub the whole rubber seal – outside and in the folds…practically every inch of it. The slimy scum was also contributing to the odours in the washing machine and the front loading models are very prone to these problems.
One way to avoid this scum and gunge buildup in the rubber seal’s fold is to wipe it dry with a cotton towel each time a wash cycle is completed.
3) I went back to clean the hole of the detergent drawer as it was sprayed with bleach earlier, and rinsed it with my water hose. Next, put back the detergent drawer.
4) for the last part, turn the power switch back on. I put in 2 cups of bleach, set the hottest wash cycle (no clothes inside) and let the washing machine “clean itself”…..and ….. Voila! Now, my washing machine is very clean, both outside and INSIDE, and there is no mouldy odours anymore! Be sure to leave the door open to air it as there will be a bit of bleach smell still from all that cleaning.
For regular maintenance/servicing of your washing machine, here is what you need to do once a month -
1) pour a cup of laundry detergent, set temperature for a hot wash, and turn on your washing machine for a whole cycle (but without any dirty laundry)
2) to remove odours – pour in 1 cup of white vinegar and put your washing machine through a hot wash cycle (without clothes). Some recommended 1 cup of baking soda.
3) to kill off bacteria and prevent buildup of slime, gunge and mould – pour in 1 cup of bleach and put your machine to a hot wash cycle (without clothes). Some recommended a combination of bleach and detergent.
Remember to take care of your washine machine regularly! 
With best wishes,
choesf
yen1908 said,
March 29, 2008 @ 8:59 am
Good morning to you, choesf
I came here to look for O tak perng but ended up reading your tips on maintenance of washing machine! Hmm….you are adding load to my already busy housework schedule today.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful tip!:) it’s time i give my washer a scrub too!:)
take care
yen
happyhomemaker88 said,
March 30, 2008 @ 1:21 am
Hello there, my dear yen
You’ll be amazed how many of us can forget to clean our washing machines.
But I noticed ever since I started cleaning my washing machine regularly, the mildewy smell in there is permanently gone. In addition, once my wash is finished for the day, I would remove the detergent drawer and leave the washing machine door open wide to air it, and I don’t even need to wipe the door at all. 
By the way, what is O Tak Perng?
Good night!
With love and hugs,
choesf
exponent said,
May 18, 2008 @ 4:32 am
Smelly Washer Cleaner is a completely organic powder that is used to clear fungus from any clothes washer. It works by disallowing cohesive properties between organic and synthetic compounds. The cleaner is used by adding a small amount (1 tablespoon normally suffices) to a hot setting in your washer and allowing it to complete the cycle.
In order to remove fungus spores from towels and clothing use just one teaspoon of cleaner instead of detergent. Rinse and dry as normal.
This product is super simple and works great! Find it at http://www.washingmachinecleaner.com
happyhomemaker88 said,
May 18, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
That sounds like a superb organic washing machine cleaner, dear exponent. Thank you for the tip.
Have a great Sunday!
With peace and joy,
choesf
GARRY WOODSON said,
July 20, 2008 @ 3:03 am
Hello,
I start with much greetings to your company. My name is Garry Woodson from Chats & Co ltd Co. I found your add on web and am contacting you regarding some gas washing machine am looking to order. I will be glad in doing business with you if you could get back to me with the types or your website if you do carry washing machine so that I can browse through the type am looking for.
Regards,
Garry Woodson
happyhomemaker88 said,
July 22, 2008 @ 9:26 am
Hello there, dear Garry
Thank you for dropping by here. However, I regret to inform you that I am not in the washing machine business and I was only writing about how to clean our washing machines. Otherwise, I would love to do business with you.
Have a wonderful week!
With best wishes,
choesf
phiilip said,
September 13, 2008 @ 3:23 pm
I washed and polished my car using paint restorer too. Then I stupidly washed the dirty cloths in my washing machine. Now my laundry smells of car polish. How can i get rid of it.?
Thanks for any advice.
happyhomemaker88 said,
September 14, 2008 @ 10:54 pm
Hi there and welcome, dear Philip
I am sorry to hear that your washing machine now smells of car polish. I am not sure if this will work but I’m thinking that if you can put your washing machine through a hot water cycle (without any clothing) together with 1 cup of baking soda and 2 cups of white vinegar, it is worth a try as they can remove odours
Let me know if it works for you as we will both learn something new from this situation.
Good Luck!
With peace and harmony,
choesf
Js said,
February 18, 2009 @ 11:23 am
Never clean my washing machine!! So need to do it now. But….
Mine is top-loading machine, use the same way to clean the machine? I dont have hot water for the washing machine, so just using the taip water will work? Or do I have to boil n pour the hot water in myself?
Just me,
js
happyhomemaker88 said,
February 20, 2009 @ 8:28 am
Hi there and welcome, dear Js
If your washing machine does not have the hot water function, then try using just the cold water, vinegar and baking soda. It will work as well although not as good as with hot water. I’m just worried your washing machine parts like the plastic and rubber sections may not be able to take the hot water as it does not have this hot water function.
Have a lovely weekend tomorrow!
With peace and joy,
choesf
Beatriz said,
March 31, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
Does anyone know if a washing machine and a clothes dryer stored for a long time, more than a year, deteriorate? Do they deteriorate because of lack of use? These set has been in my garage for over three months and I’m not even sure they were properly cleaned.
happyhomemaker88 said,
March 31, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
Hi there and welcome, dear Beatriz
Are you talking about brand new machines or used ones? I guess the only way is to test them out yourself. Perhaps someone here may have some advice for you.
With best wishes,
choesf