2 days ago
Cleaning expert reveals the cheap household item that will banish mould inside the washing machine instantly
A cleaning expert has revealed a cheap hack for banishing mould from the inside of a washing machine.
Mould often develops inside the appliance, and particularly on the rubber seal, due to a combination of moisture, lack of ventilation and organic material left over from detergent.
But, according to house proud Chantel Mila, from Melbourne, Australia, who is known to her 1.6 million TikTok followers as Mama Mila, it can be dealt with swiftly using two natural and inexpensive products, namely, white vinegar and essential oils.
Beneath a clip that's been viewed almost 40,000 times, the Melbourne-based mother-of-two asked: 'When was the last time you deep cleaned your washing machine? If your clothes are smelling musty, your washing machine may be the culprit!'
Describing the method as 'easy to do' and guaranteed to leave 'clothes smelling so fresh', Chantel explained: 'Mix one cup of white vinegar and 20 drops of tea tree or clove oil.'
While it might be tempting to simply dip a cloth in the solution and wipe down the mouldy elements, Chantel's strategy requires a little more patience.
In order to get the best results, she advised soaking some cloths in the mix and then placing them on the rubber seal.
It's important to allow the solution time to do its job - but there are other cleaning tasks that can be accomplished while waiting, according to Chantel.
The expert said: 'While that soaks, empty your drain pump of all that stagnant water then clean your filter, as you never know what surprises you'll find in there.'
In addition, it's a good opportunity to remove and clean the detergent tray using hot water.
Once these chores have been completed, it's time to 'wipe down your seals to remove the mould and spores.'
And, finally, to return the appliance to its original shiny state, Chantel recommended running the machine with one cup of white vinegar.
Previously, the cleaning whizz shared three handy cleaning tips to leave the house sparkling and dust-free.
Chantel recommended a homemade mixture of water, vinegar and dishwashing liquid to leave windows crystal clear and streak-free.
In a bucket, she mixed together four cups of water with two cups of vinegar and half a cup of dish soap then used a squeegee to clean the glass.
'This mix is powerful at removing dirt and grime from your windows,' the Melbourne mother-of-two said.
To cut through grease and grime in the kitchen, Chantel wiped down surfaces with another homemade solution of half water, half vinegar and a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Her third tip was to use a lint roller to get rid of dirt and dust in hard to reach areas like the inside of a lampshade.
Chantel's clip quickly racked up tens of thousands of views in a matter of hours and impressed many of her 911,000 loyal followers.
'I would use the first solution in the kitchen too! Dish soap is the only thing that works for me to cut food and cooking grease,' one fan agreed.
Chantel has built a strong following online with her home cleaning and organising hacks and previously caused a storm online for sharing some little-known tricks to keep boots looking new, drying laundry faster and removing makeup stains from clothes.
In the popular clip, her first tip was to apply coconut oil to leather boots to help waterproof them before leaving the house.
'You can also use beeswax if you have it at home,' she added in her explanation.
Secondly, she said to place ice cubes in the tumble dryer with your clothes or sheets so they come out wrinkle-free without having to iron them.
'This creates a steamy environment that helps reduce wrinkles without ironing. You can also use a wet face towel,' she said.
Chantel's final tip was to use shaving cream to remove makeup stains 'instantly' from white clothing.
She applied the shaving cream to stain and buffs it out with a brush to make it 'disappear like magic'.
The clip racked up 2.7 million views and drew in hundreds of comments from many followers impressed with the unusual tips and tricks.
'That makeup removing hack is the one I've been needing!', one person said in the comment section.
'Ooh had no idea about the shaving cream!!' another impressed viewer wrote underneath her clip.
'What a great idea I'm going to try the coconut oil for my leather boots,' responded a third viewer.
It comes after a decluttering expert has revealed the common mistakes people keen to class junk apart from important keepsakes are likely making.
Speaking on Woman's Hour, Homes Therapist Michelle Ogundehin explained that many well-intentioned organisers are simply trying to go about the process too quickly.
You have to do it 'slowly', the author, who has also penned the book Happy Inside, expressed.
'It is not about thinking 'right that's it it's all got to go, I want clear surfaces',' she said. 'It's about really taking it one step at a time.
'Maybe you start with a drawer. You know, we all have the drawers; they are just the kind of hidden holes of horror where we tuck everything away and ram it shut.
'So then it's out of mind... we don't think about it anymore except we do. That stuff is almost like this sort of psychological weight in our homes.'
'Visual clutter is more exhausting than we realise,' she continued. 'It's not just stuff, our brains are constantly processing our surroundings so they work overtime if they're surrounded by chaos.
'I love my things, I have lots of things, I think our things are like the talismans of your life.
'They tell your story but the key is to surround yourself with the things that actually tell the story that you want it to tell.
'And it's about coherence rather than chaos in editing those things and then you just keep the things that have a very positive connotations for you.'
