Woke up this morning and spotted that musty smell coming from the laundry room again. You know the one – kinda damp, kinda sour. Checked inside the washer drum and yep, some grim black gunk around the rubber seal and a weird film on the metal parts. That’s when it hit me: time to stop putting off the machine clean. Grabbed that Eco Swirlz bottle I’d bought weeks ago but kept "forgetting" to use.

Why Pick a Sunday Morning

Simple: gotta be a day with no washing piles stacked up. Sundays are usually chill for me. Also popped into my head that running it hot works best, so first thing in the morning was perfect – machine hadn't been used cold overnight. Pro tip: Don’t try this when you need the washer right after!

The Actual Doing Part

Started simple. Dug out the Eco Swirlz packet – it’s this little foil pouch thing. Reading the back felt like reading ancient poetry at first ("use on empty drum", "hot water cycle"), but actually it was dead easy:

• Step 1: Dumped the whole packet powder straight into the empty drum. Stuff smelled vaguely citrusy, kinda nice actually.
• Step 2: Slammed the door shut, pulled out the detergent drawer – gunk city! Wiped that out proper with a damp cloth. Stuck it back.
• Step 3: Turned the dial all the way to the hottest, longest cycle. Mine’s called "Cottons" or something. Hit start and walked away. Easy part done.

The Waiting Game (and That Smell!)

Took nearly three hours. Thought it would just be quiet simmering, but oh boy… after about 20 minutes, this strong bleach-meets-lemon smell started creeping into the hallway. Not awful, but definitely noticeable. Peeked in halfway – drum was spinning, water was swirling, looked kinda murky. Good sign, I figured. Proof it was working its magic on that hidden muck.

Wiping Down Afterwards - The Ugly Truth

Heard the final beep. Opened that door expecting sparkles… nah. The inside looked cleaner kinda, but that rubber gasket? Slimy wet sludge! Totally gross, like black coffee grounds mixed with goo. Not Eco Swirlz's fault, though – this was years of soap scum and fabric softener it had lifted! Grabbed an old toothbrush and paper towels and scrubbed that seal until it squeaked. Wiped out the whole drum too. Worth every gross second.

Why Monthly Makes Sense Now

Honestly? Doing this deep clean felt like a chore before I did it. But seeing what came out? That grime, that smell before, compared to the fresh-zesty smell after? No contest. Takes barely any effort beyond wiping the gunk post-run. Setting a phone reminder every four weeks – easy insurance. Fridge calendar got a "WM Clean" scribble for next month already. Feels good knowing my clothes won’t be washed in nastiness anymore. Seriously, just do it monthly. Your machine will thank you.