Alright guys, so my washing machine smelled kinda funky last week – like mildew mixed with wet dog. Gross, I know. My bad for ignoring it for months. Figured it was time to deep clean the beast using some "pro tips" I dug up online. Grabbed my supplies: white vinegar, baking soda, an old toothbrush, and splurged on two fancy washer cleaner tablets (Cafiza and Affresh) to compare. Here’s exactly what went down.

The Dirty Kickoff

First, I pulled out the detergent drawer. Man, the gunk in those compartments was nasty! Slimy blue goo and crusty white bits. Took a photo but honestly, it’s too embarrassing to share. Soaked the whole drawer in hot water with a half-cup of vinegar for 30 minutes while I tackled the drum.

Operation Vinegar Tsunami

Poured a whole gallon of cheap white vinegar straight into the drum. Then dumped a cup of baking soda on top just for chaos’ sake – fizz city! Ran a hot water cycle on the longest, heaviest setting. Cracked the door open mid-cycle to peek... smelled like a pickle factory exploded in there. After the cycle finished? Drum looked less grimy, but that rubber door seal? Still disgusting.

Rubber Seal Wrestling Match

That seal was holding onto hair, lint, and mysterious black blobs like treasure. Armed with the vinegar-soaked toothbrush and a rag, I got medieval on it.

• Step 1: Yanked back the seal inch by inch.

Step 2: Scrub-scrub-scrubbed with baking soda paste (water + baking soda mix). The sludge that came out? Unreal.

Step 3: Wiped down with vinegar-soaked rag. Took forever.

Tablet Showdown

Now for the "pro" cleaners. Day 1: Dropped the Cafiza tablet in the drum, ran another hot cycle. Smelled vaguely lemony afterwards? Drum seemed brighter. Day 2: Tried the Affresh tablet. Surprise winner! Less chemical smell afterward, and when I checked the trap filter? Actually found some residue chunks it must’ve loosened.

Final Reality Check

So, the "expert secrets"? Here's the messy truth:

• Vinegar + baking soda blast helped, but the vinegar smell stuck around forever. My kitchen smelled like chips for days.
• Specialized tablets are worth it. Affresh worked better for me – loosened actual gunk.
• Manual seal cleaning is NON-NEGOTIABLE. Tablets won't touch that gunk.

Machine runs quieter now, smells clean-ish. But honestly? Still didn’t get every weird crevice behind the drum. Might need to brave the YouTube tutorial for a full teardown someday. My takeaway? Do the monthly cleaner tablet thing and don't skip cleaning that seal manually every few months. Save yourself the stink!