Question from Wendy
Hello,
I have a Whirpool Cabrio he top loading washer. We’ve had it about a year and a half and I have been using Charlie’s Soap exclusively. Unfortunately, I have significant lime build up in the tub of the washer.
(I’ve been having a horrible problem with my clothes smelling like ‘paint’ or something.. after they are washed and dried repeatedly. I’m hoping getting rid of the lime might be the answer? One can only hope.
Anyways, I went to the Whirpool site, and they suggest AFFRESH to keep the washers clean. I’m not sure if this addresses and would solve the lime issue specifically, but that is their recommendation for cleaning the washer.
I’m looking to clean the tub in a non-toxic, non-chemical manner. Does anybody have a non-toxic suggestion for cleaning out the lime deposits in my washer? I was going to try vinegar, (2 cups with a regular load) but was afraid of issues with the stainless steel drum and corrosion? I’m not sure if bleach would solve the problem or get the corroded lime off the tub walls, either.
Additionally, does anybody happen to know if this AFFRESH is an okay option and non-toxic?
Debra’s Answer
Readers?
My clothes sometimes smell like “paint” or something no matter how I wash them. The best we can figure is that it is literally from my body detoxing stuff through my skin. When my clothes get this way (mostly shirts), I just have to pitch them!
It may not be your new washer. It may be the dark dyes in your clothing (navy, black) or the synthetic material the clothing is made out of. I remember some new dark colored clothing smelling like paint and I had to return it. If your clothing is of a synthetic material or a cotton/poly blend instead of 100% cotton the synthetic material may be what you are smelling. The higher the manmade material the more it smells when heated up. This goes for the dyes too. I try to find 100% cotton and light colored. If this isn’t possible then I try not to use any clothing that is more than 2% synthetic. If I do for instance for my sunprotection clothing (because I can’t wear sunscreen) then it is light colored and I hang to dry instead of drying in the dryer.
Colleen
I called the Maytag company for our new top loading washer which suggested using Affesh. This has fragrance and I couldn’t use it so they told me to use 1 cup vinegar during the cleaning cycle. Put it in the drum and start your cleaning cycle. I’ve not had any problems with any smells or deposits in mine.