Front Load Washer Mold
Front Load Washer Mold
When front load washer became popular in many households in 2009, front load washer mold has become one of the common problems. These molds can damage the clothing or any laundry items. Typically, the newest models feature a design that can reduce or prevent the growth of harmful molds, but still mold is one of the problems of those people who have older models of front load washer. As claimed by Today News, there are models of front load washer that are now facing lawsuits because of the common problems it has, the growth of molds.
What is Mold Found in Front Load Washer?
Through the media, people have heard about the various dangers of mold exposure. However, what is mold, anyway? Mold is not considered as an animal or a plant, rather it is a type of fungi. To the fact that we eat mushrooms and bread that have yeast, we didn’t know that these are also types of fungi, but it is the healthy one. There are also molds that use to make medicine, like the specific mold that was used in making a saving life antibiotic, penicillin. However, not all molds are beneficial; there are still harmful molds that can affect one’s health.
There are lots of different types of molds that can be found outdoors and indoors. Mold can thrive in shady and damp areas. Inside the house, it is usually found in areas such as basements, bathrooms, front load washer, crawl spaces, and even on attics. Molds can grow if in the leaking roof, pipes, windows, or even seasonal flooding. In indoors the common kind of molds that can be found are Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Stachybotrys, and chaetomium, these are commonly called as the black mold.
What is the Illness brought by Molds?
Molds spores are airborne because they are very light and very tiny. Once the mold had floated through the air, mold spores will be inhaled by someone in the area. Any kind of molds spores is not healthy to breathe in. However, some molds can produce toxins, called mycotoxins, and it can often cause different health problems.
Not everyone that has been exposed to mold will develop related illness of mold. The very susceptible that can develop with this illness are the young ones, the elderly, individuals who have respiratory problems such as asthma, and a person who has immunity disorders. Everyone, whatever age they have, is always at risk with related illness on molds when there is a problem of growth molds inside and even outside of the home. Pets can also get this illness if there is too much growth of molds.
Some mold can cause illnesses, including blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, aspergillosis, paracoccidioidomycosis coccidioidomycosis, sporotrichosis, and systemic candidiasis. This is caused by a yeast infection.
These are the symptoms of illness caused by molds:
- Sore throats
- Headaches
- Wheezing, trouble breathing
- Lack of breath
- Nasal discharge
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Red, watery, itchy eyes
- Asthma attacks
- Lungs infection like bronchitis and pneumonia
- Chronic Sinusitis or sinus infections
- Hives or rashes
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Stress immunity system that caused you to get sick easily
When you have noticed the growth of molds in your home and get some symptoms of illness caused by molds, you should visit a doctor to be diagnosed and should ask for treatment. However, the symptoms will not stop until the growth of molds got removed inside or any parts of homes.
Why Front Load Washer Mold Became a Problem?
Growth of molds has been a common problem of having front load washers than to top load washers because of its moist and warm air. The top load washer has a machine wherein the moist and warm air can escape when it comes to rising. While in the front load washer, the moist and warm air will be trapped that allows the growth of mold.
When mold started to grow in any kind of washing machine, homeowners can have a washed clothes that have an unclean, musty, and unpleasant odor. In some instances, it can cause the discoloring of clothes. Most types of molds can easily spread out in any part of the house that can cause an allergic reaction and respiratory problems like asthma. There is also some kind of molds that can produce mycotoxin, a substance that can cause a different array of health problems.
Darling Door Ducky Front Load Washer Door Prop Information
Prevention of the Growth of Front Load Washer Mold
You can prevent the growth of mold by leaving the front load washer’s door open when you are not using it. A front load washer door prop can help/After you have done with your laundry then you must wipe the machine inside the front load washer until it is dry, you can use a towel. These kinds of prevention are less guaranteed that the growth of mold will not come back again. But they can surely lessen the risk. Furthermore, if you want to buy a secondhand washing machine, you must choose a top load washer that has less chance of growth molds than front load washer. Also, if you have to buy a top load washer, get the recent model or new machine that was made on over 2009, which is well designed in preventing the growth of molds.
What to do if there is mold in your Front Load Washer?
Use bleach that can kill any kind of molds. You can buy products that can be found in the laundry area of a store. You can also wipe off the molds, `but it does not guarantee that it reduces the growth of molds because most molds develop in parts of crevices that can be able to reach or even see. But if you want to prevent the growth of molds, you can look for services that can help you with this issue.
Clean Front Load Washer Mold
The front load washer can be easy for it only needs less amount of detergent and water. However, when cleaning and drying of components, this kind of model needs a special procedure. If you have found that your front load washer smells like a dainty locker room, you should thoroughly clean it and begin to use procedures that are special maintenance. You must regularly clean the front load washer’s drum and gasket so that molds will not thrive. Practice keeping your front load washer clean and dry before and after you have used it.
Here on this post, you can be knowledgeable about how you can clean your front load washer:
Part I: Clean the Gasket
Locate the Gasket
The gasket can be seen as a rubber ring that runs from the opening part front load washer’s drum. This is the one that creates a seal in preventing the front load washer from leaking. First, widely open the door of the front load washer then peel back its rubber that extends from the opening.
The gasket is fixed on the front load washer; however, you can still pull it to open when you have to clean it, just make sure that there is no item stuck
Remove any foreign objects.
After the gasket has been pulled back, you must check if there are objects left within the rubber. Remember that sharp items will cause damage to the gasket and the front load washer’s machine. Before you put your clothes in the front load washer, checked every clothes pocket if you have found items you must remove it.
These are the usual foreign objects, such as:
- Paper clips
- Nails
- Hairpins
- Coins
Check for hair or dust.
If you have found some hair on its gasket, this only means that if there are particles that are building on your clothes. When someone on your home has a long hair or even fury pets, you must regularly check the gasket if it has hair. When you have noticed that the gasket has dust, sometimes you should close the door of the front load washer. For instance, if you allow your dog or cat to stay overnight in the laundry area, you must keep the washer’s door closed.
Clean any molds.
If you have found black spots, your front load washer is growing molds. This only means, the gasket does not get dry enough within uses or you have left behind too much soap that leads to the residue. This moisture can make the growth of mold. To remove molds, the gasket should be sprayed down with a mold cleaner or hot water combined with soap. You can use a clean rag or cloth in the wiping of the cleaner. However, if you found that the gasket has molded and it is slimy, you need many clothes. Keep wiping and spraying until the cloth has no dirt.
Once a month, the gasket should be deeply clean.
In killing the molds, you can add bleach for about 1 cup into the empty machine then run it with a hot cycle. In making sure that the entire machine is clean, you can pour the fabric or detergent softener compartment with 1/2 cup of bleach. After you have done the cycle, without adding bleach, you must run a few cycles. This can remove any bleach smell within your front load washer before your next laundry.
Part II. Clean the Drum
Inside of the washer’s drum, sprinkle baking soda for about 1/3 cup or 74g.
Baking soda is a product that can remove odors caused by dirty clothes or molds. Then he closed the washer’s door. In the detergent tray, you must load it with 473 ml of two cups of white vinegar. Both baking soda and vinegar can produce a reaction that can clean the washer’s drum.
Turn on the front load washer.
Set the front load washer to create a cleaning cycle. If you do not have this option, just make sure that you wash it regularly. For vinegar and baking soda to create a reaction, it requires a high-temperature wash. Let the front load washer run between the rinse cycle and a full wash.
Clean any stains in the front load washer.
If your front load washer became smelly and notice the growth of molds inside the washer’s drum, you must run more cycle and add bleach. In the bleach dispenser, load it with bleach for about 473 ml or two cups. Then run with the wash cycle and rinse cycle. Without any items in the drum, run a few cycles to rinse out the front load washer.
The dispenser panel of the detergent must be removed and clean.
Blow up the dispenser panel of the detergent and let it soak with warm water. Remove the dispenser panel then spray it by the all-purpose cleaner. Make sure that you have wiped it and bring it back from its place.
The outside part of the front load washer must also be clean.
You can spray it by a multi-purpose cleaner using a clean rag or cloth. Ensure that you have to wipe any dust, hair, and lint that may appear on the part of the outside.
Always keep clean the outside part of the front load washer to prevent dirt and dust from getting inside the washer.
How can you maintain your Front Load Washer not to develop molds?
- Make sure that you always purchase the right detergent.
- Practice removing your laundry from your front load washer when you are already done.
- Always keep the gasket dry, after every use of the front load washer.
- Keep the dispenser tray dry.
- All the time make sure that you leave the door open.
But washing clothes is an exception. This is necessary for top-loading front loader washers because they can instantly become smelly.
- Do not make your clothes sit.
Do not make sitting the clothes in your front load washer a habit. Practice removing the clothes after it is completely washed.
- Regularly, wipe the machine.
The machine will stay fresh if it is regularly done wiping, you can use a dry towel to wipe it after you have done with washing your laundry.
- Always keep clean the outside part of the front load washer.
Do not leave your washer messy. You can wipe the outside part while you the machine is running, and it is better to see the machine without dust.