How many times have you opened the door at the end of the wash and noticed the goodness of the laundry, smelling of detergent, unfortunately accompanied by an unpleasant smell of stale dampness coming from the bottom of the washing machine. The simplest remedy to remedy this costs a few euros and is found in almost all pantries, as it is the very common sodium bicarbonate. As long as it is placed in the basket and not elsewhere.
Why exactly the basket
Baking soda is an alkaline powder that can also be used to neutralize some odors. A little is enough for a maintenance cycle, poured directly into the basket. The water drags it away immediately and the detergent drawer, which already accumulates a lot of residue, does not receive any more dust. Be careful, this is not an obsession of cleanliness maniacs, especially in light of scientific evidence such as, for example, a study published in 2020 in Microorganisms, which analyzed thirteen German domestic washing machines: well, the detergent drawer hosted the most varied bacterial community, the door seal the highest share of Moraxella osloensis, bacterium that normally lives on human skin and, according to Japanese research published in 2012 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, mainly responsible for the bad smell of laundry. This is because it produces 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid, the compound that gives laundry its typical damp rag smell. The authors hypothesized that the problem was more frequent where people wash at low temperatures and hang out at home, conditions that help the bacterium to survive.
White powder is not enough
In short, a handful of bicarbonate of soda does not solve everything, because odors arise from humidity, detergent and fabric softener residues, and stagnating dirt. After each wash it is best to leave the door and drawer ajar so that the inside can dry, and from time to time pass a cloth over the seal, wash the tray and check the filter. Everything ends up in the rubber of the porthole, including coins and handkerchiefs, and if you have dogs or cats even the animal’s hair, so remember to clean carefully and frequently.
