Although they themselves are made to get other things clean, commercial washers should still get a thorough cleaning on a regular basis to help make sure they remain operational for as long as possible. Cleaning your commercial washers and dryers every month – or every week if your business has a high volume of laundry – will also mean being more aware of the appliances and issues that may need to be addressed. For example, the hoses that connect the hot and cold water need to be replaced every three to five years for a washer in a residential property. However, in a business environment, chances are pretty good that the hoses will wear down much quicker, by sticking to a cleaning schedule, you’ll regularly be inspecting the appliances and will be able to note when things are no longer looking pristine.

There are a handful of specific things you are going to want to do when cleaning the inside of your washing machine. Still, even with the list of tasks to complete to get that washer spick and span, the steps are pretty simple and won’t take up much of your time.

1. Wipe down the lid – Using a damp sponge, clean the washer’s lid to remove any excess buildup, spilled detergent or hard water stains. If you can’t see any of these, you should still wipe down the top and underside of the lid.

2. Empty and clean the lint trap – Remove the lint trap from your washer and clean it out with running water from a sink. If your washer doesn’t have a lint trap, skip this step.

3. Clean out soap, fabric softener and bleach cups – To clarify, these are where you pour the laundry detergent, bleach or fabric softener when washing your clothes. You may be able to remove these dispensers from your washer before cleaning it. If you can’t remove the cups to wash them easily in your sink, just remove any buildup by using cotton swabs or pipe cleaners. If the cups are not removable, you should consider cleaning them out by wiping them after every wash to keep them free from dirt and buildup.

4. Fight saturated odors, mold and buildup – Put the settings on your washer so the water will get as hot as possible. Turn it on and let the water start to fill the washer. When the water level fills up about a quarter of the washer, add two cups of white vinegar directly into the water. Doing this will help break down months of soap buildup, get rid of odors and kill mold.

5. (Optional) Clean hard water deposits – If the water running to the commercial washer is particularly hard, you’ll have to run the wash an additional time without clothes in it. However, instead of two cups of white vinegar, use a full gallon. The vinegar works to dissolve the buildup left behind by hard water, which will, in turn, allow the washer to drain more efficiently between cycles.

After running an empty wash with white vinegar, your washing machine should be near as clean as the day you got it.

To learn more about commercial laundry systems, or to schedule maintenance. Wash IQ today for a FREE laundry room analysis or give them a call toll free, at (844) 4WASHIQ, and they’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.