TIDE WASHING MACHINE CLEANER REVIEW!!!

Every once in a while I receive an email asking me to do a review on a certain product, so I try to oblige. 

This last email I received asked me to review the Tide Washing Machine Cleaner.

Here is what it claims:

Tide Washing Machine Cleaner fights odor-causing residues in your washer from laundry soils, detergents and water hardness minerals. It helps fight and lift odor-causing residues as it freshens for a clean, fresh washer.

How it works:

1. Fights odor-causing residues with a powerful oxygenated bleach system that gets the source of the odor.

2.Penetrates & lifts away residues and deposits from the surface in your washer with specially designed surface active ingredients.

3.Freshens your washer, while leaving behind a crisp, clean scent.

How to use it:

For best results on HE and standard machines:

1. Remove clothing from your washer.
2. Add 1 pouch of Tide Washing Machine Cleaner directly into your drum, {The box says to add it to your laundry soap dispenser, but the website says to add it to the drum. It clumps in the dispenser and doesn't really work well.}.
3. Run a normal cycle, selecting the hot water option.
4. Use once a month to help keep your machine smelling clean and fresh.

My review:

My front load washer was just starting to smell. But once it hit, man did it stink. The directions state to use 1 pouch of Tide Washing Machine Cleaner per week for 3 consecutive weeks. Afterwards, continue on just 1 pouch per month as part of your washer’s regular maintenance. So, I decided to by the 5 pack at Walmart for $12.

It took me a month, but in the end... the drum still smelled. And not that great either. 

It did smell better, but after using 5 packets, it wasn't what I thought it should be. 

Why do you need to clean your HE washer?

HE washers today use less water than traditional washers, which can lead to residues from laundry soils, detergents and water hardness mineral being left behind in areas you can’t see. Proper care of your machine, which includes monthly cleaning, helps keep odor-causing residues from causing odor problems down the road.

What else works?

So, here is what I did. Remember my posts on cleaning with vinegar, here and here, and baking soda, here?

I do my laundry all in one day. I always remove my load immediately after it's over. I know. Easier said than done in some situations. But, with a little training, it can become a habit. I try really hard not to start a load of laundry if I can't remove it within 5 minutes. After I finish the last load of wash, I take some paper towels and I wipe down everything... the drum, the door, the detergent cups, inside of the rubber door seal... EVERYTHING!

I leave the door open to my washer to allow any other water and moisture the chance to evaporate.

 Then this is what I did and continue to do on a monthly basis. I add a cup of Distilled White Vinegar & 1 Cup of Baking Soda (adding both neutralizes the pH but the bubbling action gently scrubs any debris you can’t get to inside the drum) directly into the drum and use HOT water for washing. Then, I add about ½ cup of vinegar into the fabric softener compartment and ½ cup of baking soda into the detergent compartment. I don’t have a “Cleaning Cycle” as some machines do so I set the wash on “Quick Wash” with HOT water and High Spin Cycle.

Finally, I clean the drain pump filter. This should be done about every two weeks. If the drain pump filter gets clogged with debris, the water flow will slow down, and fill up with stinky water over time. Old water that doesn’t drain sits here, as does lint and other odd items. The drain pump filter is usually located at the front bottom of the washer. Always refer to your washer manual as different machines have different instructions but the bottom line is that it needs to be cleaned out so that water doesn’t sit in the pump.

I don't have an odor problem anymore.