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The silverware tray began to mildew and now other area in the washer are the same. I've bleached it numerous times to no avail. Its 10 years old. Should I just replace?
I understand you are struggling with mold spreading in your Frigidaire dishwasher, model PLD2560LCC. The average useful life of a dishwasher is about 13 years, so I would attempt to get a few more years from the dishwasher if you can. Chlorine bleach kills mold and helps remove most mildew stains. Dilute 1 cup of bleach in a gallon of water and scrub the interior of the machine with a stiff brush. Use a toothbrush to get in narrow areas, such as around door gaskets. Wear gloves to protect your hands when you use bleach, and also avoid mixing bleach with any other cleaning product. Run the dishwasher empty after cleaning it to rinse out the bleach residue. If stains remain after mold removal, scrub them away gently with a damp rag and mild scouring powder.
Or you could run a cycle with no dishes. Once the dishwasher has completed its initial fill, add 1 cup of white vinegar and complete the cycle. If you find that removes the mold I would open the dishwasher door after each use and allow it to dry out completely before closing it to prevent mold growth. Moisture, bits of food and a warm environment can lead to unwanted mold growth. If you won't be using the dishwasher for a while, such as when leaving for vacation, leave the door open while you are gone to ensure no trapped moisture leads to a mold or mildew problem.
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The odor may come from several sources. Mildew may be around the door's gasket. That might be cleaned with a rag and a half bleach/half water concoction. The soap dispenser tray may have had stagnant water present. Other hose areas may be growing mildew.
Here are some things you can try:
1) Run dishwasher powder detergent once a month through the washer. Or...
2) Run 3 quarters cup of bleach through an empty hot wash cycle once a month.
3) Yes, baking soda, ye olde oder absorber, can also be tried.
3) Clean the trap (where coins, etc. may be captured). Clean the filter.
Some High Efficiency machines have "high efficiency, HE detergents recommended for them. Does the drum have a soapy coating? If so, it will likely require at least an empty hot water cycle to get rid of the excess soap which may be responsible for the smell.
Naturally, if you are using bleach to clean the the washer door, you want to clean the bleach off too before you ruin some clothes by contact.
There are several things you can do. First you might try filling with hot water and dissolving 1 cup of baking soda. Let it sit for about an hour. Then complete the cycle and when done, leave the top open so tub will dry completely. Second, you might try the same thing but use 1 cup of chlorine bleach. Let it sit for about 30 minutes and then complete the cycle. Again, leave the top open so the tub will air dry. Finally, you can fill with hot water and use 1 cup of white vinegar. Let it sit for an hour and then follow the same procedures above. Once you've run the cycle, you can wipe down the interior edges and under surfaces with a rag that has been moistened with the solution of vinegar or chlorine. The baking soda neutralizes odors. The chlorine bleach will kill mold and mildew spores. The vinegar is acidic and it too will prevent the mold and mildew from growing. Once you've freshened the washer, remember to leave the top up after you've completed all the laundry so that there is air and light entering the tub. Mold and mildew do not live well in bright, airy environments. I hope this helps. If so, please come back and comment on my suggestions!
I had this problem too---same washer. The rubber door seal often harbours moisture and it's hard to clean just by running a cycle. You'll have to scrub away the mildew by hand.
Get a pair of gloves, a soft sponge, and a bucket of hot water with soap and bleach. Open the door. Press the sponge into the folds of rubber where the moisture is trapped. Work your way around the circumference of the seal. Repeat until the black goo is gone. Finally run a rinse cycle with some bleach.
Avoid this in the future by leaving the door ajar when not in use. Tuck an old towel into the seal to wick away the water.
is this a question? I will assume that you are saying that there is mildew growing below something, possibly the drum, inside the washer. The only way to definately get it out is disassembly and thorough cleaning. Check your discharge hoses to make sure they are not clogged, leaving water in the washer rather than discharging all of it. If you want to kill the mildew/smell, run an empty load or just some rags but throw a cup or two of bleach in the washer. The chlorine will kill the mildew growths. Run a rinse cycle or two before your next load of darks to get the chlorine out (especially if you are having a discharge problem) so you don't inadvertantly bleach your clothes.
Look inside the door to the gray rubber ring gasket thingy. Pull apart the sides and look in. Betcha a dollar to a donut there's mold in there. It's a gross, nasty problem whirlpool customer service doesn't give a damn about.That's where water sets after wash cycles. There are tablets call "Affresh" which can be run with hot water for a cycle to attempt to clean out the mold/mildew. Not cheap, not fair, and probably will only be a start to a maintenance type cure if you've had the washer for awhile. May take some manual labor with bleach as well. NOT a sanitary washer. This is an unbelieveable problem with a washer. Piece of ****.
Front load washers retain water that you cant see or get to. There are cleaners for washing machines available. I clean mine every month with alot of bleach , try pouring a half gallon of bleach in the soap insert on a normal wash cycle and an extra rinse would not hurt no clothes of course.
You can pour the bleach in the drawer every time you do white loads and it will stay clear too! Just flush it out good before you do colored clothes or you may get a small bleach spot on a red shirt ! Neil Ps. Give me a problem solved rating here on fixya.com
The smell problem is actually because of the softener....its nassssty stuff it coats the interior of the washer and forms a grease like residue. I would use Washer Magic (available at all appliance parts retailers) (only half the container in front loaders) and a hot wash. Also keep spraying the boot with bleach and water soluiton every few hours it will dissappear after awhile.
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