Your washing machine is one of the most important machines in your household; in fact, along with your dryer, they combine to make the largest pieces of equipment inside your home! With such magnitude, power, and purpose, it is profoundly important to keep these machines running and operating as smoothly as possible, keeping them maintained for their optimal operation, so it is vital to know how to clean fabric softener dispenser on your system.
When it comes to your washing machine, one very important function is the fabric softener dispenser. This is the part of the machine that allows the fabric softener to drain from its holding area and reach the clothes in the interior of the washing machine, thus beginning their cleaning cycle and the softening of the clothes.
What is Fabric Softener and Why is it Important?
Fabric softener is used as its name implies: It is utilized to soften the touch of the fabric. Sometimes when clothes are washed over and over again, they can become crisp and can harden up due to the repeated cooling and heating processes of washing and drying. Fabric softener helps to prevent this from happening and helps to keep this from happening by helping to stabilize the softness of your clothes.
Why is it Important to Clean Your Fabric Softener Dispenser?
Fabric softener is often a thick solution. When it is used over and over again, remnants of the solution are likely to build-up in the fabric softener dispenser. If this build-up continues to grow, your washing machine can be in danger of breaking prematurely. Therefore, it is important to regularly clean your fabric softener dispenser to ensure your machine is operating at its maximum ability.
There are easy tips that will help you to clean out your fabric softener dispenser. Using these tips will help you to protect your washing machine to improve and increase its longevity!
How to Clean Your Fabric Softener Dispenser
First of all, identify what type of fabric softener dispenser your washing machine has. There are two main types: Removable dispensers and non-removable dispensers.
Removable Dispensers
If you have a removable dispenser with your washing machine, the initial step is to remove the dispenser. You can do so by removing it from the top of the agitator.
Next, you will want to separate the cover of the dispenser from the dispenser cup using your hands to carefully do so.
Then, you will want to create a solution of 1 gallon of warm water, 1/4 cup of heavy duty liquid detergent, and 1 cup of bleach.
Soak the dispenser cup along with the dispenser in the solution. You can leave both in there for about 5 to 10 minutes. If remnants of the build-up are still present, you can use a soft and clean cloth to gently rub the build-up off.
Once completed and once all clean and rinsed off, you can put the dispenser back together and return it to the agitator.
Non-removable Dispensers
If your washing machine has a non-removable dispenser, you can begin cleaning your fabric softener dispenser by making a solution of liquid detergent and hot water.
Then, use this solution by pouring it into the dispenser itself.
Utilizing the warm rinse option on your washing machine, run your washing machine through this since cycle at least two times, but preferably three. This will allow the solution to make its way through your washing machine’s processes, thus clearing out any possible build-up.
If you do not have a warm rinse option and you only have a cold rinse option, you can repeat the same process but with pouring hot sudsy water into the dispenser in-between each rinse cycle.
And that’s it! As you can see, it is pretty simple to clean your fabric softener dispenser and to remove any possible build-up that might be clogging your machine and preventing it from being utilized as efficiently as possible.
Ways to Prevent Build-Up from Occurring
There are some smart and helpful hints and tips to help prevent fabric softener build-up in the future.
- Dilute the fabric softener solution with fresh, clean water before adding it into the fabric softener dispenser.
- This is actually recommended by the various softener manufacturers, but most of us don’t follow this guideline.
- By diluting the fabric softener solution, it will be able to flow easier through the washing machine, thus decreasing the chances that fabric softener build-up will return.
- Each month, fill your washing machine as normal and fill the fabric softener dispenser with hot water and liquid detergent. Then, allow this to sit for two hours and then run the washing machine on a regular cycle.
- This will maintain the regular, routine maintenance of your washing machine.
Recommendations to Keep Your Dispenser Clean!
It is recommended to thoroughly deep clean your fabric softener dispenser every two to three months through the steps outlined above or as needed.
