Out of sight, out of mind—that is certainly the case with many home appliances.
The back of your refrigerator, underneath an oven, or garbage disposal are places you might not think to frequently clean.
Even the soapiest of environments—like a dishwasher or laundry machine—can become a hotbed for gunk and residue if not cleaned properly.
One renter says they moved into a new apartment and decided to clean their washing machine to start off fresh. When they opened up the agitator of the top-loading machine, however, they were met with a disturbingly dark buildup of gunk.
@iambrebby Go to part two to see the monstrosity that lies in that thing🤢 #cleantok #clean #moveincleaning #cleaning #washerclean #satisfying #scrub #cleanasmr #asmrclean ♬ original sound – bre🫧
In a TikTok by user @iambrebby, the poster shows herself opening up the machine to clean it.
“Moved into a new apartment so let’s clean the washer,” an off-camera voice says. She removes the cap to the washing machine’s agitator, which is filled with gunk. “I literally gasped.”
The video then shows her cleaning inside the washing machine with a stub brush, Clorox cleaning spray, and Pine-Sol cleaner, rinsing away the buildup.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @iambrebby via TikTok direct message regarding the video.
How often should you clean your washing machine’s agitator?
It is recommended to clean the agitator of top-loading washing machines at least every 30 cycles, or once a month. This is to make sure clothes coming out of the washer are cleaner than when they went in.
A washing machine can be efficiently cleaned using vinegar and the hottest water setting if mildewy odors are the main concern. Bleach can be a more effective cleaner if the more pressing concern is mold.
Should you mix Clorox and Pine-Sol when cleaning?
Mixing cleaners like Pine-Sol and Clorox is generally not recommended by their manufacturers, as doing so can have unintended reactions, potentially creating harmful gasses. For example, mixing bleach and vinegar can create ammonia gas, and mixing toilet cleaners with bleach can create chlorine gas. Both can cause respiratory issues if you breathe them in.
The mixing of the two cleaners in the video gave one viewer pause.
“Bleach mixed with pinesol is a huge NO NO!! that’s extremely toxic to breath In,” one commenter wrote. “I hope you’re ok.”
Viewers weigh in
Several viewers shared that they experienced similar issues with their washing machines when moving into a new apartment.
“So I just moved into an apartment too and I had the same problem!” one commenter wrote. “My apartment complex maintenance came out with a new agitator for me. I tried cleaning mine with bleach and a similar slimmer brush.”
“When we moved in, to our ‘luxury’ apartment it looked like that too,” another commented. “I had maintenance come and take a look and I told them how dirty it was. Got it replaced with a brand new one same day.”
“i have the same washer… thank you for showing me how to clean it lol i’ve been so confused,” one said.
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