An appliance expert has revealed a ‘crucial’ tip for owners of washing machines that could save them ‘thousands’ of dollars.
In a video posted to TikTok, an employee of Kitchener, Ontario-based TA Appliances & Barbecues explains why users of front-loading washing machines should leave the door open after doing a load of laundry.
Because the machines provide a water-tight seal, opening the door allows air to circulate and ensures any leftover water doesn’t turn moldy, the worker says in the clip.
‘Any water left inside of the unit is going to just sit there and get moldy and gross,’ the employee says, adding that the move ‘helps keep your washing machine cleaner for longer.’
An employee of TA Appliances explains why users of front-loading washing machines should leave the door open after doing a load of laundry
In response to numerous commenters who said they knew about the method, the store said it was one of the ‘most common problems our services team deals with.’
‘Any machine should be left open! Common sense I would have thought,’one person wrote.
‘It’s a good thing I learnt this growing up and still do this currently and will carry this with me for the rest of my life,’ another added.
Other experts confirmed the harm done by leaving a machine door open after a load, including Alessandro Gazzo of Emily’s Maids.
Ontario-based TA Appliances & Barbecues revealed that leftover water in a washing machine can turn moldy if the door is not left open
‘It’s a dark, constantly humid area that happens to be closed most of the time,’ Gazzo told Apartment Therapy during a 2021 discussion about washing machines.
Another business owner backed up the finding while speaking with Homes and Gardens.
‘Washing machines are dark, damp places, which, without proper ventilation, can be the perfect environment for mold growth,’ Yessica Bello, owner and principal cleaner at Bello’s Cleaning, told the publication in 2023.
‘As a result, your laundry may develop musty mold or mildew smells.’
Other experts confirmed the harm done by leaving a machine door open after a load
In the clip, multiple commenters provided some additional tips.
‘I go a few steps further and leave the soap drawer open, wipe the rubber gasket around the door opening, including the see through glass on the door from the inside,’ one commenter wrote.
