If you're stuck with a stinky washing machine due to some absent-mindedness, don't make a beeline to the store. Instead, you can use one TikToker's hack that involves toothpaste.
The scoop
Babs (@brunchwithbabs), a popular DIY TikToker, shared the trick in a video.
@brunchwithbabs 🍋Have you ever forgotten to change the laundry load and mistakenly left the wet load in the washer overnight…only to find a smelly washer the next day? Here is a hack to get rid of that yucky mildew smell. Just cut a lemon in half and cover the cut side with toothpaste - about a tablespoon. Toss lemon halves into your empty washer and run the washer on speed wash with very hot water. After the cycle is finished, you have a fresh smelling washer - and for very little cost. You can buy expensive washing machine cleaners or…you can make your own. 🍋XO Babs #cleaningmotivation #washingmachine ♬ original sound - Babs
What Babs' hack lacks in intuitiveness, it makes up for in simplicity. The solution to a stinky washing machine is quick, affordable, and eco-friendly. All you'll need is a lemon and some toothpaste to "get rid of that yucky mildew smell," which she references in the video caption.
Babs cuts a lemon in half, removes the seeds, and spreads toothpaste on the flat side of each half. She places them at the bottom of the washing machine and selects the "speed wash" and "hot water" settings.
From there, your washing machine will do the honors.
"Smells like a spa, just like I told you it would," Babs remarks after doing the hack.
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How it's helping
The simple solution can save users money on what can be expensive products to clear out washing machine smells. The method also emphasizes reducing waste by using household items rather than buying new cleaning products.
Since many cleaning products come in plastic containers that contribute to landfill waste, using natural alternatives can help decrease environmental impact. While ideally all those sorts of products would be recycled, it frequently doesn't turn out that way, and recycling itself can be a resource- and pollution-intensive process.
Although toothpaste commonly comes in a plastic tube, you probably already have it on hand, and you don't have to use much of it for the hack. You'll also keep some chemicals from the washing machine cleaner from adding to your personal toll that goes into water sources via your pipes.
What everyone's saying
The response to Babs' video was overwhelmingly positive, with followers appreciating its cost-effective, environmentally friendly approach.
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One excited viewer wrote: "This is what I'm doing when I run out of washing machine cleaner! I love to DIY cleaning products!"
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$200 or more 💰 Other commenters had some alternatives for those who might be squeamish about using toothpaste somewhere where clothes would go.
"Another tip is to put 2 cups of vinegar in the washer with a few drops of essential oil (peppermint, etc) for the same effect," one suggested.Indeed, vinegar is a cleaning superstar for those looking to avoid store-bought solutions.
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