Europe's sophisticated front-loader washing machines are exported worldwide, but what the salesman often doesn't tell you is that they can be magnets for bacteria and mould if wrongly used. After removing laundered clothes from the washing machines, most users shut the door and make sure the soap-powder tray is closed. That's a mistake.
"There is always a small amount of water left inside these washing machines," explains Claudia Oberascher from Iniative Hausgeraete+, an information portal that includes many top-name German household appliance makers. Where there is moisture you will find the perfect breeding ground for germs - and it won't smell very nice either.
That's why Oberascher recommends leaving the washing machine's door and powder tray permanently open and extended when not in use so the moisture dries away. It's also worth your while taking the powder tray out completely for an occasional inspection of the water channel behind it. "The materials that go into making washing powder are biodegradable. That also makes them a good food source for bacteria and fungi. They can cause slimy residues and black patches," says Bernd Glassl.
If you find old washing powder residues in the drawer, you just need to remove the tray and rinse it with water. That also provides the opportunity for a brief inspection of the rubber ring around the machine's hatch to see if coins or pieces of paper have collected inside it. Every modern washing machine also has a filter for collecting any objects that might make it into the washing machine's pump system. Usually the trap is to be found behind a small door at the bottom left or right of the machine and can be opened and cleaned.