Do washing machines clean themselves inside while they wash clothes?

I have contamination fear OCD

So I have contamination fear OCD. Do washing machines clean themselves inside while they wash clothes? My roommate cleaned some clothes that had been laying on top of a bag that he took through TSA and checked under a plane. (Something I consider very dirty). Now I’m convinced the inside of the washing machine is a mess and my clothes won’t get clean unless I clean the washer. Am I overreacting?

Discussion

Jessica Grindstaff
Overreacting? Maybe a bit but I 100% understand ! To me everything is contaminated after seeing it dirty. Like it will never ever be clean again. Sometimes washers have cleaning cycles. They also sell washing machine cleaners. For example, affresh.

Stephanie Vallette Harris
The temperature settings of most washing machines don’t kill germs such as ecoli etc. even the hot setting isn’t hot enough. If your washer has a sanitary setting you can use that to get the water hot enough to actually kill things. If you don’t you could run a load of bleach through and wipe it out after but most people wouldn’t worry about it and they’re all still alive.

Brittany Hoover
You could run an empty cycle with just bleach to make sure it’s cleaned out well.

Brittany Hoover
I have a child and would do this after I washed “accident pants” when she was potty training.

Julie Reeves
Clothes are washed in soap and hot water then dried in a hot dryer. It would be hygienically clean. A washer should be cleaned every few months and they have cleaners.

GiGi Bosko
I always run empty cycles with soap if I wash something gross beforehand.

Karen Ernstmeyer Breitbarth
+2 GiGi Bosko me too!!

GiGi Bosko
Karen Ernstmeyer Breitbarth of course! lol

Abdul Wajid
GiGi Bosko what gross lol

GiGi Bosko
Abdul Wajid for me a steam mop floor washable pad is gross lol.

Abdul Wajid
GiGi Bosko i understand i hate body fluids literally took my life since 2008 sent me into deep OCD, depprestion and anxiety attacks . I just got a dettol laundry clearner the other day lol so when i saw your message im like i totally get it lol

GiGi Bosko
Abdul Wajid … yep! hate other people’s fluids. disgusts me to no end.

Abdul Wajid
GiGi Bosko i even hate my own use to hate eating n drinking kept it to a very minimal just to keep me alive

GiGi Bosko
Abdul Wajid .. Im so sorry to hear that 🙁 this is a horrible mental illness we suffer from

Abdul Wajid
GiGi Bosko i no its awwful just a battle every day

Abdul Wajid
Hope you feel bettter and succeed in beating it

GiGi Bosko
Abdul Wajid thank you! you too. wish this hell didn’t exist

Abdul Wajid
GiGi Bosko i no just want it to vanish … does it effect your every day life ?

GiGi Bosko
Abdul Wajid yes. I am on permanent disability because of this

Abdul Wajid
GiGi Bosko oh im so sorry. May I ask which country you from?

Laurent Cousineau
I have contamination OCD but I consider the inside of the washer clean right after it is used.

Rebecca Roscoe
I put disinfectant in after I’ve washed something that I consider contaminated Honey I think you already know you’re overreacting as that’s the nature of ocd. The washer is clean. You don’t need to clean it.
I think you’re doing really well by recognizing this is an OCD issue AND not cleaning the washer! The longer you can hold out the better!
I also think limiting yourself to an Afresh tablet and letting the washer clean itself would also be acceptable as regular maintenance.

Jeffrey Cook
Go to Home Depot and buy a product called Affresh. It’s an actual washing machine cleaning agent that you run on an empty load. I can’t say that it’ll fully sanitize your washer but it’ll get it clean

Yadzaida Garcia Padua
I understand. I run a cleaning cycle on my washing machine every now and then (2 weeks maybe?). Even when its just me and my child. I use a washing machine bleach detergent from the Clorox brand.

Miranda Sell
I just run a quick wash cycle with only bleach maybe half cup and turn it on with no clothes in it

Kevin Swartz
You are suffering from OCD. The sign to recognize is that you actually already know the answer. You are seeking reassurance which is a compulsion. If it needed to be done you would not ask.

Danielle Faye Page
Dettol do a washing machine cleaner, as at the minute i share a washing machine with my family, before i start my load i put a cap in and put it on a quick cycle ! Makes me feel at ease x

Andre Macdonald
So many people encouraging his OCD. You wouldn’t do this to someone with obsessions about hurting there family or hitting someone when there driving. Facebook groups can be bad for contamination OCD sufferers.

Lisa Marie
Andre Macdonald I agree

Louise Nyström
Andre Macdonald Ikr! Poeple giving him tips on how to wash it out is hardly helpful

Mercedes Gates
I have the same fear when I when I wash my work stuff. I run an empty load with some bleach and really hot water afterwards. I work in the cleaning industry and can tell you a washing machine isn’t “clean” after each load. There’s actually ways to clean your washing machine

Mercedes Gates
Louise Nyström i personally have contamination OCD, first off, I’m well aware they arent “helpful”. The fact of the matter is, it is recommended to clean your washing machine regulary as it is. I dont know why you think it’s okay to go off on me. Even with no contamination OCD, its still recommended to clean your washing machine once a month.

Louise Nyström
Mercedes Gates I didn’t mean to go off apologize if it seems like that ✌️ but all comments are about how to make it cleaner when the real issue is about this person having OCD an needing to work on it, right. So it wasn’t directed to you specifically at all. As I said, everybody is giving advice on how to make it cleaner which I feel goes against the purpose of OCD advice. I did add the PS because I didn’t want it to seem I was singling anyone out

Mercedes Gates
Louise Nyström Yet, you singled me and my comment out. Seems like it was heavily directed at me.

Louise Nyström
Mercedes Gates truly wasn’t like that. and it wasn’t ill intended, i just wanted to point out that people were given him bad advice since telling him how to wash it out better is counter effective in this context. I didn’t “single you out” i just picked randomly from like ten comments which game similar advice. deleted it and i’m not gonna discuss this anymore

Bronte Greenhalgh
i used to do the same, however it is important to remember what another would do if they were in your shoes. Realistically, when i did it, washing the machine kept feeding my OCD fear. I faced it by sticking my clothes in before i could think twice. Then once the wash is done, i would take the clothes out (wet) and hug them tight, “contaminating” myself all over. I was scared stiff but then i would go on and continue to spread this uncomfortable feeling to other things. Eventually overtime, i still felt frightened but the anxiety was more of a dull discomfort. I hope that helps x, ERP helps a lot here

Sarah Elouaer
Bronte Greenhalgh I have so much respect for you for doing that! That would be so difficult for me to do, at least for now.

Louska Mary Arnott
Don’t most washing machines have a drum clean option? (Mine does)
Just pour some fabulosa (knock off Zoflora) in the drum and put on a drum clean or quick wash.

Kendra Louise Chilver
Only time I clean my washing machine other than maintenance is on rinse after I’ve cleaned my mop heads, doormats or trainers.

Karin Carr
The washing machine washes itself.

Katie Rhodes
ocd is telling you it is con

Katie Rhodes
contaminated

Rachel Jensen
It’s your OCD, but if you need to just run an empty load with laundry detergent – or what I do on occasion is run an empty load with white vinegar & borax powder on hot.

Louise Nyström
Well, this situation you’re describing is not commonly seen as dirty at least not for the majority. It’s illogical that the inside of the machine would be very dirty after a washing, right? All clothes entering a machine are dirty at first. And it seems like it’s distressing you to a level that’s unnecessary and irrational which indicates it’s your OCD and you’re admitting yourself it’s OCD. You need to do ERP with this situation. Endure the feelings of your clothes being dirty after washing them now. Its part of your recovery. Stop trying to find reassurance and other ways to “make it clean again”. As someone here also commented above, people here shouldn’t encourage you to find tricks to clean better and/or feel cleaner. They are just feeding your OCD.

Bailey Heiser
I feel like my washing machine is gross. The inside rubber part always collects goo and hair and it’s disgusting. I’m constantly trying to wipe it all out

Francine Ainley
If you have a drum wash on your washer put that on it just uses hot water no detergent and no clothes. That would clean the washer and drum. Hope this is helpful

Angela Snyder Manrique
What about the dryer. I can’t put clothes that have fallen out of the washer in the dryer Does anyone wipe the inside of their dryer