About the house with Francis Brennan: how to clean your washing machine

His new book The Homekeeper’s Diary is full of tips and tricks to looking after your home, and we've got the inside track.

Washing machine with laundry

• Give the plastic seal a good scrub with a solution of vinegar and water.
• Pour 500 ml of vinegar into the drum (it won’t harm it).
• Mix equal amounts of baking soda and water (about 50 ml of each) and add this to your detergent drawer.
• Set your machine to do a hot wash (making sure it’s empty!).
• When it’s finished, look inside to check for any gunge, which you can easily wipe away. Don’t forget to give the detergent drawer a good wipe as well.

The Homekeeper’s Diary 2021 by Francis Brennan published by Gill Books, priced €19.99.