What is Dry Lice?

Dust, also known as scale insects, are a buildup of soap scum, fluff, skin oils and hair. It often builds up around the door rubbers of your washing machine, but also around the soap dish. Grease lice are more common now than in the past because we wash more often at low temperatures. Because of this, detergent doesn’t completely dissolve, and all kinds of things stick to it. The result is a smelly washing machine, and that smell won’t go away by running a new wash every time.

Fat lice is a breeding ground for certain bacteria and causes a smelly washing machine and clothes. It can also cause stains on your clothes, especially white and light laundry is prone to this. Unfortunately, these stains are not easy to get rid of. Fortunately, grease lice in your washing machine can be eliminated! Read on.

How do you prevent grease lice?

Preventing grease lice is not that hard! You’ll need to clean your washing machine regularly – no, it won’t happen automatically every time you wash, but it won’t take much time or energy either. Once a month is best. The tips below will help you keep your washing machine clean and prevent grease marks!

• Reduce detergent: If your laundry doesn’t smell as fresh as you expected, we understand the temptation to add more detergent – but don’t! Detergents today are very concentrated, so the average person already uses too much detergent. This excess soap doesn’t dissolve properly, gets stuck in the drum and causes grease lice to form.
• Washing machine cleaning: Some people think you don’t need to clean a washing machine – they are wrong. It’s important to run a regular boil wash, at 90 degrees or higher, to remove all excess soap scum, dirty residue, bacteria and smelly odours from the drum. You can also add a splash of vinegar or baking soda if you like – this will also help to stop limescale!
• Wipe the door and soap dish: the soap dish and door of your washing machine are the main areas where detergent gets stuck. Clean them regularly to prevent grease-lice build-up. This will not be necessary after every wash, but try to clean it once a month.
• Leave the door open: Bacteria love damp washing machines. Leaving your washer door open after running a wash will keep water out and help it dry.

Removing grease lice

If you don’t know what’s causing that smelly washer, you might not know what to do about it… Does your washing machine smell and does a grey, greasy substance remain in the drum? Then you have fat lice, and you want to get rid of it as soon as possible. The musty smell can transfer to your clothes during the wash, and cause stains that are very difficult to get out. Cleaning your washing machine may sound like a daunting task, but with the following tips it won’t be! A simple, old-fashioned boil removes almost all odours, bacteria, excess detergent and grease. To do this, wash at a minimum of 90 degrees – with or without clothes. There is no need to spin, but do run the wash cycle through all the rinses. High temperatures will clean your washing machine, remove limescale and kill many bacteria.

• Return with vinegar: After a regular 90 degree wash, you can run the same program again with an empty drum and a splash of cleaning vinegar. This will neutralise any unpleasant odours, remove grease and even combat limescale – which is also very good for your washing machine.