Yes, wash the washer

Q: My roommate and I got a used washing machine for our apartment through an Internet trade. It’s more than 10 years old, but works fine and doesn’t leak. However, the first time I washed clothes in it, they came out covered with lint and gunk. I thought I wiped down the inside thoroughly. Where did this stuff come from, and how do I get rid of it? — Kirstie in Rhode Island

A: Getting a used appliance can be a real money-saver, but if the machine is damaged, rusty or has built-up mineral deposits inside, much of your savings could be used up in re-washing items or buying parts.

In this case, the washing machine is working just fine, so you’re dealing with a built-up gunk problem. This gunk is all the little things that have been washed off of dirty clothes for years, like lint and dirt and grease, along with old soap residue and mineral deposits from the water used to wash them.

Put the washing machine through its own set of wash cycles. First, run the machine empty, letting it fill completely with hot water and adding two cups of white vinegar or lemon juice. The agitation and draining should loosen a lot of crud. Let the cycle finish, then run a second cycle of plain hot water to rinse. You can also run an optional third cycle of plain water with a couple of old, large towels thrown in to scrub the sides of the wash barrel, just to make sure most of the gunk is gone.

In older machines, rust is sometimes visible around the edges of the barrel’s drain holes. Products are available at home-improvement and appliance stores to deal with this small amount of rust.

Clean the bleach dispenser with a spray cleaner, old cloth and Q-tips. Remove and soak the fabric softener dispenser. Scrub the top rim of the wash barrel in front and behind, where a lot of dirt can hide.

Also, now and every three to six months, unplug the power cord and vacuum the dust from underneath and around the machine.