When was the last time you cleaned your washing machine? If you are like me, then the answer is "never'. Doesn't it get cleaned when we wash clothes? That's what I was thinking too but often, a small amount of residue gets left behind. This build-up might appear as spots on your just washed laundry, or it may just seem like your clothes aren't getting as clean as they should. These residues may eventually inhibit your washing machine from operating at peak performance.

Most accumulated dirt on the inside of the washer can simply be wiped away with a clean, damp cloth. You can also run a short hot wash with detergent then rinse with plain water in the empty machine.

If your washing machine is very dirty or requires sanitizing, make a disinfecting solution of chlorine bleach and detergent - use 3/4 cup bleach and 1 tbsp laundry detergent for every gallon of warm water and let it sit in the machine for a few minutes. Drain and rinse a few times with plain water to eliminate traces of dirt or bleach.

If you do not have a lot of space in your home, wouldn't you want to own this gadget?

Photo and info from this website:

The Washup is a concept design for a "Greener Gadget" contest that incorporates a washing machine into a toilet, recycling wash-water as toilet water, and saving space by absorbing the washing machine's footprint into the basin's.