When life gives you lemon DON'T put them in your washing machine. 

TikTok loves a laundry hack, and tossing lemons into your washing machine is right up there with the greatest hits. The promise? A fresh-smelling machine and mould magically gone. Sounds lovely. Unfortunately… not how science works.

Let’s start with the lemon itself. Lemons are organic matter. Real, juicy, pulpy organic matter. They contain hundreds of tiny pulp particles, and during a wash cycle, that pulp can detach, circulate, and get caught in places you never see — seals, filters, hoses. And when organic material gets trapped in a warm, damp environment? Congratulations, you’ve just created a bacterial breeding ground.

Yes, lemons are acidic. Citric acid can help loosen mineral buildup and assist with certain stains — that part is true. But it’s a mild cleaner, not a disinfectant. Lemon juice does not meet recognised disinfectant standards and cannot reliably kill mould or bacteria in a washing machine. Smelling clean and being clean are not the same thing.

The real problem with washing machines isn’t a lack of citrus — it’s moisture. Rubber door seals, gaskets, and detergent drawers stay damp long after a cycle finishes, which makes them prime real estate for mould and odour-causing bacteria. Adding lemon doesn’t fix that — it just adds more organic material to the mix.

If you want a DIY option, white vinegar is a better choice when used occasionally and correctly. Vinegar’s acetic acid can help break down detergent residue and neutralise odours. Important caveat: it still doesn’t kill 100% of mould, and it should never be mixed with bleach (that combo creates toxic chlorine gas — hard no).

The gold standard? Proper machine care. Wipe down seals, run hot empty cycles, leave the door open between washes, and use purpose-made washing machine or enzyme cleaners designed to break down residue and biofilm safely.

If life gives you lemons, we suggest sticking with lemonade! :)