I have an “antique” washing machine — it was made in 1995 and has served me well for almost 20 years. At one point I had a home warranty and it broke down and was $7 short of being replaced, but instead the bearings were replaced.
I have always been good about leaving the door up on my top loading machine after using it so it could dry out. But I started noticing rust spots on some of my clothes and realized it was rusting around the plastic insert for the bleach dispenser. I finally pulled the dispenser out and was appalled by the amount of rust.
This photo is after I had scraped the peeling paint so it really looks bad. I found a video online that showed how easy it was to remove the cabinet so I removed the control panel and popped the cabinet off. It’s in a small room so I couldn’t pull it all the way off, so I leaned it forward against the wall.
When I looked underneath I found the entire front rim of the cabinet had rust, but the rust around the bleach dispenser was by far the worst.
I scraped the paint and loose rust off and used Ospho. I had used it on 14 steel posts that held up second and third floor decks at my old house and love this stuff. You can see that post at Refinishing Rusty Metal – Ospho
Ospho turns the actively oxidizing rust into an inert substance. I applied Ospho to all the washing machine rust areas and let it sit overnight. The next day it had turned all black.
Since I couldn’t get the washing machine cabinet outside (and it was too cold anyway) to use spray enamel I purchased a 1/2 pint can of Rustoleum Oil Based Protective Enamel in Gloss White that I got at Wal-Mart for $3.97. I figured it didn’t matter how it looked, since it was a 20-year-old machine — I was most concerned with covering the rusty areas.
I applied 2 coats allowing the first coat to dry overnight. I painted the underside of the rim, the area around the bleach dispenser, and the underside of that area.
I’m amazed how well the paint matches. Now only time will tell how well it will extend the life of my washing machine. I realize I’m on borrowed time, but appreciate any extension I can get. And now I shouldn’t be getting rust spots on clothes due to rust flakes falling into the machine.