Cleaning-obsessed mums are using dishwasher tablets to clean their washing machines and the results are horrifying

THEY'RE meant to clean your clothes - but mums are discovering just how filthy their washing machines actually are.

Women have been sharing their shock online at the dirty water generated after they used a cheap cleaning tip to get their appliances sparkling.

Posting in the Facebook group , they revealed how they had been using dishwasher tablets, of any brand, to remove the grime - and shared snaps of the results.

So effective was the trick that some women added up to four to their otherwise empty washing machine drum before putting it on a hot cycle.

They found the water turned an unpleasant brown shade within minutes.

Admitting her horror at how dirty their machine had turned out to be, one person commented: "Well to say I am disgusted is an understatement."

One group member shared a video of her appliance's water turning from clear to brown within just five minutes.

She explained that she had cleaned it with hot water and vinegar just a few weeks previously - but it had failed to do the job.

A third shared: "Decided to try use dishwasher tablets to clean my washing machine - I am now mesmerised."

And a fourth added: "I can already see the shine start to come back to the drum."

By using the dishwashing tablets instead of regular detergent, you can break down smaller dirt particles and remove stains more easily.

It comes after a mum shared a gross picture of how her machine had become dirtier than her clothes.

Posting in  group Mums Who Clean, the Australian social media user shared a shocking photo to demonstrate her discovery.