Tar in washing machine

Lulu58
Lulu58 Posts: 318 Forumite
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edited 3 January 2014 at 6:18PM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving
Hi, I've managed to get some tar in a washing machine which has then deposited itself on various items of clothing. I've picked off any bits of tar I can see in the drum, and have wiped down the drum with some solvent to remove the streaks of tar, but it has got into one or more of the plastic bars that run back to front of the drum. Again, I've got out as much as I can and have done several 'boil' washes but I'm still getting small deposits on clothes.

Does anyone know of some kind of 'safe' solvent/de-tarring product that I can run through the machine to clear out whatever is remaining, or can anyone suggest anything else?

Comments

  • Norman_Castle
    Norman_Castle Posts: 11,871 Forumite
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    WD40 may soften the tar or soda crystals in a hot wash.
  • nickj_2
    nickj_2 Posts: 7,052 Forumite
    eucalyptus oil is a good safe tar remover , but whether it would be any good running thru a washing machine ????
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,088 Forumite
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    White spirit (and then make sure you remove that as well)?
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • whitegoods_engineer
    whitegoods_engineer Posts: 636 Forumite
    Oops! If you're getting small spots of brownish tar, that's often a sign of the drum bearing seal going and grease coming in from the bearing.

    Sounds like the bearing is about to go. Is it noisy on spin?
  • Lulu58
    Lulu58 Posts: 318 Forumite
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    whitegoods_engineer wrote: »
    Oops! If you're getting small spots of brownish tar, that's often a sign of the drum bearing seal going and grease coming in from the bearing.

    Sounds like the bearing is about to go. Is it noisy on spin?

    That was my thought originally, but it's definitely tar. I put an item in the wash with tar on by mistake and didn't realise I'd done it until the next wash when the tar melted and re-deposited itself on the clothes and all over the drum. I've got most of it out of the drum, but there is still some inside the grey plastic bars which comes off on the clothes every time I do any washing.

    I've managed to get most of the marks off the clothes using solvents, WD40 etc, but I daren't run a quantity of solvent through the machine to clear it in case it blows up!
  • Quiet_Spark
    Quiet_Spark Posts: 1,093 Forumite
    Lulu58 wrote: »
    but I daren't run a quantity of solvent through the machine to clear it in case it blows up!
    The last time I contaminated a washing machine, it took 5 litres of Sarson's vinegar, a 95° C wash, and a "quick" 30 minute wash afterwards to get it all out of the system.
    Understeer is when you hit a wall with the front of your car
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  • Lulu58
    Lulu58 Posts: 318 Forumite
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    Quiet_Spark wrote: »
    The last time I contaminated a washing machine, it took 5 litres of Sarson's vinegar, a 95° C wash, and a "quick" 30 minute wash afterwards to get it all out of the system.
    Interesting! How did you use the Sarson's vinegar, did you pour it in whilst the machine was running, beforehand? I'd love to know more about this approach. Also, how long did it take to remove the smell of the vinegar?
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