new washing machine - is it definately ok to put soda crystals in with detergent?

princess_loki

hello all!

i know that you guys are the experts on all of this stuff and so i am in need of some advice...

my old machine stopped working last week and have just taken delivery of the new one. i was using s/c and w'pwder but have just run new machine through an empty cycle on quick wash with very little detergent and s/c - it bubbled right up:eek:

is it ok to still use s/c in a new machine? will it work the same as 'calgon' or will it just reduce the amount of w'pwder i need to use?

or will white vinegar help with the limescale problem - i live in a hard water area..

would be most grateful for your replies for both me and my MIL as we both have new machines!

cheers, loki x

Magentasue

I hesitate to say this, but I've had my machine three years and no problems using soda crystals. I use it instead of Calgon as our water is very hard.

princess_loki

my old machine was one i bought with the house - i have been here for 4 yrs and previous person had an 18month old baby.

i guess that she had the machine for a while because i bought the w'mach, fridge freezer, tumble dryer and microwave for £150. so the machine did me proud and i was so grateful to them for selling at that price!!

but what worries me is that soda crystals are not recommended by w/m manufacturers - they only recommend calgon....

Butterfly_Brain

They only recommend calgon because they have a deal with them - My friend is a washing machine engineer and he told me calgon is not as good as soda crystals - so guess what I use

princess_loki

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

They only recommend calgon because they have a deal with them - My friend is a washing machine engineer and he told me calgon is not as good as soda crystals - so guess what I use

thats what i thought - good to hear that an engineer says it is ok - even so i am wondering about the chemical properties of both and what the difference is.........

also - why is calgon / equivalent so expensive?????????

AlwaysHappy

Hello there, when do you use the soda crystals, with the powder or on an empty wash ? Thanks

Magentasue

AlwaysHappy wrote: »

Hello there, when do you use the soda crystals, with the powder or on an empty wash ? Thanks

When I lived in a soft water area, I'd use half the recommended amount of detergent. For whites, I'd add a scoop (from Vanish) of soda crystals and half a scoop of Vanish. Now, in a very hard water area, I use full amount detergent and half a scoop of soda crystals in every wash.

Butterfly_Brain

Water Softeners are basically salt so in theory you could also use the water softener for dishwashers - same thing

cyclingyorkie

i live in a hard water area - and never has my machine looked so clean - no scum in drawer - no deposit on door - since I arrived here and started adding soda crystals to my wash and using white vinegar as a fabric conditioner....

csarina

I have used soda crystals mixed with washing pwoder for years. When my washer broke down the engineer said it was probably lime scale, till he got the back off and saw the element....it was like new. I also have the whitest wash in the neighbourhood. Use 1 pack of washing soda to 2kgs of the cheapest powder I can find, mix it in a bucket and use 3/4 of a cup measure along with white vinegar in the softner drawer. Turn dark clothes inside out to keep the colour good. Wash sheets and towels at 60c and everything else at 40c woolens and delicates at 30c.