washing machine gunge

EthelBloggs

I've got a Servis washing machine, it's 2 weeks out of warranty and for some reason it wont take the fabric softener ffrom the drawer. It stays there and gets all gungy and disgusting!

I've taken the drawer out and cleaned it, also cleaned behind the drawer and everywhere i can get to in case there's a blockage somewhere but no joy

any suggestions?

tanith

This happens to my machine every so often and mine was because the holes that let the water in the top of the drawer opening were bunged up with gunge... I had to get a thin piece of flexible wire and poke into each hole carefully , be sure not to jab it or push to hard... mine has now been taking the fabric softener again for months.....

EthelBloggs

oooh.. I never thought to look upwards, lol

I'll try that, thanks

tawnyowls

Take the drawer out completely, clean it and the space behind thoroughly, run a hot wash with a pint of vinegar in the drawer and a cupful of washing soda in the drum. Once that's all done, give up on the drawer. Get some laundry dosing balls and use those instead - you'll save yourself hours of cleaning, save on the amount of product, and extend the life of the WM.

Avoriaz

tanith wrote:

This happens to my machine every so often and mine was because the holes that let the water in the top of the drawer opening were bunged up with gunge... I had to get a thin piece of flexible wire and poke into each hole carefully , be sure not to jab it or push to hard... mine has now been taking the fabric softener again for months.....

I use an old toothbrush or similar.

I do it just before a towel wash. Completely remove the soap dispenser and use a rag or kitchen cloth or paper towels to clean inside the dispenser, especially the top where the water holes are. Then place the dirty towels on the ground below, set the machine for a wash cycle, crouch down and, as the water starts to pour from the holes, use the toothbrush to clean out all the little holes. You might have to try a few different programmes to clean all the different holes. Some of the water will go into the machine but quite a lot will pour down the front of the machine but the towels will soak this up. You can switch the machine on and off so that not too much water comes out. It is a bit of a messy job but well worth doing occasionally. Do a rinse cycle to clean the machine and then wash the wet towels.

If you are really clever and have a helper and the space to do it, you might be able to tilt the machine backwards a bit and that will keep most of the water in the machine as well as giving you a better view of the top of the inside of the dispenser. Do not let it spin or turn the drum in this position as that might be bad for the bearings.

And most important of all, be aware of electrical safety as water and electricity do not mix. Make sure the machine does not have an electrical fault and is preferably protected by an RCD. You could wear thick rubber gloves and wellie boots as an extra precaution. I don’t bother and I am still alive.:eek: