Is my washing machine cleaning as well as it should?

dekaspace

My machine has the old fashioned type with no digital display just a dial for synthetics, cottons and another (not at home so can't check)

But I know the 1st option goes through a cold wash and rinse at the end.

I just wasn't sure why there was 2 sections in many machines especially when it does a 2nd cold wash later, so I assume just put the powder in the 1st section.

Pollycat

My machine has a section on the left for powder/liquid for a normal wash, a small section in the middle for fabric conditioner and a section on the right hand side for pre-wash.

dekaspace

Mine just has sections with number 1 or 2 (or I and II as its labelled) and on the far left is fabric conditioner tray.

Though 2 comes first and on other machines 1 comes first so I chuck everything into the 1.

pigpen

if you don't have the manual look online for it and see what that says about where powder should go.. or turn it on without the prewash and look where water is coming through once it starts.. and fabric conditioner if the small bit usually.. and it has an icon on it.

I can't believe (in an amused way) you've had it 10 years and don't know this stuff lol.. is it not the first thing you check when you get new appliances??

dekaspace

pigpen wrote: »

if you don't have the manual look online for it and see what that says about where powder should go.. or turn it on without the prewash and look where water is coming through once it starts.. and fabric conditioner if the small bit usually.. and it has an icon on it.

I can't believe (in an amused way) you've had it 10 years and don't know this stuff lol.. is it not the first thing you check when you get new appliances??

I haven't had it 10 years its a model about 10 years old.

Nicki

On overfilling, a WM engineer told me that when the machine is loaded with dirty clothes you need to be able to put your clenched fist with a thumb up on top of the clothes. If you can't do this, your machine has too many clothes in for that wash.

Haffiana

Siemens and Bosch machines take powder from both containers on a normal (no prewash) wash. You can fill one or both, it doesn't matter which.

Chalkiness will come from either insufficient rinsing, or too low a temperature. Check that a/ you are not putting in too many clothes, and b/ that the machine actually is heating the water (put your hand on the door when it is washing to check. The element might have broken).

The third possibility, if it isn't either of those, is that the soap powder you are using does not contain sufficient surfactants and rinsing agents. This used to be a common problem with eco washing powders, and in fact clothes would end up hard and dingy as a result. I personally think this may be the cause from what you say, because when you washed your clothes at the relatives house, a certain proportion of the soap will have come from their washing machine's sump, and therefore your clothes will have had a different detergent profile. This will be easy to test - just buy a small box of a mainstream detergent like Persil, Ariel or Fairy and see what happens.

Pollycat

Haffiana wrote: »

Siemens and Bosch machines take powder from both containers on a normal (no prewash) wash. You can fill one or both, it doesn't matter which.

My machine is a Bosch.

Pollycat wrote: »

My machine has a section on the left for powder/liquid for a normal wash, a small section in the middle for fabric conditioner and a section on the right hand side for pre-wash.

The left hand section is labelled 'II', the right is 'I'.

My instructions say:
"programmes without pre-wash - pour detergent into dispenser II, programmes with pre-wash - divide detergent between dispensers I and II "
so it doesn't sound like my machine takes powder from both containers on a normal (no prewash) wash.

Callie22

If you live in a hard water area you might find it helpful to put a tablespoonful of soda crystals in with the powder - they will help to soften the water. You can get them from Wilko's for about 90p a bag.

missbiggles1

dekaspace wrote: »

Mine just has sections with number 1 or 2 (or I and II as its labelled) and on the far left is fabric conditioner tray.

Though 2 comes first and on other machines 1 comes first so I chuck everything into the 1.

I'd assume that 2/II is the drawer for the full wash powder and 1/I for the pre wash.