Is my washing machine cleaning as well as it should?

Mojisola

dekaspace wrote: »

The clothes never look that washed in the sense be it jeans or t shirts they look chalky afterwards

So the problem is clothes looking chalky

the jeans came out covered in soap suds.

If it is the fact I use too much powder how much would you use?

Too much powder and/or a cheap make that doesn't dissolve properly.

Try washing two or three times without any powder and get all the residue out of the clothes.

Then use a small amount of a better quality powder.

Pollycat

missbiggles1 wrote: »

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

Yes, that matches my machine's instructions.

missbiggles1

Mojisola wrote: »

Too much powder and/or a cheap make that doesn't dissolve properly.

Try washing two or three times without any powder and get all the residue out of the clothes.

Then use a small amount of a better quality powder.

Or, even better, washing liquid or capsules. I've been warned by 2 plumbers about the risks of washing powder clogging the pipes when I've had to get them in for this. I haven't used powder for years.

Pollycat

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Or, even better, washing liquid or capsules. I've been warned by 2 plumbers about the risks of washing powder clogging the pipes when I've had to get them in for this. I haven't used powder for years.

Me too, I use liquid not powder.

Even the washes that I use Vanish powder on (cream bedding, white mattress/pillow protectors, returning holiday clothes) I dilute the powder as I don't think it disolves properly.
When my stock is gone I might decide to buy the liquid/gel type.

dekaspace

Well this stuff gets things really shiny clean, when I did pillows they came up white as new its just the residue on other clothes, its bulk powder not a cheap supermarket one but not branded either, only thing about it is it has no scent.

If it was just the powder then the same powder works fine in my relatives machine.

Fosterdog

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Or, even better, washing liquid or capsules. I've been warned by 2 plumbers about the risks of washing powder clogging the pipes when I've had to get them in for this. I haven't used powder for years.

Strange one, I've been told the exact opposite and know of quite a few others who have too, I've been told the thick almost gel like liquid coats the inside of the pipe work but the slightly abrasive powder is better for keeping it clean because even if some gets stuck it dissolves quite quickly and any residue is washed away with the next cycle.

I was told by another engineer it's even better to not use the feeder tray at all and is better with powder put directly in the drum with the clothes, I tried that for a while but the machine started to smell a bit where the water was first running into the tray but with no form of detergent starts to smell a bit stagnant over time so I went back to powder in the tray.

Mojisola

dekaspace wrote: »

Well this stuff gets things really shiny clean, when I did pillows they came up white as new its just the residue on other clothes, its bulk powder not a cheap supermarket one but not branded either, only thing about it is it has no scent.

If it was just the powder then the same powder works fine in my relatives machine.

Did you use the same amount of powder in the other machine?

Do you ever run your machine on the hottest wash it does? It's worth doing a cleaning run every so often - 300g of soda crystals in the empty drum and a hot wash (no clothes!).

dekaspace

Mojisola wrote: »

Did you use the same amount of powder in the other machine?

Do you ever run your machine on the hottest wash it does? It's worth doing a cleaning run every so often - 300g of soda crystals in the empty drum and a hot wash (no clothes!).

I used the full cupfull the time I did the pillows but the machine was full.

I normally set it to synthetic I think which may be the hottest.

Mojisola

dekaspace wrote: »

I normally set it to synthetic I think which may be the hottest.

Doesn't the machine have a 90 degree wash?

mumps

Fosterdog wrote: »

Strange one, I've been told the exact opposite and know of quite a few others who have too, I've been told the thick almost gel like liquid coats the inside of the pipe work but the slightly abrasive powder is better for keeping it clean because even if some gets stuck it dissolves quite quickly and any residue is washed away with the next cycle.

I was told by another engineer it's even better to not use the feeder tray at all and is better with powder put directly in the drum with the clothes, I tried that for a while but the machine started to smell a bit where the water was first running into the tray but with no form of detergent starts to smell a bit stagnant over time so I went back to powder in the tray.

I was told the same as you, the engineer said if I preferred the liquid/gel then to make sure I did an occasional wash with powder.