Is my washing machine cleaning as well as it should?

missbiggles1

dekaspace wrote: »

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.

Synthetic, as you might expect, isn't as hot as a wash for cotton.

missbiggles1

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.

Mine is never that thick - you wouldn't describe it as "gel like".

If you google "washing powder blocking pipes" there's masses to read - change that to "washing liquid blocking pipes" and there's nothing.

Fosterdog

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Mine is never that thick - you wouldn't describe it as "gel like".

If you google "washing powder blocking pipes" there's masses to read - change that to "washing liquid blocking pipes" and there's nothing.

I didn't say that the liquid blocks pipes I said it leaves a coating inside which ends up festering and smelling as described here
http://www.whitegoodshelp.co.uk/which-is-the-best-type-of-washing-machine-detergent/

There are also plenty of other websites describing the exact same thing. I'm sure people have had the powder block the machines but it is almost certainly down to incorrect use, using too much on too low a temperature, not breaking up big lumps of powder before putting it in and never running cleaning cycles, washing powder has been around for decades and until cold fill machines clogging pipes was not a common issue at all.

I'm only in my early thirties so obviously don't have the life experience of these things that some will have but I can say I have always used powder except for trying liquid for around a month and found the powder to be much better and I have never had an issue with blockages in pipes but did have a very smelly machine after just one month of liquid. I usually run a cleaning cycle every other month and fully clean the filters and every bit of the machine I can reach and the only issue I've had with smells was the one month I used liquid, I would need to run a clean cycle every other week if I used it all the time, I did find that it did a decent enough job on the clothes though so wouldn't rule out ever using it again but would maybe alternate between liquid and powder washes to keep the clothes and the machine in best condition.

cte1111

I've just switched back from liquid to powder, as I found that my machine was smelling and there was a slimy coating on the seal. I wiped the muck away from the seal, then did the hottest wash with the machine empty apart from washing soda. That got rid of the smell and it has not come back since I switched to powder.

LoveLifeAgain

Once a week I put the machine on the hottest wash and put white vinegar in all the compartments and the rest in the drum and it seems to work for me.
I was also told over the years by different engineers that washing powder is best but they say that most put too much in, he also said that the 30/40 degree washes all the time is not good and you need to have 60 or over washes regularly, hence my doing the maintenance wash each week.


The general recommendation by them all is that if a maintenance wash has not been done for a while, to put biological powder in and put on hottest wash, then do another immediately after with soda crystals or vinegar. My daughter's smelly washing machine was cured after this.


The maintenance washes are all with an empty drum.


Good luck

Haffiana

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.

Correct - powders contain bleaching agents that are not in liquid detergents because they are unstable in liquids. This will keep mould and bacteria from collecting in your sump and clogging up your pipes. One of the reasons that the liquids are so highly fragranced - it is to cover any stagnant smell! If you use liquids you need to run a very hot wash with powder once a month or so.

Haffiana

Pollycat wrote: »

My machine is a Bosch.

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.

On older Bosch's the instructions say the same thing. However the machine will first fill through I and then through II for a normal wash. For a prewash, it will fill on I, wash and drain, and then fill through II only for the main wash.

I would be interested to know if anyone with a very recent Bosch has watched where the water runs through on a normal wash?

mumps

Fosterdog wrote: »

I didn't say that the liquid blocks pipes I said it leaves a coating inside which ends up festering and smelling as described here
http://www.whitegoodshelp.co.uk/which-is-the-best-type-of-washing-machine-detergent/

There are also plenty of other websites describing the exact same thing. I'm sure people have had the powder block the machines but it is almost certainly down to incorrect use, using too much on too low a temperature, not breaking up big lumps of powder before putting it in and never running cleaning cycles, washing powder has been around for decades and until cold fill machines clogging pipes was not a common issue at all.

I'm only in my early thirties so obviously don't have the life experience of these things that some will have but I can say I have always used powder except for trying liquid for around a month and found the powder to be much better and I have never had an issue with blockages in pipes but did have a very smelly machine after just one month of liquid. I usually run a cleaning cycle every other month and fully clean the filters and every bit of the machine I can reach and the only issue I've had with smells was the one month I used liquid, I would need to run a clean cycle every other week if I used it all the time, I did find that it did a decent enough job on the clothes though so wouldn't rule out ever using it again but would maybe alternate between liquid and powder washes to keep the clothes and the machine in best condition.

I've never had a problem with powder blocking pipes (I'm probably so tight I don't use enough powder to cause a problem.) I definitely have experienced the smell after using the liquid for a few weeks and couldn't work out what the problem was, then the engineer told me to use some powder and it was cured.

mumps

Am I the only person who resents the use of water and electric for a maintenance wash. I do the towerls on a hot wash with powder and don't seem to need a maintenance wash.

Nicki

I do cleaning cloths on a boil wash with no powder as the maintenance wash, sometimes with vinegar. There aren't so many as to mean that water doesn't circulate and I don't care if they distort or shrink.

I think the idea of a maintenance wash is that you don't use detergent, so that you clear any residue of soap out of the machine regularly. Certainly when I do it with the cloths, there are always loads of suds before the rinse cycle and they come out nice and clean.

OAP if you like using unscented powder, rather than changing this why not try running the machine empty a few times on the hottest wash possible (likely to be cotton cycle) with a bottle of vinegar in the soap dispenser the first time and nothing afterwards (until you don't see suds in the drum at any point) and then try again to wash your clothes with the same powder and without overloading the drum? Cheaper than an engineer or a new washing machine!