Washing machine - can you check yours?

Barter

Hi,

My washing machine doesn't seem to rinse all the detergent out. First time I realised was when I needed to empty the water via the sink, & noticed how soapy the final rinse water was. I cut right down on the amount I add but you've got to use some!

Since then, whenever I remember, I look at the rinse water in the 'port-hole' (the machine is behind a cupboard door so not very visible normally) & there are lots of suds. I've just done a wash, it had the normal 5 rinses & spin, then I re-set it to extra rinse & spin. Better but still foamy. So I've given it another rinse & spin - can't say it's crystal clear water but I can't keep on for ever...

I'm sure the residual detergent greys the washing, but maybe this is normal. Does anyone else recognise this with their own laundry - can someone tell me if they have noticed the same, or if your final rinse is sud-free? And if anyone knows why it happens or what can be done, I'd love to hear!

Many thanks, Barbara.

papalaz

Hi, ive had this problem in the past. Seemed to happen mostly on the delicate/ coloured washes when using powder or tabs. Ended up switching to liquid detergent. Other things to check are load size, make sure there is a hand span of space at the top of the laundry. Not sure which make or model you have, but the fast wash and wool wash on mine cant dissolve powder and tabs very well due to short wash cycle. Another thing to check is the plumbing, make sure the outlet pipe is installed correctly. Once a month i run a service wash, (longest hottest programme with no washing) to clean out powder residue, i also stopped putting powder and tabs in the detergent drawer. They go straight in the drum. The rinse water comes in thru the drawer and if there is any undissolved detergent lingering it'll go back into the drum for the rinses.

Barter

Thanks very much for your helpful reply. I am guilty of overloading at times, & will watch that in future. However I've never used anything but liguid detergent, in a ball in the drum, in this machine - having noticed the clogging up of the drawer with powder in my previous machine. The idea of a 'service wash' is interesting - if there are any suds in the water then it'd show there's a residue in the machine, so I'll try that.
Thanks again, B.

papalaz

your welcome, Barbara. If your using mainly liquid detergent,( like me) and your still getting the suds, i would add some high quality bio powder detergent to the service wash. It has to be bio and powder, apparently theres some additive in it that they cant put into the liquids that really attacks any detergent residue and bacteria build up.

bookduck

Mine was that the cr*p trap (the one that unscrews and cover your floor with water - if you are not careful) was full causing my machine not to drain. The second time, the pump motor siezed (wd40 to the rescue).

"...having noticed the clogging up of the drawer with powder in my previous machine." Had this too, the jets that sprinke water onto the powder had become blocked, so not flushing the powder away, leaving a cement type of substance in the tray to dry