5 Tricks to Get Your Washing Machine Running Like New!
Washing machines are crucial to the smooth running of our households – they take our dirty clothes and turn them into clean clothes; all without us having to do much!
This convenience however means that when they go wrong, they cause havoc to our households and can create stress and friction. We then run around trying to get it repaired as soon as possible – because with every passing day, the pile of clothes continue to build up!
Use these 5 tricks to keep your washing machine running like new:
1. Run regular hot wash cycles
Many items of clothing are now designed and made to be washed at lower temperatures (such as 30c) which uses less electricity, and therefore cheaper to wash. However, constantly running your washing machine at low temperatures means that it cannot break down dirt and grease build-up. Furthermore, if you use detergent tablets or pods (that you chuck into the drum with your clothes) the lower temperatures usually aren’t enough to completely melt the packaging which over time can cause blockages.
Run the hottest cycle that your washing machine offers, around once a month; it’s a great opportunity to throw in some towels, underwear, bedding or other clothes that can benefit from a hot wash!
2. Don’t use products like Calgon
You’ll often see adverts for products such as Calgon which are supposed to clean the inside of your machine to keep it running trouble-free. Our advice here is that if you have not used these products from day one of having your washing machine, then don’t start now. Over time certain components of your appliance will form limescale deposits on them. Over time, this builds up. If you then suddenly start using a break-down agent, such as Calgon, the sudden disturbance of these limescale deposits which were acting as support to the components can cause component breakdown.
3. Clean your washing machine with dishwasher tablets
Yes, you heard us right!
Dishwasher tablets are designed to break down grease, which makes them perfect for cleaning your washing machine – not only will it clean the inside of the drum, but also all of the major components (such as the heating element) and the insides of the hoses.
Simply chuck in a dishwasher tablet, no clothes!, and run the washing machine on its hottest setting.
4. Level your washing machine
If your washing machine vibrates violently during it’s spin cycle, or starts crawling around in your kitchen, you need to level your appliance!
This is really easy – you will find 4 feet under your appliance (2 at the back, and 2 at the front). Simply turn them clockwise to extend them, and anti-clockwise to shorten them. You can use a spirit level to help you do this.
An unlevelled washing machine puts unnecessary strain on major components (drum, shock absorbers, counter weights, etc.) – levelling your appliance will not only quieten it during operation but also prolong the life of these major components.
5. Book a washing machine repair early
This one might sound simple but we see this way too often!
If you notice your washing machine develop a fault, no matter how big or small, book your washing machine repair as soon as you can. Delaying this can often make the problem much worse and cause further damage – costing you more money to repair!