The washing machine offers us great convenience, as it cleans huge laundry loads in a few minutes. This easy-to-use machine has made our lives thousand times easy and better. But have you ever thought about what all this single machine has to handle while washing your clothes? It does go through a lot of unnoticeable wear and tear with every load. So, you need to be very careful when taking care of your washing machine to ensure it remains in the best working condition. Here’s our list of the top 10 washing machine maintenance tips to help you take care of your appliance.
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1. Daily maintenance
Soon after you wash your clothes, you need to keep the door of the machine open to dry out dampness and moisture. The moisture-free machine has no musty smell within the tub. After you wash your dirty and grease clothes, you need to make sure to clean your machine tub and walls with a damp cloth for eradicating any slimy buildup.
2. See what you’re washing
Never wash your heavy carpets and rubber mats in your washing machine. These heavy materials put pressure on the washing machine motor and may cause damage to the interior.
3.Properly clean the interior
While your washing machine can perfectly clean your clothes, it cannot clean itself. So, you need to take good care of it. To get rid of detergent build-up, dirt, and grease from the dispenser, tub, and water pipes, run clean water in the machine and add two cups of lime juice or some white vinegar on hot wash without the clothes. Cleaning like this every three months to free the interior of your machine and outlet pipes from stubborn grease, dirt, and water residue.
4. Avoid adding excess detergent
People often think that a good amount of detergent is required for spotless clothes. So, users often put more detergent in the machine in hope that their clothes would be stain-free. But this is not true! You need to put small piles of clothes and use less detergent. This is because excessive detergent not only harms your clothes but also the motor and water pipes of your washing machine.
5. Know your washing machine settings
Generally, washing machines have three types of settings for a wash – Normal, Medium, and Strong. You often go for a normal wash for your standard clothes. But when washing baby clothes or any delicate clothing pieces, you need to select a gentle setting. Select a strong setting only if you’re washing very dirty clothes. It is essential to use the right settings according to your clothes. This way you do not just protect your clothes but machine as well.
6. Never overload
Adding too many clothes to a machine is not a good idea. This will put extra pressure on the motor and also cause overheating. Plus, a packed load leads to no spinning or poor spinning. However, if you need to wash a heavy load, set your machine at a ‘heavy load’ setting. This way the machine would intake a large quantity of water for the heavy load to ensure the clothes comes out spotless and clean. However, we still recommend not to use heavy loads to avoid putting extra pressure on the motor of your machine.
7. Remove rust, if any
If you ever spot reddish-orange stains on your clothes while washing, there are chances of rust within your machine. These rust spots are easy to remove by adding around two cups of lemon juice and by running your machine for just one wash cycle with hot water. In case, this tip won’t work for you, you need to change your tub.
8.Clean the Filter
The semi-automatic washing machines come with a lint filter within the tub. This filter is to extract all dirt and lint particles while washing your clothes and collect them in a bag. You frequently need to clean it to ensure your machine is free from any buildup. If lint remains in your filter for a long time, it can reduce the life of your machine. Hence, it negatively impacts its performance. So, always clean your filter every time you wash a load or at least once a month.
9. Take care of the dryer
In the case of a fully automatic machine, there’s a built-in dryer. You need to remove the lint from this dryer after each cycle. Otherwise, the lint may clog the filter and block normal airflow. This can lead to dryer overheating that can further shrink your delicate clothes.
10. Pick the right detergent
While the selection of a detergent for a washing machine depends on your budget, it’s best to use machine-specific detergents than regular ones. The key is not to use very harsh or alkaline detergent, as it may damage your machine parts and clothes. So, choosing the right detergent is crucial for a washing machine’s performance in the long run.
With the help of these tips and tricks, you can keep your washing machine in a good condition. If you know some more Washing Machine maintenance, do share them with us in the comment section.