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Help with washing machine
Hi,
I've recently moved and the previous owners left the washing machine. I've used it a couple of times now but it's making my clothes all rough and a bit bobbly. Instead of being like they're freshly washed and nice and clean they feel all coarse and nasty. And some of them still smell dirty.
I'm using the same washing stuff I've always used and doing washes on 30 like usual.
Does anyone have any ideas what's causing this? I was wondering if maybe the machine needs a good clean? I heard somewhere you should do regular cleanups with a cup of white vinegar. Which i would assume you just put a cup of white vinegar in the tray and run an empty hot wash?
Any ideas or advice would be good :-) have never had any washing machine problems before and a bit puzzled!
I've recently moved and the previous owners left the washing machine. I've used it a couple of times now but it's making my clothes all rough and a bit bobbly. Instead of being like they're freshly washed and nice and clean they feel all coarse and nasty. And some of them still smell dirty.
I'm using the same washing stuff I've always used and doing washes on 30 like usual.
Does anyone have any ideas what's causing this? I was wondering if maybe the machine needs a good clean? I heard somewhere you should do regular cleanups with a cup of white vinegar. Which i would assume you just put a cup of white vinegar in the tray and run an empty hot wash?
Any ideas or advice would be good :-) have never had any washing machine problems before and a bit puzzled!
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There has been plenty of washing machine threads on here and it always comes down to one word ....
Bosch
Also check the filters. As it wasn't your own you don't know how it was previously treated. Wash out the washing powder drawer and check the rubber around the door for presence of mould.
Fixed that for you.
Bosch are good, but they are built like any other machine, and many are now built in Spain. Miele are totally different machines and will last twenty years. Mine is eighteen years old and has never needed anything done to it and my brother has an older machine that he once needed to unblock the water level sensor.
You pay more for them but they will last far longer and do a fantastic job. They work out far cheaper in the long run. Mine was £1000 eighteen years ago but I'd have had to buy three or four ordinary machines in that time and would have spent more money plus all the aggro of having to get them fixed/replaced each time.
Moved recently from a soft water are to a harder water area???
If it was any good, they would probably have taken it with them...
Do an empty maintenance "boil wash" with a dose of biological.
I'm fairly good with my 40C washes, but always wash towels (gym and domestic) twice a week at 60C with biological powder - keeps things tidy.
Going to try doing a few empty washes with white vinegar, and try using soda crystals when I do a wash. I've never heard of them! Going to ask in wilkinsons tomorrow if they have them. Do I just put a spoon of them in the main drum with my clothes?
I'm not sure if it's hard or cold water here or where I lived before. I'm genuinely clueless about these kinds of things.
It's a hot point machine. It's a bit dirty and old looking. They left the oven fridge freezer and washing machine. The freezer was so full of ice you literally couldn't put a single thing in it. Fridge was filthy. And the oven was disgusting! Full of black grimy chunky bits of dirt and grease and er just nasty! Was quite proud of myself for cleaning everything up all by myself! Would have liked to buy all new, but on a tight budget so had to get scrubbing....and scrubbing....and scrubbing. Was nearly sick a couple of times doing the oven, and even now thinking about it! Haha
Thanks again for the replies and advice :-)
i suppose you have to pose the question, why did they leave it.
stick it on an empty cycle at 90, tip a bottle of distilled vinegar in the drawer and half a bag of soda crystals in the drum and see if it make a difference.
soda crystals, £1 at asda.
take the drawer out and scrub ut too.
not as good as they used to be...
Whilst I agree that washing everything on 30C (towels, bedding etc) is not a good idea, there's absolutely no need to wash anything on 60C either (unless someone has a bacterial infection and/or has soiled items), provided you run a monthly empty maintenance hot wash.
OP - all you need is regular biological powder in an empty wash on the hottest temp your machine runs. Then leave the door open for a few hours afterwards. As others have said, make sure you wash everything out too - drawer, filter etc. Once clean, get into the habit of doing an empty hot wash with biological powder once a month, per any washing machine manual.
Do you check the seal on the drum? Sometimes the seal cracks and water gets in. This also makes clothes stink.
My bottom of the range Miele was £499 (should have been £599 but the shop had the wrong ticket on it and honoured the incorrect price) fourteen years ago and has not cost me a penny since I bought it. It was a very, very wise purchase. It still washes just the same as it did when it was new.
I love my elderly Miele, it looks a bit dated now. I'll be buying another one when it conks out but I'm hoping that won't be for a while yet!
First of all , Which (link below) has some guidance on cleaning a smelly washing machine (link below).
http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/washing-machines/article/advice/how-to-clean-a-smelly-washing-machine
Second - do you have the manual ? If not, you can almost certainly find a PDF file for it on the web (often on the manufacturer's website). Either way, get a copy of the manual and find out where the filters etc are and follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and regular maintenance.
Third, I would check the plumbing to make sure that the drain/sink into which water is taken away from the machine is clean and unblocked to make sure there are no issues there.
Ran a hot empty wash with white vinegar and soda crystals. And cleaned out all the drawer...yuk! It was pretty filthy!! Cleaned all round the door too. All looking much better now. Washed some towels on a 60 wash after with soda crystals added this time. All smelling a lot nicer and fresher :-) but still feeling quite coarse instead of nice and soft?
It's a hot point machine. I would love a nice new decent brand machine, but I don't plan on living here long term. Maybe two or three years. So trying to make do without any big expenditure for the time being. Agree with the poster that recommend Miele products!