A washing machine needs as much washing and homemade washing machine cleaner as it does for your clothes. It might sound uncanny, but you should be cleaning your washing machines just as you clean up your refrigerators and ovens. The exterior needs regular wiping off with a duster every time you use it.
Some washing machines produce foul odors which may come upon the washed clothes. Water stains are visible in the machine drum or pipes after a long period of usage. Soaps and detergents may also settle on their surface. Thus, they require comprehensive and thorough servicing or cleaning after every six months.
DIY washing machine cleaner with regular ingredients
Cleaning a washing machine does not need much manual labor. Some vinegar, homemade washing machine cleaner, or any other cleaner would solve the purpose. You need a nip of baking soda and white vinegar. The vinegar will help in breaking down the soap deposits. It will help in disinfecting your washer, killing the foul odor, and making it look anew.
Making a DIY washing machine cleaner is an easy-peasy task. You need to pour around two cups of white vinegar with a bit of cleanser and hot water into the machine tub. Set the timer on the longest of the cycle. Once the timer beeps, clean the inside of the machine with the help of a scrub or a sponge. You can also add few drops of essential oils and some fresh, flowery, and fruit fragrances to the homemade solution. It will help in breaking down the foul odor.
Rerun the washing machine with the hottest temperature and the most extended timer. It will help wash away all the leftover particles of vinegar, baking soda, and other ingredients. You can also rinse the leftover particles with the help of a dry cloth.
The detergent and bleach tray also needs cleaning. You can remove this tray, put it in a bucket full of water, and wash it by scrubbing it with a brush.
Washing machines and Repairs
At times just a homemade washing machine cleaner is not enough for the washing machines. Every once in a while, a washing machine needs servicing and repairs. To save the extra cost, time, and exertion, you must wipe out the exterior and the interior of the machines with the help of dry dusters or paper towels.
Even if the washing machine needs repair, you can do it yourself with a simple tool kit hanging around your waist. These tools may include a multi-utility screwdriver, a flashlight, a nut driver in case to need to changes some nuts & bolts as they wear off with time. You may also need pliers and sockets & ratchet sets if there is some damage to the switches and sockets. You may also need a multimeter or a continuity tester to check the power supply to the buttons and sockets.
Draining issues
When a piece of clothing, buttons, or jewelry jams, the pipes connecting to the pump or the pump itself chokes, the machine starts to make grinding noises, and waterlogging happens. The draining system and pipes are clogging. In such a case, you need to pull out the hose pipe and remove the stuck article with the help of some tool or hanger.
You might also want to check if the pump is in good physical condition. You can rotate the shaft to check if it’s spinning. The pump will need replacement if it is not working correctly.
Slow fill/No fill
If your washing machine takes more time than usual to fill the water tub or the water is not running down the water inlet, you should clean the inlet screens. If the problem persists, you may want to changes the complete water inlet valve.
Spinning
If the washing tub is filling with water but is not spinning, there could be some problem with the lid switch. To check whether the lid switch is working correctly or not. You will probably need a continuity tester. Once you remove the electric wires, touch the edge of the tester to the switch. It will help in determining whether there is connectivity or no connectivity in the power supply.
If the switch needs replacing, you can remove the screws with the help of the screwdriver and put the new button, connect its wires, screw it in.
Short Summary:
The dirt and filth from your clothes get collected in the washing machines. It may degrade their quality or also stagnate their functioning. So, washing machines need regular repairs and a DIY washing machine cleaner for clean-ups.
