How to clean the inside of a washing machine and keep it that way

[Rockfella]

Testing SA8

 

[lockhrt999]

This is detergent buildup. That white stuff is the detergent used. Let's see what he said.

Wow. It's so white that JRR Tolkien would render it as an elf.

What kind of detergent would do this?

He says sometimes he used Tide. I mentioned why I don't like Tide here which is P&G recommend this particular detergent for both top and front load instead of offering specialised variants as they do with Ariel or H-Unilever with Surf.

On a side note, Tide does now have separate detergents for top loader and front loader. It's either newly introduced or nobody knows. It's probably online exclusive as I haven't seen it offline.

But yeah, it's most likely the powder meant to be used for manual cloth washing.

@frozenscotch: mate, the powder meant for manual hand washing is notoriously slow to get dissolved into water. If the water is cold then (in quick wash) even entire 15 minute cycle won't be enough to dissolve all the powder. That's why you have the whole drum coated with detergent. Next time do use detergent meant for front loaders only. They not only dissolve quickly but do so in less amount of water. Plus there's no lather as it's not ideal for FL.

I use ppm to indicate the total hardness CaCO3 measured by that aquasol kit and not some TDS number.

@frozenscotch you should also test the waters with this kit. I have soft water everywhere still I'm testing. It'll clear up some air.

He has a Sammy, He got seven years with his use. With proper use, why not 10 years or beyond without a spider ie. catastrophic failure?

I'm crossing my fingers.

 

[blr_p]

I had used Racold brand geyser which lasted thirteen years. I did change the heating element as it had become rusted but if I remember I did not notice any scaling but the water was not as hot as it used to be so instead exchanged it with Elac brand 3 years back.

This means your water is soft and you are under 150ppm hard. How much detergent do you use in a wash?

Soft water is good to wash in but is harder to rinse the detergent out. I put about 25ml of premade 20% citric acid solution in the fabric conditioner tray to neutralise any detergent left after the two rinses. This will also lower the pH of the clothes as well as bathe the drum in a lower pH solution.

Pay attention to how foamy the water is at the end of the second rinse.

I will use the percarbonate and check once again if more residue comes out and update. Thanks for your suggestions.

I was thinking to modify this a little. Percarbonate on its own lacks a softener and surfactants. You get that if you use Vanish.

A surfactant is a molecule with two ends. One likes water and the other likes fat. The fat one attaches itself to any fat deposits and the water end pulls the fat out wherever it's attached.

To do better than Vanish, add about 5-10 gm of your detergent powder to the 50gm of Labogens when you do a tub clean or boil maintenance wash

Now you have better than Vanish or Affresh.

 

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What kind of detergent would do this?

Any that has not faced too many hot washes or regular maintenance washes with some product. The problem is you can't see how bad it gets. If there was some indication then you know what to do. In my case, the prompt was a smell. He had none.

I think anyone with a front loader reading this thread and having done empty tub cleans regularly or not that they need to do it twice a month for three months to begin with.

100gm citric acid mid month
50gm Vanish end of the month

Repeat for the next two months. Alternate between the boil wash which uses less water and the tub clean which uses more water. The motions are different between the two so they will spray water differently in the tub

After that do one or the other every two months.

If you notice in the second photo you see there is dirt reaching to the top of the tub. Yeah, this happens even in a machine where the water level is so low

This is why the half-kilo fabric is to be used in the maintenance cycles as that's how the residue got sprayed up that high in the first place by washing dirty clothes.

If the water is cold then (in quick wash) even entire 15 minute cycle won't be enough to dissolve all the powder.

Washing Machine Wash Times And Quick Wash

We are asked all the time if a certain program time is correct or we get the complaint that a washing machine is taking too long to wash, these days that usually means over two hours to complete a wash program

www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk

Quick washes are, for the most part, designed for "lightly soiled clothing" now you are told that and no more but there's a little bit of information missing here. The missing bit of that puzzle is the explanation of what qualifies as "lightly soiled clothing" and the simplest explanation is that it is clothing that is "not worn next to the skin" by most any detergent manufacturer.

Of course this means that there is no sweat residue, no skin flakes, no makeup or cosmetic products, no skin grease and suchlike on the clothes at all or, at the very least, so little of these stains and dirt as makes no odds. A quick wash will almost certainly not remove this sort of dirt and grime and the worst of it is that a lot of it you can't see immediately.

We say you can't see it immediately as you won't for one or two washes this way and the clothes will come out somewhat refreshed with any sweat smells masked by the perfumes in the detergent used so most people just think that the job's done, but it isn't. What happens is that over time if the garments aren't washed properly is that the dirt and grime builds up and you get a greying effect and discolouration in the clothes. In other words, it ruins your clothes faster.

Washing Machine Fast Wash

Help, advice and spare parts for all appliances, washing machines, dishwashers, fridge, freezers, cookers with free forums for fault diagnostics

www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk

Now look at all the brochures and websites, they're all the same, they'll tell you that the machine has a 15/20/30 minute, fast wash but it tells you no more than that. It doesn't tell you that in order to achieve that time that the wash time is reduced, the rinses reduced, the spin reduced, you can only wash a half load, you need to reduce or not use detergent and it likely won't heat or, if it does, not much.

But people think that this is great, we can have fresh clean laundry in as many minutes. Well, no you can't.

You can have laundry that has been made wet, rumbled around a little and barely spun but you can't have a proper wash in that time in a modern washing machine, it just isn't possible. But the marketing materials didn't say that they would either, people just assume that that is what is meant and it is an assumption that is wrong. Or you could argue, people are sold the idea of it, even if it's not the whole truth or clear.

Using fast wash is really, really bad if not for the few things that it was intended to be used for.

There are several reasons for this that include the following:

• It won't wash out stains properly
• It won't wash out skin grease
• It won't wash out skin flakes
• It won't wash out pretty much anything else
• It will not dilute a normal dose of detergent correctly
• It will not rinse correctly using a normal detergent dose
• It will leave residues on the laundry due to poor rinsing
• It will leave residues in the machine due to poor rinsing
• Continued use will lead to bacteria build up in the machine

We could go on, but we're sure you get the point by now. Fast washes are, for anything other than what they were intended to be used for, useless.

I'm glad in a way this has come up as it is given me an idea as to what people are doing.

Yep, now my spider is SS ( kochi repair shop type )

Why did you go with a custom spider instead of one from Samsung? Had this been a Bosch, the job would cost half what they ask for.

And, you mean, if I use phosphate chemicals, corrosion can be delayed and spider life would increase. So, which detergents (or machine powder ) contain correct amount in it, or separate cleaning with phosphate chemicals is preferable I guess ?

I was incorrect. Up to 2020, powder detergents sold in India were allowed to contain up to 9.5% of phosphates but in 2020 it was reduced to 2.5%. We can see this in the consumer reports for detergents.

2015, 2018 and 2022

What I now think led to longer life in the past is the machines did not have energy restrictions imposed by govt on them. Hot washes were more common.

To get that A++ or BEE label the machine has to conserve energy so it gets less hot than before.

Nobody was doing cold washes. That all started in the 2000s and created its own set of problems.

Back in 2013, DuPont did a survey in India about how people do Laundry and the conclusion is not surprising. I doubt much has changed in the decade since

 

[Rockfella]

Testing SA8

View attachment 153255View attachment 153256View attachment 153257

Update:

Not that other products can't do this, just sharing SA8 results. Was left in the machine overnight. cold water only.

 

[Black_Hawk]

This is a really fantastic thread and kudos to @blr_p for making this thread and providing such great and detailed information regarding cleaning washing machines which are such essential workhorses in our homes, specially in winter now!

Having read all 6 pages of this thread now, I do need some advice from @blr_p so here we go:

I have a Bosch Front Load Washing Machine (Model No: WAB16060IN) which I purchased in October' 2016... so it's been 6+ years now that it has been running. I have never had any major troubles with it (knock on wood!) barring one time when the front control circuit developed a problem and had to be changed. A mechanic from Bosch fixed it and the unit has been serving me well.

Since there is no 'Machine Tub Cleaning Wash' option in this system I usually run a 90 deg 'Cottons-Hygiene' wash with a couple of scoops of Baking Soda (in the soap tray). I usually do this twice a month at least with 4-5 clean mops in the tub. As daily detergents I use Ariel Front Load Liquid Detergent and yes, I do use Fabric Softeners (Comfort).

Now for the last 6 months I have been really busy (work, had to shift from one house to another one, traveling etc.) and the cleaning schedule which I regularly followed for this washing machine has not been adhered to. Having read this thread now in it's entirety the flame to once again get back to maintaining the cleaning schedule and keep the aging machine in the best condition possible has been rekindled!

From the very first post on this thread I gather that using Vanish and running a full 90C wash cycle for 4-5 times (depending on first wash cycle water-out quality) should be the ideal way to cleanse out the machine. Thing is... my washing machine is used daily for washing clothes ('Regular Wash' Mode at either 30C or 40C) in the afternoons. So, what I plan to do is run the 90C Vanish Cleaning Wash cycle in the morning from Monday to Friday (for 5 days) with some clean mops and towels. I hope this plan is a good one and works as it's intended to irrespective of the afternoon regular clothes washing that happens in the afternoon. What are your thoughts?

Also, I do happen to have one of these Bosch Washing Machine Cleaner with me (new & sealed):

Bosch Siemens Washing Machine Cleaner

It's 200gms and a single use container. Is this going to be better compared to the Vanish process? Real problem is Bosch recommends to use this cleaner every 2-3 months but the product is mostly out of stock on Amazon so getting one is difficult. Vanish OTOH is readily available and poses no availability challenges.

Also, I have never used any De-scaler in my machine, EVER. Should I use them at all now? I believe I should test out the Hardness of water at my new house first because this is a different area of the city. Maybe get this Aquasol Total Hardness Test Kit that you have suggested here on this thread and then go from there? Water does taste more salty in this place than my my previous area though.

Kindly guide me on this. Thanks!

 

[blr_p]

I have a Bosch Front Load Washing Machine (Model No: WAB16060IN) which I purchased in October' 2016... so it's been 6+ years now that it has been running. I have never had any major troubles with it (knock on wood!) barring one time when the front control circuit developed a problem and had to be changed. A mechanic from Bosch fixed it and the unit has been serving me well.

WAB16060IN washing machine, front loader | BOSCH IN

WAB16060IN washing machine, front loader | BOSCH IN

www.bosch-home.in

https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/9001235210_A.pdf

That's you

Since there is no 'Machine Tub Cleaning Wash' option in this system I usually run a 90 deg 'Cottons-Hygiene' wash with a couple of scoops of Baking Soda (in the soap tray). I usually do this twice a month at least with 4-5 clean mops in the tub. As daily detergents I use Ariel Front Load Liquid Detergent and yes, I do use Fabric Softeners (Comfort).

Baking soda is useless. I recommend you switch to Vanish powder. 50gm with about 0.5-1kg of some clean light colour fabric. You need the fabric to control the foam. It will also spray the solution around the entire inner tub and clean it better. If you notice in an earlier post where the tub was opened and you can see the dirt has reached to the top of the tub. Always amazes me when I see that since so little water is used in the wash. Well, this is how you get it all out.

Run that on 90 once a month and you will be fine.

I recommend this monthly as your machine will always be clean that way considering your use of liquid detergent and fabric softener. It will also help the spider to get a near boiling wash like that regularly.

I don't use regular fabric softener. What I use instead is about 30ml of a premixed 20% concentration of citric acid solution and put that in the fabric softener compartment. This will neutralise any detergent residue on the clothes after a wash by reducing the pH of the clothes like fabric softener does and leave the machine in a less alkaline state.

It does not 'soften' clothes though as that effect is perceived by making the clothes more slippery. You do that by smearing them in grease. Ya, that is what fabric softener is and it smells great so everybody uses it. But it does leave a residue in the machine. I notice people here have not complained about smells even after using fabric softener. My theory is fabric softener in India is formulated using plant-based fats unlike abroad where they use animal fats (tallow) which smell more perhaps.

From the very first post on this thread I gather that using Vanish and running a full 90C wash cycle for 4-5 times (depending on first wash cycle water-out quality) should be the ideal way to cleanse out the machine. Thing is... my washing machine is used daily for washing clothes ('Regular Wash' Mode at either 30C or 40C) in the afternoons. So, what I plan to do is run the 90C Vanish Cleaning Wash cycle in the morning from Monday to Friday (for 5 days) with some clean mops and towels. I hope this plan is a good one and works as it's intended to irrespective of the afternoon regular clothes washing that happens in the afternoon. What are your thoughts?

I did it five times because, during the first wash, I noticed the water was a dark brown. Use a bright torch and observe the water as the wash cycle approaches the end. You should have an idea by now how long the wash cycle takes so you can catch it before it flushes the water out. In my case, it was visible through the window towards the end of the wash cycle and the mops I used were dirty. So I ran it five consecutive days until they came out clean. You might not need to do that if your first wash comes out clean ie. without any visible dirt.

Also, I do happen to have one of these Bosch Washing Machine Cleaner with me (new & sealed):

Bosch Siemens Washing Machine Cleaner

It's 200gms and a single use container. Is this going to be better compared to the Vanish process? Real problem is Bosch recommends to use this cleaner every 2-3 months but the product is mostly out of stock on Amazon so getting one is difficult. Vanish OTOH is readily available and poses no availability challenges.

How good it depends on whether it is still viable. So take a teaspoon amount and put it in a hot water flask. Pour boiling water into it to the halfway mark and watch for a reaction. It's an oxygen-based cleaner going by its ingredients (search for the number 925). Which are similar to Vanish, percarbonate with surfactants and enzymes.

As a comparison do the same test with Vanish powder. And use which bubbles up the most. In my case and to my surprise that Bosch cleaner which is meant to be used in its entirety had expired a mere couple of years after I bought it. The container was sealed too. It was useless in other words. Considering the price paid was the equivalent of SIX x 400gms packets of Vanish powder !!

Also, I have never used any De-scaler in my machine, EVER. Should I use them at all now? I believe I should test out the Hardness of water at my new house first because this is a different area of the city. Maybe get this Aquasol Total Hardness Test Kit that you have suggested here on this thread and then go from there? Water does taste more salty in this place than my my previous area though.

Depends on your water hardness, I think I posted a formula to follow on how often. Get that kit.

This time of the year when the rains end my water gets harder. So I use citric acid powder as a descaler

I think for the longevity of a front load machine it must have a boil wash once a month. What you put in either Vanish or citric acid/descaler is up to you. I think a product is better than nothing as I discovered. Before I was regular with tub cleans but I used to do with them water only. No product, no fabric. Well, the machine developed this smell over the years which would not go.

and if you do use either product then use the fabric with both, it will spray the water everywhere inside. I keep them in a bag and use the same towels and mops for each maintenance wash.

Pay attention to the drain filter and what shows up in there. Clean that out every couple of months and note what kind of residues show up. This will provide clues as to what is lurking inside the machine.

 

[blr_p]

I have a Bosch Front Load Washing Machine (Model No: WAB16060IN) which I purchased in October' 2016... so it's been 6+ years now that it has been running. I have never had any major troubles with it (knock on wood!) barring one time when the front control circuit developed a problem and had to be changed. A mechanic from Bosch fixed it and the unit has been serving me well.

Surprising since it's quite a basic machine without even a digital display. In terms of simplicity and longevity, this is ideal.

Did you get a look at the circuit board when it was being replaced? Was it potted? Meaning covered with a thick layer of epoxy glue so no components are exposed. Or did it look like any regular circuit board with components exposed?

Your machine comes with a sealed tub which can be seen in the parts blowout. Part 309 is the tub. This means even a bearings change requires the entire tub to be replaced. So the way to delay a bearings problem is to ensure you never see foam go higher than a third from the bottom of the glass window. If it rises more it can damage the bearing seals and then the bearings get spoilt.

Now should you ever have a problem that requires a drum spider or bearings change, there are workshops that can open the tub, put in a custom stainless steel spider and seal it back up. These are 3rd party shops. If you can find one where you live the fix will be cheaper and faster. The service centre will not do this and tell you to replace the entire tub which you will have to wait for if they don't have in stock.

Since there is no 'Machine Tub Cleaning Wash' option in this system I usually run a 90 deg 'Cottons-Hygiene' wash with a couple of scoops of Baking Soda (in the soap tray). I usually do this twice a month at least with 4-5 clean mops in the tub. As daily detergents I use Ariel Front Load Liquid Detergent and yes, I do use Fabric Softeners (Comfort).

The manual makes no mention to do a tub clean wash at all. What you want is to increase the duration of the wash. The hottest and longest is the idea. On my LG if I use the 'intensive' modifier it increases the duration of the wash. A regular 90 shows 1:11 and this goes up to 2:00 with intensive.

A regular 90 deg cottons hygiene should be fine. I see no option on your machine to prolong the wash. There is a way to trick the machine into doing it. When you start the cycle, let the vanish mix in and let the fabric get wet. Then a few minutes later stop the machine and power it off from the console. Restart it and set the same 90 deg cycle again and press start. It will think the wash load is more and increase the duration of the wash. This is just a hack to increase the boil wash duration. Optional.

Post your experience when you do the clean.

Can you get hold of an IR thermometer? It will be interesting to see whether your machine reaches the temperatures indicated on the dial. See here for how I did it.

 

[blr_p]

A great demonstration of the inside of a machine that has not seen a boil wash in its life

The inside looks immaculate. Not so the tub and outer drum

 

[blr_p]

What does an IFB spider look like ?



It seems they have an enamel coating on them these days to prolong life.



The older ones didn't have it. This one is about eight years old and only liquid detergent was used






Because no powder was used the drum looks fairly clean without the characteristic white residue. But if as some claim, liquid detergent is better then how is it this spider failed in eight years? Shouldn't it have lasted longer? so liquid residue is just as damaging if unmaintained as powder residue.



That's the tub it came from. Does not seem like it has had a boil wash at all. You can see the guy picking at lumps of gunk that got trapped in those cavities at the back. Yet no fabric softener was used. Which would explain the relatively cleaner look of the tub. I really wish those cavities were not there.



The heating element looks almost brand new after seven years. No hard water or likely seen very little use.

That's the video of the spider replacement. My only issue is he did not completely clean out the tub after he repaired the machine. Maybe he was not allowed to. Otherwise am impressed he got the job done with no power tools. The repair job appeared relatively quick Because he doesn't replace just the spider but the entire drum plus spider.

Repair cost? around 6k including a bearings change !! The video is dated Jan 2021 so give or take a few months. Reasonable price for the effort involved plus labour. Looks like it was a 6kg machine so will be slightly more for bigger machines. Still, I think it's decent. It seems that IFB charges more upfront when buying their machines in exchange for lower repair costs later.

Abroad this would have cost 3x more.

His advice was to leave the door open. I'd say boil wash every month, more frequently with Vanish powder if you use liquid detergent/ Fabric softener and more frequently with descaler/citric acid if you use powder detergent.

Now if you happen to live in a hard water area AND use liquid detergent/fabric softener. You will have to alternate between Vanish & descaler every month.

 

[blr_p]

Descalers are usually some mix of citric acid. To test if it's fake or not you need to know its pH. The cheapest if not very granular way to test for acidity is to use a universal indicator solution or pH test strips. Get both as you can double-check results.

Make a 10% solution to test. Add 10gm of descaler to 100ml and then add a few drops of the indicator solution. It should turn red if it changes to other colours then it's fake.

You can do a comparison with vinegar. It should turn to whatever colour the vinegar gives. With test paper or universal indicator.

You can do a test with common salt which is not acidic and see what colour that becomes. Now if they are cutting it with common salt (guessing) you will know immediately. Never put salt in the machine as it will corrode the stainless steel drum. For that matter don't use vinegar to descale either as it will dry out rubber seals and cause leaks in the machine. Citric acid will not affect the seals.

If you have a way to test acidity any of these should work. Didn't find a single person performing the above tests in the amazon reviews before declaring whether something is fake or not.

So I decided to test the pH of IFB descaler that I bought from this seller who no longer deals with IFB products. It's got a hologram on the front of the packet. Does that mean it's genuine? The packet looks fine otherwise. The price paid was Rs.300 for two packets. pH indicator used is here

I recommend people perform the tests below with their own descaler whatever it is to determine its acidity. If you live in a hard water area, and your descaler does not indicate acidity you will be wasting your time and money with it and doing nothing to protect the machine. Vanish cannot descale the machine. You need a working descaler.

1) Grains are almost sugar sized. Tasted it and yeah it does have a table salt-like taste. I was expecting a sharper taste like vinegar or lemon.




2) How does it compare to my tap water?

The left image shows IFB in the left tube vs my tap water in the next tube. No difference in pH. A close-to-neutral pH descaler? how good will it be at descaling? Not very good if at all.

The right image below shows my tap water in the left tube in relation to a neutral or pH 7 buffer solution (more yellow) in the right tube. So my water is slightly alkaline as its more green




3) How does the IFB pH compare to vinegar and citric acid? This is a 1% dilution. So 10 gm of IFB descaler/citric acid/vinegar in 1 litre of water.

The left image has vinegar in the right tube (more yellow than neutral pH7 shown above) and the right image has citric acid in the right tube (reddish). So citric acid is more acidic than vinegar as it's closer to the red end than vinegar which is what we want. But citric acid still isn't acidic enough at a 1% concentration. I'd have preferred the indicator to be a darker shade of red. But it seems this is the limit when it comes to shades of the red this pH indicator will show. I tried with plain vinegar which would be more acidic and the shade of red did not change. Meaning the red you see here is the most acidic it is capable of displaying, so around pH 4.

Can't wait to get a pH meter. These pH indicators are very basic. The steps are at least 1.5



4) so decided to put the IFB descaler into the machine for a tub clean cycle to see how much foam it would generate.



Not a whole lot. In fact, you likely would not be able to tell the difference in terms of foam if there was no IFB descaler in there. I generally see more foam in there with citric acid towards the end of the tub clean cycle.

From this experiment, I conclude the IFB descaler I got isn't going to do a good job if anything at descaling. Did I get a fake one or not? I don't know. But I won't get any more as I cannot figure out what mechanism it has to descale. Ingredients are not mentioned so that is another minus.

Instead, I will DIY my own descaler powder that is at least a pH of 4 at 1% concentration. This will require adding another acid of lower pH than citric acid to bring the overall pH closer to 4. This way we don't end up using too much product for each descale cycle.

 

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Is IFB watching this place? A week later they put up a video to show why their descaler works. It does not, at least for the purpose of descaling but the test they did shows something else. NOW I think I know what this thing can be used for and in a way confirms I did not get a fake product.

All this proves is their 'descaler' is in fact a water conditioner. Meaning it sequesters Ca+ & maybe Mg+ ions by turning them into soluble complexes. Hence the water becomes clear.

It won't work for descaling as the pH isn't acidic enough as indicated in my previous post.

So what is IFB descaler good for? Washing clothes in hard water because it will reduce water hardness by sequestering hard water ions. The thing is it's not great even for that as you can see in the previous post it did not generate much foam at all in the machine. If it did soften water to a proper extent there would be much more foam.

If they want to prove their descaler works, they should make a video like those Japanese guys did.

Dissemble, show scaled drum, reassemble, run descaler, Dissemble again and show cleaner drum. That will be adequate in terms of proof

 

[gokul.ece22]

Atomic washing machine cleaner helped me greatly to remove the scales, gunk, deposits from my top loader.
Works best with hot water.

Buy pack of 3 or pack of 5, if you are descaling your washing machine after many years. my machine needed 3 packets to remove every bit of residue.

Atomic washing machine cleaning powder- Amazon.in link

 

[blr_p]

Atomic washing machine cleaner helped me greatly to remove the scales, gunk, deposits from my top loader.
Works best with hot water.

Top loader is the key.

Buy pack of 3 or pack of 5, if you are descaling your washing machine after many years. my machine needed 3 packets to remove every bit of residue.

Atomic washing machine cleaning powder- Amazon.in link

Not so great in a front loader with a tub clean cycle. Might be ok on a regular hot cycle with lower water levels.

Mentioned it in my second post

 

[Rockfella]

@blr_p Now my dryer is stuck. Water does not drain out properly and it does not seem like I can open the pipes of the drain to clean it. Just looking for best solution to clean the internals of my semi automatic machine.

I used white vinger with cold water so this drain has cleaned up a bit but not to my satisfaction.

What I am assuming now is that vanish will clean the washing compartment but how to clean dryer drain pipes?

Much thx @blr_p

 

[blr_p]

@blr_p Now my dryer is stuck. Water does not drain out properly and it does not seem like I can open the pipes of the drain to clean it. Just looking for best solution to clean the internals of my semi automatic machine.
View attachment 160870

I used white vinger with cold water so this drain has cleaned up a bit but not to my satisfaction.

Why did you use cold water ? try with 50 degree water out of your geezer since your pipes are all plastic. If you find vinegar did something then citric acid will work better. Long term vinegar is not good for seals.

Citric acid and Vanish can both do cleaning but they go after different kinds of residue. An example is I wanted to clean a pressure cooker. Since it was made of aluminium I did not use Vanish. I boiled some water and put about 60 gms of citric acid in it and let it sit for two hours. I was amazed to find all the residue came out without any effort and this almost half century old pressure cooker is like brand new.

Hot temperature helps. Giving enough time to do the job also.

View attachment 160871

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What I am assuming now is that vanish will clean the washing compartment but how to clean dryer drain pipes?

Fill them with cleaning liquid (Vanish or citric acid, your choice) in them for a few hours and then drain.

If it is some lint or cotton then it might need some mechanical prodding.

 

[Rockfella]

I now remember when this happened. The dryer sound changed suddenly after a wash few months ago by my mom. This was stuck ..

Stuck in this chamber.

Since I had to open the top I cleaned almost everything.

Very happy to DIY this.

 

[blr_p]

I now remember when this happened. The dryer sound changed suddenly after a wash few months ago by my mom. This was stuck ..
View attachment 160879

Stuck in this chamber.

View attachment 160880

Bingo! something slipped in between

Since I had to open the top I cleaned almost everything.
View attachment 160881

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For the benefit of all those here who can't DIY their top loaders, how long did it take for that buildup to accumulate? I think you did a clean Feb '22 so just a year old then.

That's what I would expect in a machine that cannot do hot washes. I don't know if you use fabric softener but this is all the residue from the SA8 detergent.

How hard was it to remove? was it stuck on and required effort or just peeled off.

View attachment 160884



View attachment 160885

Very happy to DIY this.View attachment 160886

The best plan for you is to do this manually on a yearly basis. Everyone else sticks to hot maintenance washes every couple of months or in my case, I alternate between an 80-degree wash and a tub clean with higher water level every month.

 

[Rockfella]

Bingo! something slipped in between For the benefit of all those here who can't DIY their top loaders, how long did it take for that buildup to accumulate? I think you did a clean Feb '22 so just a year old then.

The build up that I cleaned exactly 1 year ago was done after many years (first time tbh machine is 6+ years old). I was surprised to see this build up today. Drain was clogged last time not this time. The blockage was in the dryer chamber because of something slipping in not pure buildup as you can see.

That's what I would expect in a machine that cannot do hot washes. I don't know if you use fabric softener but this is all the residue from the SA8 detergent.

I can do hot wahses by using hot water frequently if it really helps. I don't use any fabric softner but can change to something else if you suggest.

How hard was it to remove? was it stuck on and required effort or just peeled off.

Very easy.

The best plan for you is to do this manually on a yearly basis. Everyone else sticks to hot maintenance washes every couple of months or in my case, I alternate between an 80-degree wash and a tub clean with higher water level every month.

Please suggest vinegar/baking soda/bleach/whatever is best to clean this clog frequently.

Something was here which is missing as it broke off. Could all the fast build up be because of this missing?

 

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I can do hot wahses by using hot water frequently if it really helps. I don't use any fabric softner but can change to something else if you suggest.

The buildup under the impeller is mainly from the SA8 then. I do not see any scale so you do not need a descaler. Not sure if the black stuff at the bottom of the tub in the second photo is mould. Maybe.



That is one year of SA8 liquid detergent buildup. Good you posted these photos as they serve as an approximation for others as to what to expect when using liquid detergent. If Fabric softener is also used then expect double this residue, particularly if you cannot wash in warm water or use hot water. This is why the LG top loader manual says to make every fourth wash a warm wash.

Very easy.

That is good news then for others who cannot get into the machine. So long as maintenance washes are regular the wash action should clean most of the residue.

Please suggest vinegar/baking soda/bleach/whatever is best to clean this clog frequently.

I don't know what clog you are referring to but if you want the deal with the residue under the impeller...

100gm Vanish powder in hot water. Let it run for a few minutes. Then let it sit for an hour. Then run it again for 15 minutes. Done. Repeat every couple of months. Dissemble after a year and compare the difference with the photo above.

Your case is easy as there is no steel basket so 90% of the tub will be clean. The residue is only under the impeller and the part of the tub that the impeller covers.

So you only need enough hot water to completely submerge the impeller and no more. For those with regular top loaders, they will need to fill the entire tub right to the top as there will be residue on the back of the basket as well as the rub.

Something was here which is missing as it broke off. Could all the fast build up be because of this missing?

The missing something is your lint filter which seems to be missing for some reason. There is no lint that I can see in your latest photos. The buildup under the impeller is from liquid detergent residue.

Ensure the Vanish powder is stored in some airtight container or make sure the ziplock bag of the 400gm packet is tightly sealed between uses. Moisture must not be allowed to get in otherwise the percarbonate in it will quickly expire. The percarbonate is the active cleaning agent you rely on to remove the detergent residue.



To clean these pipes the hot Vanish solution needs to fill them and sit there for at least an hour. So you will have to figure out how to fill them. So after five minutes maybe run the drain pump. Plug the pipe outlet then stop the drain pump. Let it sit for an hour then let it out when you empty out the main tub.

Considering the amount of plastic piping as well as the tub in this machine you should not use any chlorine bleach like Clorox or Rin. Try the Suma D4 tabs if you need to remove any smells or mould. Use about four with enough water to cover the impeller. That will be about 5-10 litres of water. Let it sit for an hour in hot water. Keep in mind the Suma will not be as effective at removing detergent residue as Vanish. In theory, you should not need the Suma but it's good to have it if necessary.