Washing machine cleaner

Following the manufacturers user instructions and recommendations can be important. It may be worth looking to the content in the Choice guides and reviews. I found the following online from LG, suggesting somethings may be important to the life of your WMC.

You can maintain the tub clean all the time if you run the Tub Clean cycle once per month.
If you see ‘tcL’ flashing from the control panel, it means that it’s time for you to clean the tub.
Empty the unit and run the Tub Clean cycle.

Do these user requirements vary between brands and models, and is it something to consider in the guides or when comparing products?

I noted LG avoided naming any particular cleaning product. LG advised to not use bleach. IE potentially high pH/caustic which will aggressively attack aluminium.

More than an academic interest, our small Simpson top loader is making terminal mechanical noises. A replacement FL challenges a laundry reno, for both the opening and 19th century timber floors never part of a laundry when built.

Appreciate your patience and commitment @airedale.

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My Electrolux EWF1042BDWA (FL) is not very prescriptive.

With the use of low temperature washes it is possible to get a build up of residues
inside the drum. We recommend to use “Tub Clean” program to clean the drum regularly to
remove any residue. … The water we use normally contains lime. It is a good idea to periodically use a
water softening powder in the machine. Clean the appliance only with soap and warm water. Fully dry all the surfaces. Do not use alcohol, solvents or chemical products. Do this separately from any laundry
washing, and according to the softening powder manufacturer’s instructions.This will help to prevent the formation of lime deposits.

It then goes on to describe cleaning the water inlet filter, drain pump filter, and detergent drawer.

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This a very helpful article by Airedale:

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Do these user requirements vary between brands and models, and is it something to consider in the guides or when comparing products?

Invariably they do, and while it’s usually a good idea to follow the manufacturers’ instructions, in the interests of CYA their guidelines tend to err on the conservative side.
A lot of washing machines also don’t have a tub clean indicator, or a tub clean cycle. In that case you can still show the machine the TLC it needs by occasionally running the hottest cycle you can, empty, with a little bit of good detergent to give it a flush out - especially if you only wash in cold, and ESPECIALLY if you use fabric softener. And why are you still using fabric softener anyway?

That’s an interesting issue - you should never use chlorine bleach in your washing machine - it can damage both machine and clothing, and potentially interact with your detergent and create toxic gasses. Many laundry soakers are oxygen bleach based though, and these are fine. They probably won’t do much to clean your washing machine though.

You also make a good point about old wooden floors. Much as we love front loaders, they do tend to vibrate and move about a lot if your laundry floor is less than completely solid.

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I once found shirts washed in a top loader were regularly emerging with oily looking streaks/stains. F&P asked if fabric softener was being used - it was but not by me - and advised to remove the agitator from my top loader to check for deposits. I did and found quite a build up of congealed fabric softener residue. Cleaned, problem solved.

Miele recommends a front loader hygeine clean when the machine tells you, they have a special powder for that of course but it’s prob just household stuff like bicarb etc. A tech told me to just make sure I do a 90 deg wash every month and it should be fine.

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OMO Professional from its SDS has a dilution pH: ≈11. Many others are 10.5 ish. There are some that are manufactured to be a more neutral pH of around 7. Typically manufacturers try for higher pH as it aids the detergency. Powders are typically a higher pH than the liquid detergents.

A more neutral type only as an example is OMO Delicates Silk and Wool, Biozet has a pH of around 9 as does Drive.

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I have a 13 year old top loader. I think I’ve cleaned it about 3 times. I don’t buy anything special, I just use hot water and washing powder, I let it soak for a few hours and then do a full cycle. That’s what the instructions say to do, I’ve never had a problem with odours, residue or anything else.

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