There's an ad on TV
that gets me wondering. it starts off with a room filled with mountains of clothes etc waiting to be washed, and a voice over saying," you wash loads, but what about your washer?" (possibly not the exact words)
Then it goes on, "every load leaves behind (something) and grime" - here we see a hand wiping fingers around the rubber door seal and then rubbing fingers and thumb together, "and what's that smell?" says the voice over.
Then the voice tells you about a product you can buy to clean your machine.
Now I don't know about anyone else, but I've never had to buy any such product for my machine. She is 25 years old, happily washes whatever I throw in there and has never had a bad smell. I clean the lint filter maybe once a year and once found an earring, ruined so badly and a couple of coins, maybe a tiny bit of fluff.
Greasy/oily stains such as spatter from cooking, get treated before the items go into the machine, sometimes with a spray bought for that purpose, but usually by pre-washing the stain with good old-fashioned yellow laundry soap. Pockets get emptied before I even take the clothes off, except for that one time I wasn't well and a tissue sprinkled itself liberally over every single thing in there.
I wash with warm or hot water, depending on what I'm washing. Sheets, pillow cases and dish towels get hot water. Everything else gets hottish, a bit warmer than warm water. I don't have anything delicate enough to need cold water or hand washing.
So how does a machine get greasy left-behind grime and a bad smell? Do any of you have that problem? I personally don't know anyone who does.
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River, fabric conditioner does awful things to washing machines.
ReplyDeleteCathy; I use fabric conditioner, but only 1/4 or less of the amount recommended, mostly because I like the way the things smell once they are dry. I also use only 1-2 tablespoons of laundry powder, depending on what I am washing.
DeleteI have seen that ad and sneered.
ReplyDeleteIf my washing machine smelt bad after a load I would assume that it was not doing its job and that my clothes also smelt bad. I do use fabric softener - in small amounts. And do the vast majority of our washing in warm water.
Elephant's Child; I sneered too, at the 'smell', but mostly at the giant piles of washing waiting to be done.
DeleteWas the voice male? Here we have these ads, also. Always men explaining...
ReplyDeleteBecause men "know" but don´t do it. (OK Ingo occasionally does the laundry, but mostly me).
Annoying!
But: Here it´s not grease but limescale. My Brother has what we call "hard water" and he needs tablets against that for everything, washing-machine, kettle...
We have soft water and our machine only eats socks. We´re 60 km apart!!!
But these ads where men "explain" machines usually women take care of drive me nuts!
If you can explain, DO the job!
Iris; yes the voice is male. We have "hard water" in South Australia, but it never seems to affect my washing machine. I get a brown build-up in my kettle, but clean that by boiling water and vinegar and leaving it overnight. Then you have to empty, "fill, boil and empty" twice before using to be sure all the vinegar is rinsed out. I pour the boiling water down drains in kitchen and bathroom, helps to keep them cleaner I think.
DeleteMy sons do their own washing and my son-in-law also takes turns doing whatever is needed when it is needed.
Limescale wouldn't be causing any bad smells.
Right, when living in my hometown I used vinegar, too for that.
DeleteLimestone causes no smell (but they sell you that here!!!), - it destroys the machines. Vinegar. In the meantime make some fries to go along with that, LOL.
I only learned that in Australia... enjoying vinegar!
Years and years later we got vinegar-chips here.
Took us also many years to get oil to spray! (I once sneaked in one from Perth).
Good on your sons!
THEY can explain then. Not those arrogant ad-guys we have. ;-)
Give them dirty clothes, they run. And they never know how to use a machine anyways (that´s what I think...)
I want to brag about my washer and dryer but fear I will jinks them.
ReplyDeleteGranny Annie; go ahead and brag. I do. My machine is 25 years old, has moved house with me 5 times and last time it got dropped about a foot when getting it off the trailer. She works just like new still.
DeleteWell I was oblivious to such a thing. My washer has been cranking out nicely for 16 years since I had it and 10 years before when the people before me had it. No smell, no gunk, maybe I am doing something wrong:) If I am , I plan to keep doing it.
ReplyDeleteArkansas Patti; With no smell and no gunk, I would say you are doing everything right, like the people before you. It pays to look after your machines, right?
DeleteThat is why they have the ad, to let you know your washer smells! Which of course it doesn't because it gets rinsed out with soap several times a week.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar ad and I think the same thing as you. Never, ever had such an issue!
BTW 25 years! Not today, today they only last about 10. You got one of the last of the good ones. Hang on to that machine.
joeh; I'm definitely hanging on to it. I bought it when the store was closing down and it was the only one left, the "floor model" so it had a tiny ding on one side and people had been touching it as they looked while shopping, so as well as being on sale I got another $200 off the price. It's a Swedish made front loader, guaranteed for 25 years of heavy duty daily use. It certainly hasn't had daily use and rarely heavy duty, so I figure it will last longer than the 25 years.
DeleteI keep the lid of my machine up between washings to keep mildew from forming. In fifty years of washing clothes, I've never had the alleged problem.
ReplyDeleteJoanne; mine is a front loader and I leave the door just slightly ajar after use, never had a problem.
DeleteFront load machines, such as some of my clients have, can get this problem, and yes, you need to clean them. When i used to work for one lady who had such a machine, i had to regularly clean out the area under the rubber gasket, it would get mold and stink.
ReplyDeletemessymimi; mine is a front loader and has given no trouble at all, no smells, no mould, for 25 years now. I think a machine would only get mould if the clothes weren't taken out right away after the wash cycle finishes and maybe left in there all damp for a day or two or if the door was kept shut while the empty machine was still wet inside.
DeleteIt's a load of nonsense. Ours at times collects lint around the door seal and it is a matter of wiping it off and a washing machine cleaning product would not remove it. Same with the dishwasher where muck builds up around the base of the door. It has to be wiped out. An additive won't remove it.
ReplyDeleteAndrew; I don't even get lint around my machine door. The only time I've ever had to wipe out the drum was when a tissue got shredded in there and I'm careful about emptying pockets now before I even take my clothes off.
DeleteI had to buy a new washer and dryer when I moved last year,. For the first time ever I chose a set of front loaders. Like you said, I keep the doors open a tad when they're not in use and have had no problems.
ReplyDeleteKathy G; I'm happy you have joined the front loader team :) I would recommend also using only half or less or the recommended amounts of detergents and softeners. Experiment a bit and find out the smallest amount that suits you.
DeleteAh yes, pushing products for imaginary problems. You reminded me of the famous ad for stain spray with a man shrieking about his "ring around the collar" and every single time I would yell at him: "Wash your effin neck!"
ReplyDeleteXO
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