Smell from washing machine

Washing machine smells develop because of bacteria breeding on residue left behind after a wash. The residue is made up of soap detergent, softener and soiling (from the clothes) all these cling to the surfaces within the inner tub/drum compartment. The damp, warm and dark conditions within the tub are an ideal enviroment for bacteria to start growing, and it is this bacteria which gives off the smell. The more they grow the stronger the smell.

Here’s some simple steps to help remove the smell…

1. Dry the seal, in the lowest section water collects even if the seal has a drain hole, dry this and help prevent black mold from forming.

2. Leave the door open when not in use and this, combined with drying the seal, helps the inside dry out and that reduces the chances of bad smells.

3. Once a month perform a service wash. That is carry out a hot wash on 60*C or 90*C cycle with a detergent that includes an oxygen bleach, that means a powder detergent as liquid detergents do not have oxygen bleach in them.

DO NOT PUT ANY CLOTHING IN THIS SERVICE WASH.

The combination of hot water and bleach will remove the bacteria that are causing the smells. If your washer has been smelling for a while the problem will only be solved by repeated Service Washes, once the problem has been solved a 4 weekly/ monthly Service wash will keep the smell in check.
If you have a removable lint filter remember to keep this clean also.

Washing machine noise

If your washing machine is noisier than normal it may be that the drum bearings are possibly wearing out. Amazingly, Many end users put up with the noise from the washing machine which could be causing untold damage to the appliance or the items within it.

Bearing changes can be quick and easy to do if caught at an early stage. Ignoring the problem leads to prolonged and more expensive repairs.

Some built in models of washing machine are a difficult to work on when it comes to a bearing replacement and are best undertaken by a professional or competent person.

It also could just be a noisy pump, but this noise will be present during any drain action i.e. during the rinse cycles.

If its noisy during the wash, has your washing machine a recycling pump, one that sprays water on to the clothes, this pump can also go noisy.

Don’t hesitate to contact us here at the first sign of any unusual noise.

Washing machine leaking on draining

There are several reasons for this happening:

Firstly, check that the household drain pipe is not blocked. These often fur up and block, causing the draining water from the washer to back up the stand pipe and overflow on to the floor. A full wash load of water is around 3 to 4 gallons of water, it can cause lots of damage to floor coverings.

Also, the washing machine should be plumbed in to a 1 3/4 inch diameter drain pipe, check it is. If the pipe is 1 1/2 inch diameter it is too small, this could block and restrict how quickly the water can run away. Remember, that once the water has left the washing machine drain hose it is no longer “pumped” it is being gravity driven from then on, it needs a clear pipe.

There is a trend to plumb the washing machine drain hose to a sink waste. This is not a great idea, the sink waste adaptor is a massive restriction to the waste water leaving your washer. The sink waste spout can easily block and cause problems. A badly run hose can also allow dirty water from the sink into the washer, causing smells and overfilling when not switched on problems.

Other causes include splits in the drain hoses, the household waste pipe joints are leaking or possible your filter has not been fitted correctly.

If you are in any doubt do not hesitate to contact us here and we will resolve this problem.

Washing machine not spinning

If you find that your washing machine is not doing the final spin, this may be because it hasn’t drained.  This is a common washing machine problem. The cause may be a simple blockage, or it might be component failure – pump, belt, brushes, motor, pcb, timer etc.  With your make and model details we can give you an idea of likely repair costs.  Check if it is draining & also check the filter then contact us here if you are unable to resolve the problem.

Dishwasher Detergents

Detergents are made up of 6 ingredients:

1) Oxygen Bleach, which removes stains, including tea and coffee and also removes coloured food residues.

2) Surfactants, specifically to remove greasy food left overs from the crockery, surfactants actually surround the grease and lift it from the crockery and then suspend it in the water so it can’t redeposit onto the crockery.

If you have hard water, it will make it more difficult for the surfactants to work efficiently, however the next ingredient will help to solve that problem.

3) Builders, specially designed to remove water hardness allowing surfactants and the other ingredients to work effectively.

4) Enzymes, there are different types of enzymes each effective on different types of food stains and residues, very effective on very tough stains and food leftovers. By using a combination of enzymes the best results can be obtained.

5) Polymers, once the other ingredients have removed the food and stains from the crockery the polymers suspend the soiling in the water, preventing redepositing of the food or stains. Polymers also assist it making the pots shine at the end of the wash.

6) Perfumes, for that fresh clean smell at the end of cycle, not just any old perfume, but a blend of several to appeal to you the consumer.

Summary

Generally the more you pay for a detergent the better the quality of the ingredients and a more varied combination of ingredients will have been used. Remember though not to over dose your dishwasher. If the appliance is a table top, drawer style dishwasher or even a slimline do not use a dose of powder or a tablet that is designed for use in a full sized appliance, this will cause your dishwasher not to function correctly. Likewise, if you decide to use 3 in 1 detergents which include rinse aid and salt, do not then double dose by filling the dishwasher reservoirs.