Washing machine not doing as good of a job as it used to? Simple tips you can use

Have you been noticing that your clothes aren’t coming out of your washing machine looking and smelling as fresh as they once were? Have you tried switching up your laundry soap and you’re still far from impressed with the results? Before you jump to the conclusion that it’s time to invest in a whole new washing machine, which can cost a fair amount of money, there are a few tips that you might want to give a shot first. They may just bring your washing machine back to “like new” condition and your clothes coming out fresh.

Are You Putting Too Much Laundry in the Machine?

Sometimes it's not the machine that is the problem; rather, it is user-error. One of the most common reasons that clothes can come out looking and smelling less than fresh is if you are overloading the machine. It will be unable to move the clothes around properly, and that weight will risk snapping the drive belt. A good rule of thumb is to never fill it more than ¾ of the way full.

Now if you happen to be washing particularly soiled clothes, you may only want to fill it about half full. The more space you leave the clothes to move about in, the better the washing machine will work. It will also ensure that the soap is properly rinsed out of the clothing and not trapped.

Detergent Tray is Clogged Up

Over time, as you put your laundry powder and liquid soap in the soap dispenser tray, it can begin to clog up. This is especially true if you use large amounts of soap, which is never recommended. Once it becomes clogged, it won’t properly reach your clothes, which means they won’t be washed well.

A simple and immediate solution is to pour your soap onto your clothes in the washing machine drum. By doing this it won’t matter if the laundry tray is clogged up. As for cleaning out the detergent tray and lines, there are products you can purchase that will help to remove all that build-up. It may take a couple of tries, depending on how bad the clog is.

The Washing Machine Itself Needs Cleaning

When you think about how many loads of laundry you’ve done in your machine over time, and all that dirt and grime, it’s only natural that it starts to get dirty itself. Every once in a while it's wise to clean and descale your washing machine, as the experts at Service Force recommend. Service Force is used to being called out to homes to fix various washing machine issues, but as they point out if you clean and maintain your machine, these maintenance calls may not be as frequent.

Service Force recommends you take a damp, soft cloth and wipe all of the rubber and glass seals inside the machine, carefully lifting the seals to wipe under them. Soak the detergent drawer in hot water to remove mould and residue, and then run the machine on its hottest setting to get rid of any detergent build-up. You can also add vinegar to the wash cycle to get a really clean machine. Make sure when it finishes its cycle that you open up the door and leave it open so the washing machine can air dry.

The appliance repair shop recommends that this should be done every two months, or more depending on how many loads you wash.

Like a Brand New Machine

By following these tips, you may be surprised that your washer starts performing like a brand new machine.