We are often asked what can be done to prolong the life a washing machine. Well, these are some of the things we’ve learnt over the years:
TIP 1. Place your washer on a solid floor. Machines placed on wooden floors with some “slight bounce” will exhibit premature bearing failure.
TIP 2. Always fill the drum to capacity. When the clothes are wet you should have about a quarter of clear space at the top of the door glass. Wash quality will be better and, during the spin cycle, the load will be better balanced, resulting in longer bearing life. There are economic and environmental benefits, too, since you’ll do fewer washes, using less water and detergent.
TIP 3. Once every month or so carry out a “boil” wash. This will help expand the outer drum and remove the body grease and fats that inevitably build up. Ideally, use this wash for tea towels, floor cloths etc.
TIP 4. Use less powder and steer clear of budget powders, as they have more “bulking” agents, which can block hidden chambers. Try a wash with no powder and you’ll amazed at how much residual detergent is left in most machines. During the main wash there should be little evidence of bubbles in the drum. If there is, cut down on the amount of detergent you use.
TIP 5. If possible connect to a water softener to prevent scale build-up.
TIP 6. Make sure that you have good water pressure on both the hot and cold supplies. Most UK premises have poor hot water pressure, which explains why the hot inlet valve fails more often than the cold.
