Effective ways to remove scale from a washing machine

During operation, scale forms on the elements of the washing machine. This occurs due to the release of limescale deposits from the water when heated.

The rate of sediment formation is affected by the intensity of use, frequency of washing at high temperatures, and water hardness.

High-quality regular cleaning helps to cope with the problem. To learn how to remove scale from an automatic washing machine at home, read the article.

When to clean your automatic machine?

Descaling your washing machine should be done periodically. This will avoid voluminous accumulations that impair the operation of the device and contribute to equipment breakdowns.

The visible part of the drum, in which things are placed for washing, almost always looks shiny and clean. But this circumstance has nothing to do with the condition of the heating element and the outer part of the drum.

The recommended cleaning frequency is once a quarter; if you use the washing machine very rarely, it is a couple of times a year. The hardness of the tap water affects how often preventative maintenance should be performed.

If the water in the system is hard, and washing is carried out mainly on a long cycle with high water heating, Cleaning of lime deposits should be carried out more often, once every 2 or 2.5 months.

How to cleanse with folk remedies at home?

To remove limescale, it is not necessary to use special purchased products. Even simple homemade recipes give good results.

How to remove with vinegar?

Table bite is not only a food product, but also an effective means for removing lime from the surface of a tubular heating element and other parts of a washing machine. You will need 400-500 grams of it.

Step-by-step work:

1. Carefully pour all the vinegar into the washing powder compartment.
2. Set the long-term washing mode with a water heating temperature of +90? C, for example, “cotton”.
3. Start the wash.
4. After finishing washing, wipe and ventilate the inside of the machine.

Preliminary dilution of vinegar with water is not required.

Soda with vinegar

You can clean the machine not only with vinegar, but also with soda. The process of removing deposits using this method:

• combine in a separate container according to ? glasses of soda and vinegar;
• pour the resulting solution into the washing powder compartment;
• pour another 1 glass of undiluted vinegar directly into the drum itself;
• do a long wash in hot water;
• run the cycle;
• wipe the drum and rubber parts around the door.

Lemon acid

Using citric acid to descale a washing machine is a widely popular and very effective method. For this treatment you will need a large bag of citric acid weighing 100 grams.

Work order:

1. Pour the powder from the bag into the compartment intended for washing powder.
2. Set the washing mode to “cotton”.
3. Adjust the heating temperature to 90-95?C.
4. Start the wash.
5. Wipe and ventilate the drum.

You should not replace citric acid with lemon juice, as the result will be a solution of weak concentration that will not be able to cope with scale. Read more about this cleaning method Here.

If the situation is advanced

In a situation where descaling has not been done for a very long time (or has never been done at all), standard methods may not help.

For this:

1. Carry out general cleaning according to one of the recipes described above.
2. Remove the upper part of the washing machine body to provide access to the tubular heating element.
3. Disconnect the sensor and wires from the heating element.
4. Take out the heating element.
5. The heating element is carefully cleaned with a brush, removing loose lime deposits.
6. The upper narrow part with the neck is cut off from a 2-liter plastic bottle.
7. Pour 4 tbsp inside. l. citric acid and add enough hot water so that the heating element can be immersed in the solution up to the bar.
8. Stir the solution, allowing the acid grains to dissolve in the water.
9. Place the appliance disconnected from the washing machine inside.
10. Leave the heating element in the solution for at least 10 hours.
11. Clean with a sponge and wipe.
12. Install the heating element in place.

You also need to pay attention to the filter and drainage hose. The more scale there was, the more fragments will separate when using home and store-bought products. Large particles may not end up in the drain, but settle and clog the filter and hose, which will also need cleaning.

Use of special means

In addition to simple home recipes, you can use special household chemicals from scale. Such products do not harm the washing machine itself and effectively remove lime deposits. It is necessary to use household chemicals for descaling strictly according to the instructions for the product.

MAGIC POWER

To clean the elements of the washing machine that come into contact with water and are prone to scale build-up, you can use the German product MAGIC POWER. The product is produced in Germany.

There are two release forms:

• gel;
• powder.

Application is not difficult. If a gel is selected, the procedure is as follows:

1. Fill from ? up to 1 bottle of product in the washing machine.
2. Start washing at +60°C.

The powder is effective, due to the acids it contains, even at a temperature of +40°C. How to use the powder:

1. Pour the powder into the washing powder compartment according to the instructions.
2. Set the washing mode by adjusting the temperature.
3. Start the wash.

The cost of the product depends on the form of release. For gel it’s 200 rubles per half-liter bottle, for powder – from 100 rubles per half-kilogram pack.

Topperr Express Cleaner

TM Topperr powder is intended for removing scale from washing machines and dishwashers. The drug is produced in small packages weighing 125 grams. Price for 1 pack – from 200 rubles.

Dr. Beckmann

The product is available in liquid form. In addition to removing scale, the drug helps eliminate mold and unpleasant odors.

The cleaner is poured into the powder compartment and the wash is started at +60°C. A container with a volume of 250 grams costs from 300 rubles.

How to clean the powder compartment?

Cleaning the washing machine must be carried out comprehensively. In this case, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the heating element, but also to the powder compartment. Deposits also form on its surface and in the niche where it is inserted.

This leads to:

• hard water;
• remnants of detergent that are not completely washed;
• air conditioner residues;
• dust and other pollutants.

Work order:

1. Pull the container out of the hole.
2. Remove the removable part in the air conditioner compartment from the cuvette.
3. Rinse in water.
4. Using baking soda and a brush, scrub the container on all sides.
5. In case of significant lime deposits, it is possible to use bleach for cleaning.
6. Pour hot water into a bowl of a suitable size, into which the removable container fits entirely, and dilute a packet of citric acid.
7. Place the cuvette in the bowl and leave for at least 1 hour. Maybe longer. If there are significant scale deposits, the cuvette can be left soaked in citric acid for several hours.
8. Clean with a brush, paying attention to all joints.
9. Wipe the cuvette.
10. Install the removable part for the air conditioning compartment.
11. Place the cuvette in place in the grooves.

It is convenient to use an old toothbrush with a small working head to clean the container.

Cleaning the drain hose and filter

If cleaning is limited to just running the washing machine on a vigorous cycle (with hot water and descaling agents), the washing machine is not yet fully cleaned.

The filter and drain hose through which water leaves the device into the sewer can become clogged with various debris - lint, hair, scraps of paper and pieces of exfoliated scale.

Procedure for washing the filter:

• prepare rags, a water container, napkins and brushes;
• open the protective panel, which is usually located on the bottom of the façade;
• lay enough rags on the floor in this place to absorb water;
• turning the filter counterclockwise, unscrew it and remove it;
• clean it of debris and rinse it in water.

Flushing the hose is carried out as follows:

• through the drain filter, the remaining water from the machine can be drained into a prepared container, for example, into an empty jar;
• the hose is disconnected from the drain point (sewer pipe);
• Taking into account the design features, disconnect the hose and wash it.

It is recommended to clean the filter and hose at least 4 times a year, more often is better.

How to clean the filter in a washing machine, video instructions:

Prevention of plaque

It is almost impossible to completely prevent scale formation in a washing machine. Preventive measures include the following:

1. Install filters at the entrance to the house (apartment), which would purify the water from mechanical and other pollutants, and also soften its composition. One of the filtration options is a magnetic filter that can change the crystalline structure of water.
2. Periodic cleaning of the washing machine from scale using one of the methods.
3. Refusal to wash old items, as well as those from which lint and threads are separated. When washing, such particles quickly stick to the heating element and accelerate the formation of scale.
4. Refusal to machine wash heavily soiled items - in solvents, building mixtures, etc.These substances can also stick to the heating element and contribute to the fouling of the heating element with lime.
5. Frequent washing at high temperatures with a long processing cycle also contributes to the formation of scale.

7 recommendations on the topic

Advice from professionals will help you carry out cleaning efficiently and without unpleasant consequences:

1. When starting to clean the machine, you need to make sure that there are no things left in the drum. There should also be an empty compartment for washing powder and softener.
2. Do not use several descaling products at the same time, as this increases the likelihood of damage to the elements of the washing machine.
3. It is recommended to carry out cleaning work on the washing machine using rubber gloves.
4. The powder compartment should be cleaned as needed. More often is better.
5. Scale not only threatens equipment breakdown, but also increases the operating time of the device, the consumption of detergents and electricity.
6. After a wash cycle with one of the descalers, you should inspect the machine in the area of ​​the rubber seals. You should also bend them back to check whether there are any remains of lime underneath, which peeled off during the run.
7. It is undesirable to use sharp objects and abrasive surfaces to clean heating elements and other elements, since these methods have a high probability of mechanical damage to the elements of the device.

A lot of useful and important information about ways to remove scale from household appliances - Here.

Video on the topic of the article

The video will tell you how to descale your washing machine using vinegar and citric acid:

Conclusion

Cleaning the washing machine from scale should be carried out on a regular basis in a complex.This will prevent breakdowns, extend the service life of the components and maintain the hygiene of the device.