Do you want your washing machine to serve you long? Take limescale prevention measures on a regular basis. As urban water is oversaturated with the microparticles of metals, lime, and salts, carry out cleaning every 2-3 months.
Limescale in a Washer: How to Remove It?
You don’t have to buy expensive preventive agents to clean scale in an automated washing machine. Take advantage of citric acid, 9 % vinegar, soda ash or chlorine (at option). After such cleaning, your washer will not just be sparkling clean, dirt and limescale will be washed out of its most hard-to-reach places.
Before cleaning the washer, check for any small items under the rubber details in the hatch. The cleaning is carried out only during non-loaded operation, so there must be no linen in the drum. The aggressive acid will not only erode lime deposits on the internal parts but will spoil your things.
How to Descale the Washer with Citric Acid:
- pour 100-200 g of citric acid into the powder compartment,
- select the longest wash cycle at the temperature of 90-95°C (“Cotton” mode),
- start the cycle.
Never use lemon juice to remove scale from washing machines. Its concentration is much less than that of citric acid, so it is not effective.
How to Clean a Washing Machine from limescale with Citric Acid and Chlorine
- put 200 g of citric acid into the tray for detergents,
- pour 1 glass of chlorine directly into the drum of the washer,
- set “Cotton” mode and start the cycle.
It is best to carry out such a procedure of the washing machine maintenance not more frequently than once in every 3 months to prevent corrosion of rubber seals by chlorine.
Ventilate the room during the period of operation of the washing machine, as the sharp smell of the vapor which is formed by the chemical combination of chlorine and limescale can have a negative impact on your health.
How to Remove Scale Using Citric Acid and Baking Soda
- add 100-150 g of citric acid and 2-4 tsp of soda ash into the compartment for detergents;
- set wash cycle with a high temperature and start to work.
By the way: faucets can be easily cleaned from the ground-in limescale with this mixture.
Limescale Prevention Measures for Washing Machines
When washing clothes, use water softening agents:
- vinegar: when putting in the washing, pour 9% vinegar to the maximum level (60 ml) into the rinse compartment, in addition to the powder. Select the minimum wash cycle and set the temperature to 60°C. If this method is used regularly, limescale will not accumulate on the internal parts of the washer. Linen (including towels) will feel soft. The vinegar will neutralize the smell of fragrance component and your laundry will not smell powder;
- “Calgon” and other descaling agents do not dissolve scale, as we used to think, listening to advertising, but only prevent its formation on the details of the washer, softening water. Unlike professional agents, which contain acid, “Calgon” contains only tripoli-sodium phosphate and soda.
Remember: professional descaling agents are not used during washing clothes; they are used separately, during the non-loaded operation cycle.
Now you know how to remove limescale from the washing machine. And how do you clean your washer? Share your experience in the comments!