How and how to clean the powder tray of your washing machine?
The powder tray is often covered with mildew and mold. How and what you can clean the powder tray in a washing machine?
Unpleasant odor if the powder tray is not cleaned from time to time. And the plaque becomes so thick that it is hard to clean it off.
It has been noticed that there is almost no powder residue on the clean tray after washing. And if the tray is already covered with deposits, the laundry detergent is poorly rinsed out of it during the wash cycle, and the deposits thicken.
With prolonged lack of cleaning, the plaque can block the hole through which water enters the tray and washes the powder. As a result, washing is done without powder and becomes useless. Therefore, you should not wait for black mold and stubborn plaque to appear. It is better to check the cleanliness of the tray after each wash.
How to clean the powder tray in a washing machine
The washing machine is one of the most often used appliances in the house. Along with the refrigerator, stove and microwave oven, it is an integral part of human life. But the trouble is, ruthlessly exploiting their “home helper”, people often forget that it needs to be cared for. In this article, the master plumber will tell you how to clean the powder tray in the washing machine.
The automatic washing machine tray is a pretty dirty place, in some cases the tray is clogged with detergent so that the water stops flowing into it and flush the powder, dirtier only in the tank, drain tubes and the drain hose.
Unlike the tank and drains which are more difficult to reach, the basket is much easier to clean because it is in full view. It turns out that quite a few automatic washing machine users do not know how to remove the tray and have never thought about cleaning it.
If your machine’s tray isn’t too dirty, you can clean it without removing it from its seat. But if the dirt is strong enough, for your own convenience, as well as for better cleaning, it is better to remove the container. This process may be difficult for newcomers, but as you get used to your machine model, you will be able to take it out with one sleight of hand.
The dispenser trays are positioned differently on different machine models. So before you remove it from your washing machine, make sure you read the manual thoroughly.
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In order to remove the tray, you usually need to do the following:
Now that you have the dispenser in your hands, you can use one of the following ways to clean it.
What to do when cleaning the powder compartment:
- Do not scrub the tray with excessive force. This can erase the marks in the compartments.
- Clean the area from which the container was removed with a cloth or sponge. Pay special attention to the water inlet and detergent outlet to the drum.
- Wear rubber gloves when using aggressive cleaning agents.
- In machines with vertical washing machines the trays cannot be pulled out. The water used to rinse them flows directly into the drum. So you have to be careful, otherwise you could have a little flood.
Remove the tray and soak it with a stream of slightly hot water. Rub thoroughly with a sponge or brush. For more cleaning effect, you can apply dishwashing liquid or soap solution (dissolve shavings of laundry soap in water). Then rinse them out again.
If there is still dirt on the dispenser, you can leave it to soak in hot water for a couple of hours and then repeat the cleaning procedure.
It may turn out that lime scale and petrified powder can not be cleaned in the usual physical way, then chemical cleaning with the help of special means.
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The following products do a good job on the dispenser and other parts of the washing machine:
- “Eona”, “Dr. TEN”, “Antikalepin” will help in case of light soiling.
- Frisch-aktiv removes dirt, lime deposits, and unpleasant odors.
- Sandokkaeb and Bork K8P (Korean products) can handle even quite strong dirt.
Remove hard-to-clean deposits by soaking. Remove the powder tray from the machine and place it in hot water with one of the following preparations: Domestos, Comet, Silit, Toilet Duck, Sanfor Antirust. Dissolve the detergent in water (50 ml per 5 liters of water) and soak the tray. After 1.5-2.5 hours rub it with a brush and rinse under running warm water.
If there are no household chemicals on hand, or its use is unacceptable for you, you can use folk remedies:
- Soda. an all-purpose cleaner. For small dirt s it will be enough to prepare a soda solution (baking soda and water in the proportion of 1:1), moisten a rag in it and wipe the dirty areas. Especially good baking soda in the fight against mold. If you need to “defeat” stubborn stains, prepare a paste of baking soda and apply it to the entire surface of the tray. After 30-40 minutes wipe it clean.
- Citric acid is a traditional folk remedy. To clean the powder and conditioner tray, citric acid is poured into the compartment and include an empty machine. The temperature setting for this procedure should be from 60 degrees. Along with the tray, other elements of the machine will be cleaned from scale.
- Vinegar works well against lime scale. We use 9% table vinegar to clean the tray. Dilute a cup of acetic acid in 1 liter of hot water and soak the tray in this solution for 6-8 hours. After the procedure, wipe with a kitchen sponge and rinse well. True, to soak the entire powder tray, you will have to prepare more than one liter of solution.
In the story. How to clean the powder tray in a washing machine
And to clean the powder container removed from the washing machine as easily as possible, you should:
- After each wash, after removing the laundry from the machine, wipe the tray and the gum in front of the drum to remove detergent residue.
- Leave it ajar for a couple of hours to evaporate moisture from this compartment. Thus not creating conditions for the growth of mold and mildew.
- Reduce the amount of detergent poured in or poured out. Maybe it stays on the walls of the dispenser due to overabundance. Limescale buildup. Installing a line filter will extend the life of all appliances and plumbing fixtures.
Keeping the detergent, bleach and conditioner containers clean will ensure long, reliable use of the machine and high-quality laundry.
How to remove the dispenser?
If your machine tray is not too dirty, you can clean it without removing it from its seat. But if the dirt is strong enough, then for your own convenience, as well as for better cleaning, it is better to remove the container. This may be confusing for beginners, but as you become more accustomed to your machine, you can take it out with one easy squeeze.
The dispenser trays are positioned differently on each machine. So before you take this part out of your washing machine, read the instructions carefully.
In order to remove the tray, you usually need to do the following:
Now that the dispenser is in your hands, you can use one of the following ways to clean it.
Why do you need to clean the tray and how often
The powder is in a special tray before it goes into the washing machine tank. And from there, with a stream of water through a hose designed for this purpose falls on the dirty laundry.
But the portion of water that discharges the powder into the tank cannot fully dilute it, and so the soapy essence lingers on the walls of the receiver and in the middle of the tube. Remains of the product in a humid environment quickly turn into fungus.
But there is a second danger. Because such a buildup gradually thickens, it can clog the passage of the washing liquid through the hose. This can also happen due to the clumping of poor-quality detergent. It turns out that if clogged, washing almost without detergent.
And if in the first case, the laundry gets harmful fungus or mold particles, in the second, things are not washed, but simply go through a long rinse cycle. The filter of the machine suffers. This is unacceptable. Therefore, experts advise to thoroughly rinse the container after 2-3 washing cycles.
How to clean the powder compartment of a washing machine from scale and mold?
Before figuring out how to clean the powder compartment of the washing machine, let’s answer the question. should you do it??
Unfortunately, if you don’t clean the powder compartment in time, mold and limescale will appear in it. You might not see it, but you can smell it. There can also be problems in the operation of the washing machine.
If you do not clean the powder compartment, its surface becomes rough. It stops powder from getting into the machine from the tray, it stays in the tray. That thickens and hardens the plaque quickly. And you wash with almost no detergent.
That’s why it’s best if you clean the powder compartment after every wash.
Water leaks from the powder compartment in the washing machine
In the process of using a washing machine, there is often a defect, water leaks from the compartment for the powder. You can cope with this problem on your own, without resorting to outside help. It is not difficult, not long and does not require special skills and knowledge or special qualifications. In this article, the master plumber will tell you how to eliminate leaks from the compartment for the powder in the washing machine.
Before fixing the machine, it is necessary to understand the cause of the problem and localize it. Leak powder receiver washing machine can be a manufacturing defect, or arise over time from the fraying of certain parts. Leakage can appear in various places, namely:
- The perimeter of the tray at the junction of its top and bottom. To make it clear, I should say at once: the tray we will call that part in which a container for detergent or gel is inserted. Here are its joints and leak.
- In the area of the junction of the tray with the front of the machine.
- Hole above the container in which the powder is loaded. This happens because the sliding part over time in the course of use wears down, or more precisely, the elements that hold it pressed against the top of the tray wear out.
- Rubber corrugated hose which carries the powder from the tray to the drum.
There’s one special feature. This corrugated tube is positioned so that its lower part slides on the balancing stone and rubs off on it, so that a hole is formed. It is possible that this is done intentionally.Today many manufacturers, trying to increase their money turnover, try to have their products wear out immediately after the warranty period expires. And they have to be repaired or bought new ones. What do you want? It’s a business!
Before we get right down to repairs, let’s prepare everything you might need. It doesn’t need anything special. You usually have everything you need in your home. You will need these tools:
In addition, you will need a silicone sealant or sealant for the car. You may also need a new tray, because not always and not everything can be repaired, it happens that you have to change. But it is not necessary to stockpile it, it is better to understand if there is a need for it or you can fix the old one.
To perform the repair, it is necessary to shut off the water supply to the machine and disconnect it from the mains. Then, using a Phillips screwdriver, you need to unscrew the back screws that hold its top cover and remove it. Next, remove the tray by pulling it toward you.
After removing the tray and cover will open the screws that hold the dashboard.
They are also unscrewable and the panel comes off. The wires connected to it can not be disconnected. You only need to open access to remove the container. Next, disconnect the tubes connected to the powder compartment by first unfastening their clamps. After unscrewing the screws it comes out.
After slipping the latches, unscrew the lid of the container. You can see the scale and dried lumps of powder inside it. That’s what’s causing the leak. Scale changes the direction of water running through the holes, so that it splashes around outside the tray and runs down the machine on the floor.
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The body of the tank should be descaled. To do that, it’s dipped in a hot aqueous solution of citric acid.
It dissolves the deposits and the parts are good as new in a few hours. You can use vinegar or hydrochloric acid. They do not harm the plastic of the container, but citric acid is best because it is odorless, although it works a little longer.
Once the scale comes off, you can rinse the parts with a brush and after drying put the container back together. For insurance, you need to smear the joint between the lid and the container with silicone to prevent water seepage through the micro cracks.
Immediately after the container halves snap shut, it is important to insert the exit tray into it, so that it will pass on its skids to remove the protruding silicone. Next, the tray is taken out and wiped down if there is sealant stuck to it. Afterwards the trough is reassembled in the reverse order. Silicone will fully cure after 24 hours, but after a couple of hours, it will hold tight enough to allow washing to begin.
Limescale, detergent, bleach or fabric softener residue can accumulate in the tray. They accumulate gradually and turn into hard fossilized or slimy compounds that block water access to washing and rinsing detergents. In this way, the latter does not fully fall into the drum, which reduces the quality of washing.
Also on the walls of the tray, especially the bottom of it, mold and fungus can form. For this reason, cleaning is recommended every 2 months.
Before taking the tray out of the machine, you should read the instructions on how to take it out. Most often:
Not every housewife is aware of the need to clean the powder compartment. Neglecting to perform this essential task can lead to various negative consequences. Among them are the following:
- Deterioration of the appearance of the clothes. Detergent particles that are only suitable for one type of fabric may remain in the tray. If not removed, the next time you wash them, they will fall into the drum of the appliance and ruin your closet.
- Dulling of bright colors. Such a problem can occur after using bleach. Colors will appear dull if the detergent tank is not emptied.
- Dirt and mildew will appear. If the tray is not cleaned regularly, a large amount of detergent may accumulate in the tray. It will gradually turn black and acquire an unpleasant odor. If you still do not clean the detergent compartment afterwards, mold will appear in it.
- Clogging. In the absence of cleaning for a long time, dirt can block the hole through which water enters the tray and washes out the powder. Washing will become a futile task as a result.
What to check?
In order to properly diagnose the problem, you need to do a thorough check. Try to find out the following points:
- Is the washing machine picking up water after starting a wash program?? To find out, you will need to run the wash cycle (you can do this with an empty drum).
- The water pipes are not blocked? The water supply may be obstructed because the valve is not fully open.
- Is the water pressure in the pipes strong enough? If the pressure in the pipes is low, the water will draw significantly slower than usual.
- Has the detergent been poured into the correct compartment of the washer-dryer?? Some models of washing machines have a powder compartment, which is engaged only when the prewash program is running.
- Whether a clog has formed in the detergent dispenser? Sometimes water flows freely into the feeder, but laundry detergent can not penetrate the hose because it is clogged.
- Whether the detergent dosage is correct? If you use more laundry detergent than the manufacturer recommends, the excess may not be picked up and remain in the container.
- Are you using a counterfeit instead of a quality detergent?? A poor quality product can stick together and come in contact with water and not be flushed out of the washer-drum.
On how to recognize counterfeit laundry detergent, watch the channel “Expertise of things. OTC.”.
In order to properly diagnose the problem, you need to do a thorough check. Try to find out the following points:
- Does the washer-dryer draw water after starting the washing program? To find out, you will need to start the wash cycle (you can do this with the drum empty).
- Are the water pipes blocked?? The water supply may be obstructed because the valve is not fully open.
- Is the water pressure in the pipes strong enough? If the pressure in the pipes is low, the water will draw in more slowly than normal.
- The correct compartment of the container is filled with laundry detergent? Some washing machine models have a powder compartment that is only used when the prewash program is running.
- Whether a clog has formed in the detergent dispenser? Sometimes water flows freely into the feeder, but laundry detergent cannot get into the hose because it is clogged.
- Whether the detergent dosage is correct? If you use more powder for washing than the manufacturer recommends, the excess may not be picked up and remain in the container.
- Are you using a counterfeit instead of good quality detergent?? Poor quality product may stick together, coming into contact with water, and not be flushed out of the feeder.
On how to recognize counterfeit laundry detergent, see the program of the channel “Expertise of things. OK.”.
