Maintaining a washing machine

Posted June 2009 by Admin

If you’ve bought a washing machine – whether it is an integrated washing machine or a stand alone one – you need to make sure that it is properly maintained if you want it to last a long time. Of course the easiest way to do this is to hire a professional in to regularly check the machine for any signs of problems, and this will definitely provide you with the most reliable way of keeping your washing machine going. However not all of us have the money to do this regularly, so there are a few things you should keep in mind to help maintain your washing machine.

A common problem in washing machines is lime scale in the tube, and this is probably something that needs to be looked after by a professional as it can seriously affect the durability and lifetime of your washing machine. Always make sure that the drawer where you put in the detergent is also kept clean as otherwise mould may start to build up inside it which is obviously something you don’t want at any stage!

Regularly inspect the fittings in the machine as well as the hoses. You’re looking for cracks in them or even worse, water dripping. It’s often a good idea to replace the hoses every few years even if there aren’t problems just to be on the safe side.

We’ve all seen washing machines that walk around a lot and make a huge amount of noise, and this is often because they aren’t set level on the floor. If this happens it’s only a matter of time before it breaks, so make sure you properly level your integrated washing machine before it does some damage.

Other things to do are clean out the barrel of the washing machine. This is something that should be done by a professional every few months unless you know exactly how to do it.

Of course, there are plenty of other things that you should do to properly maintain your washing machine but these are a start. Always keep the outside clean too to make sure your machine stays new for as long as possible. Washing machines are things we use on an almost daily basis but often don’t take much time to care for. They are expensive pieces of kit, so do your best to keep them running for as long as you can!

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Prolong the life of your washing machine

Posted June 2009 by Admin

Buying a new washing machine is a huge investment, not only because it costs a lot of money but also because a washing machine is such an important part of our modern lifestyle. Without us realising it, our washing machine - be it integrated or otherwise - is used almost daily, sometimes even more than once a day. Even so, we expect the washing machine to last for a long time despite its regular use and that isn’t surprising with the large financial investment we have to put into it.  But are there any ways to increase the lifespan of your washing machine? Luckily there are, and we will be going through a few of the more effective ones here. These apply to both an integrated washing machine and stand alone washing machine of course.

First of all it is not a good idea to try and cram in as much clothing as possible into the washing machine for a wash. While in most cases this won’t actually damage the washer, it will mean that your clothes won’t be completely clean and therefore you’ll have to put it on again. It is far better to hold those last few items of clothing back and put them in the next wash to avoid overcrowding. Putting too much in does overtax the washer too, so will not help its lifespan anyway.

This next point isn’t directly related to the washer but is important all the same. You need to make sure that the floor beneath the washer is completely level to stop it moving around and damaging itself. Use a spirit meter to check that it is level before you put the washer on the floor, and then use the level again on the washing machine to check it is still level when you put it in its position. You should also make sure that the floor beneath the washer is solid so that the washer won’t become unstable. This can dramatically reduce the lifespan of the washer so is important to do.

If you have the money and the time, you could consider washing large and heavy items such as bedding and beach towels in public washers rather than your own as these put a lot of strain on the washer. It is an inconvenience, but could make a difference to how long your washer lasts.

Overall, most of the techniques for prolonging your integrated washing machine are straightforwad but important. You also need to properly maintain the inside of your washing machine, and if possible this should be done by a professional

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