A washing machine, like any other equipment, becomes unusable over time. It is necessary to adhere to the basic rules of caring for your automatic washing machine in order to significantly extend its service life. By following these rules, you can avoid blockages, frequent breakdowns and even failure of the unit.
How to prepare a washing machine for use
It would seem that what could be easier than installing a washing machine? Yes, it's actually not difficult. But there is one caveat. Before connecting the inlet and outlet hoses, it is necessary to prepare the surface where the unit will stand.
The floor must be level and hard. To ensure that the washer stands level on the surface, you must use a level. Otherwise, the load on the legs will not be uniform, which means that after a while the machine will begin to wobble during operation.
In order to avoid a short circuit in the network, it is best to allocate a separate outlet for the washing machine. If the load on the network during washing is too high, the unit may turn off. This may damage the installation. Most often this happens in old apartments, where traffic jams often break out.
As we have already said, in order for the machine to function correctly, it must be connected to water supply and sewerage. Everything is clear with the water pipe. If the unit is connected to a water supply pipe, it will be automatically drawn into the installation.
Do not install the automatic machine near a radiator or near a bath or shower. If moisture constantly gets on the walls of the washing machine, the surface can quickly turn yellow.
And exposure to heat will have an even worse effect. The paint on the walls will crack. Manufacturers recommend making the first use without loading laundry into it.
The process of caring for the components of a washing machine
The washing machine is an installation that needs to be looked after carefully, performing only those operations that can be done at home. Otherwise, you can damage the main units that affect performance.
Which elements must be maintained during operation:
- external elements;
- container into which detergents are poured;
- a cavity where debris accumulates;
- water heater;
- sealing collar, which is located between the drum and the door.
We won’t talk for a long time about how to care for external elements. The only thing is that the surface can only be cleaned with special glass cleaning products.
If you use harsh chemicals, you can damage the paint.After cleaning, take a dry cloth and wipe the surface. The frequency of the operation is 1 time per week.
The compartment into which detergents are poured and poured also needs to be cleaned. As practice shows, this place is one of the dirtiest among other elements.
The machine does not completely absorb detergents into the drum, so they remain in the compartment and get clogged in hard-to-reach places. If you do not periodically rinse the tank under the tap, then over time it will simply be impossible to wash it. For more effective rinsing, use boiling water and wipe with a dry cloth after rinsing.
Some washing machine owners are not aware of the existence of the trash cavity. But it is present in every installation, and it is necessary to clean it. This reservoir is necessary to collect various small elements, such as seeds, wool, hair, coins. In order to service this cavity, it is necessary to remove the container and clean it.
If enough debris collects there that you can’t wash it off with a stream of hot water, you’ll have to use baking soda or bleach. These products will help get rid of the unpleasant odor.
The electric heater must be dried before cleaning. Citric acid is poured not only onto the heater, but also into the drum. After this, the automatic machine starts up for 1 hour or more.In this case, it is necessary to set the temperature to 90C.
Another element that requires maintenance is the rubber seal between the door and the drum. If you clean the seal at least once a week, mold will not form between its folds. It is good to clean rubber material with soda and citric acid.
How to choose the right detergents for an automatic machine
You can use powder or gel detergent in your washing machine. Manufacturers indicate on the packaging what type of washing this product is suitable for. Only those with the “automatic” mark are suitable for washing machines.
The fact is that special elements are added to the powders, which reduce water hardness. At the same time, they do not have a negative impact on the system elements during heating and spinning.
Some modern washing machines use detergents that contain biological enzyme additives. They help effectively remove complex contaminants and at the same time soften water. Such products are able to perform their functions 100% even if the water is at a temperature of 45 degrees.
If stubborn stains from blood, fuel oil, cosmetics or coffee appear on the fabric, it is better to use a product marked “BIO”. These powders are great for delicate fabrics. It is necessary to pay attention to what materials the product is best suited for. The main thing is not to use hand washing detergent in an automatic machine.
How to properly operate a washing machine
Proper operation of a washing machine is as important as regular maintenance. As a rule, the operating instructions contain information on how to avoid breakdowns of the unit and increase its service life. But we do not always have time to get acquainted with it.
The basic rules will concern:
- maximum load;
- checking clothes before loading;
- correct washing of things with additional elements;
- maintaining uninterrupted operation;
- choosing a program;
- sorting clothes;
- sorting shoes;
- correct layout of things.
The first point in all technical specifications that describe the capabilities of the washing machine is the maximum load. If you neglect the rule of maximum load, laying out too many clothes for washing, the unit will fail much earlier than the due date. This is due to the fact that all elements are designed to wash a certain weight. If overloaded, they begin to wear out quickly.
Small parts, such as coins, screws, needles, etc., can have an extremely negative impact on the performance of the unit. They can pass through the holes in the drums and damage various elements.
Sometimes the rubber cuff between the drum and the door breaks. Therefore, before putting clothes inside the washing machine, you need to make sure that there are no objects left in the pockets.
A separate topic for conversation is clothes with buttons, rivets, zippers, and other fittings.To reduce the risk of damage to other clothes that are in the drum during washing, you should wrap all buttons and other accessories inside.
If you know that when using several electrical appliances in the network, plugs are knocked out, then you need to carefully monitor which equipment is connected. It is better to do laundry at a time when the majority of people are at work.
It is equally important to make the right choice of program. Modern installations have many programs. If the machine offers a certain temperature setting for a specific type of laundry, then there is no need to make your own changes. Moreover, there is no need to increase the number of revolutions during spinning. All this can negatively affect the things that are in the drum at that moment.
Probably, some have encountered the phenomenon of changing the color of clothes after washing. This happens when light clothes are washed together with dark ones. You should also not neglect sorting clothes by material. It is also not recommended to wash old items, as they may tear and become clogged in the holes.
You can wash shoes only in a special bag, unless of course the shoes are solid and have no laces. In addition, it will be possible to avoid rapid wear and tear. It is necessary to install a special program in which there will be a small number of revolutions during the spin cycle.
Just as you cannot overload an automatic washing mashine, you cannot operate it in a half-empty or empty state.At a minimum, the drum should be at least 2/3 full. If this condition is not met, there will be too much water in the working cavity. It will swing inside and disrupt the rhythm of the installation.
