Washing machines are one of the best inventions, ever, just ask the parent of a big family or anyone who has a washing machine. Joking aside, having your clothes clean and ready with just a few settings and a cycle is one of the neatest comforts of modern life. Another thing about these appliances is that they can be quite expensive to replace, so it’s always better to take good care of them or ar any case get professional repairs before buying a new one.
Before we get started on the 4 new washing machine care tips we have for you, let’s go over the things that can put your washing machine in a repair state:
- Use the right type of detergent
- Bad installation work
- Ignoring the appliance manual instructions
- Not cleaning it
- Overloading
Now you already know 5 things to avoid when it comes to using your washing machine properly and making the appliance last for a long time.
Watch your hoses and replace them before issues pop-up
When you installed your washing machine you set up two hoses one for hot water and one for cold water. No matter which one you use more, you need to keep an eye on both water hoses, to prevent leaks, damages, and malfunctions.
This one might be a bit tricky because hoses can be put away in the back of the appliance and out of reach, so it’s not a daily check-up, but you should make the effort to check every one or two months.
Extra tips; the best time to check the water hoses is after running a washing cycle so you can easily see the leaks. Plus, you should be changing the hoses, leaks or no, every three to five years.
Dry your door gaskets
Washing machine sare ofter wet and moist, it’s just part of the appliances actual use so it cannot be prevented, but you can manage it. One thing to do is to dry your door gaskets after using the appliance. This will reduce the wear on the washing machine door gasket and help you prevent mold.
Air out and clean your washing machine
A washing machine can clean your clothes, but it doesn’t clean itself not unless you run that cycle. You may think the detergent and water you use to clean your clothes is also working on the appliance itself, and although it may not show, washing machines need to be cleaned.
Here is how you clean a washing machine:
- Run the clean drum cycle
- Run a regular washing cycle with hot water, vinegar, or washing machine cleaner
- Cleans the door and gaskets
Another hygiene tip for the washing machine is to air it out after a wash, so the drum dries inside.
Both of these, the cleaning and the airing out, prevent mold and smells from making a home in your washing machine.
Consider getting a drain vent
Drain vents are installed on a washing machine’s drain hose in order to prevent water damage caused by bad drainage. The vent works to release the pressure that could block the water from draining properly.
