How to use anti-scale agent for washing machines?

If your water supply has hard water and limescale deposits form everywhere: on the kettle, dishwasher, pots, then you definitely need to take care to protect your washing machine from it. It is the washing machine that is the first to risk ending up in the trash. An anti-scale agent for washing machines can be a solution to the problem, but it must be used wisely and carefully.

Procedure for using anti-scale agent

When talking about the procedure for using the anti-scale agent “Antinscale”, it is impossible to unify the instructions. After all, anti-scale is not one product, but a group of products, and they are all different, produced by different manufacturers in various forms and used to clean different materials and surfaces. Let's look at the types of Anti-scale products for washing machines. And let's focus on the order of their use.

Antiscale for washing machines under the Furman brand. A specialized anti-scale agent that protects the drum and heating element of the washing machine from scale and salt deposits. The product does not harm the rubber parts of the machine after a single use. Packaging – 50 g sachet. Dosage – 1 sachet, 1 application. Frequency of use – once every 6 months. Directions for use: pour the contents of the sachet into the empty drum of the machine, select any mode (only with a temperature of 30-40 ⁰C) and erase.

Anti-scale for washing machines and dishwashers from Greenfield Rus. The product is intended for quickly cleaning parts of the washing machine and dishwasher from limescale. Packaging – pack of 250 g. Dosage – 60 g per application.Frequency of use – once every 6 months. Directions for use: pour 60 g (no more) of the product into the empty drum of the machine, select a mode with intense rotation of the drum and a temperature of 40 ⁰C and erase.

Liquid anti-scale agent “Cinderella”. Multifunctional liquid product designed for cleaning kettles, pots, dishwashers and washing machines from limescale. When used correctly, the product does not damage the rubber parts of the washing machine. Packaging – 250 ml bottle. Dosage – 2 caps per 1 application. Frequency of use – once every 6 months. Directions for use: mix 2 caps of product with 1 glass of water, pour the mixture into an empty drum of the machine and start washing with intensive rotation of the drum and temperature 40 ⁰C, wait for the end of the washing program.

Important! Do not under any circumstances exceed the dose of anti-scale agent and do not use it frequently; excess product can damage the washing machine.

When planning to clean your washing machine with anti-scale agent, first wear rubber gloves. The product is caustic and may cause a chemical burn if it comes into contact with the skin. If antiscale comes into contact with your skin, eyes, nose or mouth, thoroughly rinse the affected parts of your body with plenty of water.

Pros and cons of using anti-scale in a washing machine

anti-scale agent for washing machine Like any chemical agent, anti-scale agent has its advantages and disadvantages. Our task is to objectively consider these pros and cons and evaluate them. Let's start with the advantages.

Anti-scale removes lime deposits from the drum and heating element of the washing machine quite quickly. The scale comes off clean on average in 30-40 minutes.
When used correctly, anti-scale components do not harm the rubber and plastic parts of the washing machine.
The product is economically used, inexpensive and only needs to be used twice a year.

Antiscale manufacturers and experts themselves point out the following as disadvantages:

an error in the dosage of the product can have adverse consequences for the washing machine;
if the product gets on the skin or mucous membranes of the human body, it can be harmful to health;
When using an anti-scale agent, large pieces of scale may fall off the heating element of the machine. They may well get stuck in the moving parts of the machine and contaminate the laundry.

Note! Experts admit that it is better to use liquid anti-scale, it dissolves faster in water and begins to affect scale immediately.

Antiscale replacement products

Some people mistakenly confuse anti-scale agents with water softeners such as Calgon. Calgon does not rid the washing machine of scale, but prevents it from forming. If scale has already appeared on the drum and heating element, then using Calgon can only aggravate the problem. To save your washing machine, it is important to use products that eat away scale and do not damage the machine parts. The following are recognized as anti-scale agents:

citric acid and Coca-Cola;
diluted vinegar essence;
"Chistoplan" product.

citric acid for washing machine Citric acid and carbonated drinks containing large amounts of citric acid. They are able to clean the washing machine from scale.If you want to use citric acid powder, then pour it directly into the drum in an amount of 70-100 grams, no more, and then run a single wash at a temperature no higher than 40 ⁰C. The cleansing effect of citric acid is disclosed in more detail in another article our site.

You can use expired Coca-Cola instead of citric acid. To do this, you will have to pour about 3 liters of drink into the drum, which is exactly how much is needed for 1 complete descaling of parts of the machine. The anti-scale agent can be effectively replaced with diluted vinegar essence.

Take 50 g of essence and dilute it with half a glass of water. Next, you need to pour the mixture into the drum of the washing machine and start washing in intensive mode at a temperature of 40 ⁰S. In addition to folk remedies, antiscale has an analogue, with the market name “Chistoplan”. This product differs in composition from anti-scale agent, although some consumers do not speak very well of this product, saying that after it the drum of the machine stops shining and takes on a dark tint, laboratory tests do not confirm this fact.

What is antiscale made of?

What components are included in antiscale? Thanks to what chemistry is it possible to so quickly clean the scale that has accumulated on the heating element of the washing machine for years? Antiscale contains three components.

Adipic acid is a fairly strong acid that can dissolve salts. In small concentrations it is harmless and is used in the food industry. Antiscale contains about 5%.
Sulfamic acid is a widely used acid in industry.It cleans a variety of machines and equipment from rust, lime deposits and water stone. Antiscale contains about 30%.
Sodium citrate is a salt of citric acid. It contains more than 1/3 of the total volume of the mixture in antiscale.

It turns out that the basis of the anti-scale agent is the same citric acid. And adipic and sulfamic acids only enhance the cleansing effect. The proportions of anti-scale components are selected so as not to harm the washing machine and dishwasher, so experts do not recommend using concentrated acids for cleaning yourself. For example, concentrated adipic acid can dissolve plastic, so don't experiment.

In conclusion, we note that anti-scale is a good product that can quickly clean parts of a washing machine from harmful limescale deposits. But this same product can destroy the machine, so the instructions for using anti-scale for washing machines come to the fore, which must be followed strictly.