Why doesn't the capsule dissolve in the washing machine?

Why does the capsule not dissolve in the washing machine? Unlike other washing products, washing capsules are not placed in a dispenser, but directly in the drum. According to the rules, the capsule shell should dissolve upon contact with water, releasing the contents. But sometimes the washing capsule does not dissolve in the washing machine, and then the equipment works in vain. Why does this happen and how to avoid such situations in the future?

How to use capsules correctly?

Not everyone knows about this, but it turns out that there is a method for correctly “throwing” the capsule into the drum. If you follow it, the shell will dissolve without problems, and the laundry will be washed perfectly.

How to calculate the correct number of capsules? Usually on the packaging they write how many kg of laundry one piece is designed for. Based on this, you should act. Usually one capsule is enough for 5 kg of dry laundry.

Important! The drum must be empty before inserting the capsule, and its inner surface must be completely dry, otherwise the shell may begin to dissolve even before washing; for the same reason, the capsules themselves must be dry, do not handle them with wet hands.

When the dry capsule is at the bottom of the empty drum, you can put laundry on top. A layer of clothing over the capsule will hold it in place while water fills. If you throw the capsule along with clothes, it may get tangled in the folds of the fabric, and the access of water to it will be limited, which is why the shell will not dissolve. As for the water temperature, it should be at least 30 degrees; the film will not dissolve in cold water.

Reasons why the capsule remained intact

Based on the information given above, we can conclude some reasons why the capsule does not dissolve in the machine. However, there are other reasons that were identified experimentally by housewives.

Cold water. It was written above that the film will not dissolve in water at temperatures below 30 degrees. In fact, this is not entirely true: nominally the shell dissolves in any water, but the colder it is, the slower the reaction. Accordingly, there may simply not be enough time for the capsule to completely dissolve if the water is cold.
The program is too short. Even if the water temperature is high enough, it takes time for the capsule to function normally, because it not only needs to dissolve, but also has time to wash the clothes. This is not feasible on ultra-short programs of 15 minutes.
Drum overload. If there is too much laundry in the drum, the machine simply does not have enough water to even wet the entire load of laundry. And if a capsule is lost in its “depths,” there is no hope that enough water will fall on it.
The capsule can get lost in a pile of things not only if it is overloaded. The same consequences await the housewife who puts the capsule not under her underwear, but on top of it. The capsule will again be inside the pile of things, no water will get on it, and it will not dissolve.
The capsule was placed in the powder tray and not in the drum. When we put powder in the powder receptacle, the machine literally washes it out with water, dissolving it as it goes. The capsule is too heavy for this, and its shell is too dense. As a result, the slightly wetted capsule will remain in the tray section, and the laundry will not be washed.
Too little water. Not everything depends on the hostess and her actions.Sometimes manufacturers specifically program washing machines for low water flow, and sometimes the pressure switch gets lost and the unit begins to draw in little liquid. There should be enough water to completely dissolve the capsule (a rough guideline is that the capsule should be completely immersed in water and float in it).
Poor quality capsules. Wanting to save money, some people buy cheap capsules. They may wash well, but it takes 6-7 minutes longer to dissolve, say, capsules from the Svetofor store than Tide or Ariel. And some “dealers” generally behave unscrupulously, selling counterfeits of expensive capsules, where the shell is ordinary polyethylene; of course, such a capsule can lie in hot water for an eternity and not dissolve.

Knowing the possible reasons why the capsule does not dissolve, you can find out what is wrong in your case and solve the problem taking into account the information received.