How to clean the powder compartment in a washing machine from scale?

How to descale the powder compartment in a washing machine Over time, the powder receptacle inevitably becomes dirty: the unwashed remains of the detergent are supplemented with limescale and dust and harden into ugly growths. It is difficult to remove such deposits, and the standard procedure with a toothbrush and soap will not help. To clean the powder compartment from scale, you need to remove the hopper, soak it and wash it. We will tell you in more detail in what sequence to act.

Remove the powder receptacle

Scale tends to stick firmly to surfaces, and the walls of the powder receptacle are no exception. Limescale adheres to the plastic and can no longer be removed with water and powder. The main compartment of the bunker, which is used many times more often than the other two, “suffers” especially. To return the dispensary to its original cleanliness and shine, you will first need to remove the part from the case.

For cleaning, the powder receptacle is removed from the housing - otherwise the scale cannot be completely removed.

It is easy to disconnect the powder receptacle. We proceed like this:

pull the tray all the way;
having weakened the pressure, but without releasing the hopper, with the other hand we clamp the plastic “tongue” (as a rule, it is located in the central compartment allocated for the air conditioner and is blue);
remove the powder receptacle from the washing machine.

Interestingly, the container is returned to its place in a different way: there is no need to press the tongue again, you just need to insert the part into the grooves and press on the end. But before reassembling, the dispensary must be cleaned of foreign deposits and dirt.

Use lemon or vinegar

“Dry” scale cannot be removed – attempts to scrape off the deposits can result in damage to the walls of the bunker. It is better not to experiment, but before directly removing hardened deposits, soak the container in a special solution. The ideal option is to mix water with citric acid or vinegar.

Home remedies such as vinegar and citric acid are excellent for removing scale.

We proceed as follows:

fill a deep basin with water heated to 60 degrees (boiling water deforms the plastic, so the temperature cannot be increased);
dissolve 250 g of lemon juice or 100 ml of vinegar in water;
Place the container in the prepared solution and soak for 1.5-2 hours.

Citric acid and vinegar are effective in combating scale, but they cannot dissolve thick plaque without leaving a residue. However, the “defense” of the deposits will be weakened; all that remains is to mechanically scrape off the unsoftened layers.

How to scrape off scale?

Soaking in lemon and vinegar will not go unnoticed: lime deposits will crack and partially dissolve. The layers will not fall off completely, since the thickness of the fossils is too large. To complete the cleaning, you will have to work manually.

It is strictly not recommended to scrape off scale with a knife, awl or scissors - you can irreparably damage the powder receptacle!

Hard deposits are scraped off with wooden sticks or wood chips, which are sharpened with a knife. The cutters themselves, as well as other sharp metal objects, are prohibited from being used - there is a high risk of damaging the powder receptacle. use wooden chopsticks

If you can’t remove the scale with chopsticks, you need to repeat soaking in lemon juice. But, as practice shows, once is enough: deposits lend themselves and are removed from the walls of the dispensary without a trace.

Prevent contamination of the powder receptacle

It is much easier to prevent contamination of the powder container in the washing machine than to deal with a thick layer of fossilized detergent and limescale. The more often the washing machine is cleaned, the faster and easier the scale will “move away” from the walls of the dispensary. The main guarantee of cleanliness is regular maintenance of the machine.

It’s easy to monitor the condition of the powder receiver - just follow the basic rules and recommendations.

After each use of the machine, rinse the dispenser with clean water and wipe dry.
Do not close the powder receptacle after washing so that the remaining moisture dries naturally and does not cause mold and unpleasant odors.
Use high-quality detergents that will completely dissolve even in cold water.
Monitor the dosage of the powder (if the norm is exceeded, the powder does not have time to be washed out of the compartment and remains to harden).
Carry out a comprehensive cleaning of the machine every 10 washes using cleaners and brushes.

Knowing how and what to clean your detergent container will make it easier to keep it clean and prevent serious build-up of powder and limescale. The main thing is to clean the bunker regularly and carefully.