Cleaning the washing machine with soda ash
An automatic machine requires constant maintenance. If you do not comply with basic “hygienic” requirements, over time the powder receptacle will become dirty, mold will appear on the cuff, the drain filter will become clogged, and individual parts of the washing machine will become covered with scale. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to regularly wash and ventilate the unit. To care for equipment, you can use special household chemicals sold in stores, or resort to proven, “folk” methods. Let's figure out how to clean a washing machine with soda ash and what effect this product gives.
Is soda ash okay?
Sodium carbonate is a powder that is used by housewives for various purposes. Soda ash is used when washing clothes, cleaning plumbing fixtures, removing blockages, removing scale, and even washing tiles. Therefore, it is not at all necessary to buy expensive household cleaning chemicals; a cheap product that has been proven for generations will be no less effective.
To understand why soda works well in the fight against stains in automatic washing machines, you need to know what exactly “dirties” the washing machine. Some users do not realize where debris comes from in the unit, where dirt accumulates, and why scale forms. It is also unclear why equipment can smell unpleasant, it would seem that ordinary things are washed in it.
The culprit is the water in which the clothes are washed. Very rarely, users place a cleaning and softening filter in front of the machine. In most cases, hard tap water enters the system.Scale on the elements of a washing machine is formed from salts, impurities and minerals, which are present in large quantities in the liquid. This explains why limescale forms on the drum and heating element. The smell appears due to bacteria settling in the equipment.
If measures are not taken in time to remove scale, this may lead to failure of the washing machine.
Soda ash has a softening effect, which is especially important in the fight against scale. In addition, sodium carbonate has a detrimental effect on harmful microorganisms, easily dissolves dirt, and gives a whitening effect. We can say that this product is universal and ideal for caring for your washing machine. Soda protects equipment from contamination and has a disinfecting effect, thereby extending the “life” of the equipment.
Assistant in the fight against scale
Limescale deposits often form on the washer's garbage filter. The part is very easy to clean using soda ash. It is easy to remove the filter element from the machine body; any housewife can cope with this task. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:
- Turn off the power to the machine, turn off the water supply tap;
- remove the lower false panel covering the filter, or open the special protective hatch (depending on the design of the washing machine);
- place a low basin under the body of the machine; it will be needed to collect the liquid that will flow when unscrewing the cap;
- cover the floor near the equipment with dry rags;
- Unscrew the plug halfway, drain the water into a container, and pull out the filter completely.
Next you can start cleaning. There are two ways to wash the garbage filter using sodium carbonate:
- add 4 tbsp.spoons of soda in 1 liter of water, stir, soak the filter element in the solution. Wait until the coating “moves away” from the part, then rinse the filter and wipe with a dry cloth;
- Clean off the scale manually: sprinkle powder on the surface of the part and wipe off the deposit with a rag. Then rinse the element in warm water and dry.
Also, with a napkin soaked in a soda solution, you need to wipe the walls of the hole where the filter is screwed into. Afterwards you can put the filter element in place. Make sure that the plug “stands up” evenly, otherwise the machine will begin to leak during the first wash.
Cleaning the outside of the machine
Soda ash can be used to clean the outside of your washing machine. It is not always enough to simply wipe the body, powder receptacle and cuff with a damp cloth; more effective care is periodically required. To properly clean a “household helper,” the housewife will need:
- Toothbrush;
- soda ash;
- liquid soap or dish soap;
- liter of clean water, temperature 20-25°C.
First, prepare a cleaning solution. Pour 100 ml of dishwashing gel into the water and add 100 grams of soda. After the components are well mixed, you can begin washing the equipment. The walls of the housing are wiped with a cloth soaked in a solution, and the hatch and sealing lip are cleaned with a toothbrush. At the end of the treatment, you need to wipe the unit with a clean damp cloth, then dry.
Soda ash can help in cleaning the drum and other “internals” of the automatic machine.
To wash the inside of the machine and remove scale from the heating element, you will need one pack of soda. Pour the powder directly into the detergent dispenser. The part that does not fit into the dispenser must be loaded into the drum.
Next, you need to run a quick wash program and set the water heating temperature to at least 60 degrees. That's not all. Wait until the machine fills with water and press the pause button before draining. The washing machine should remain in this position for about a couple of hours. During this time, dirt and plaque will be “thrown away” from the machine parts. The cycle is then resumed and completed.
Opening the hatch door after such a wash, you can find debris in the drum. Get rid of deposits and debris, check the “pocket” of the cuff; fallen off pieces of scale are often “hidden” there. Experts advise cleaning your washing machine with soda ash regularly, once a month. If the machine is used infrequently, once or twice a week, the period can be increased to two to three months.
Combine baking soda and vinegar essence
Vinegar, which can be found in any housewife’s kitchen, will be a good assistant for baking soda. The essence will enhance the effect of sodium carbonate and complement its beneficial properties. To clean the washer you will need nine percent acetic acid. To prepare the solution you need to take:
- glass of water;
- 250 grams of soda.
In addition, you will need a sponge with an abrasive surface and two glasses of 9% vinegar. Soda ash is mixed with water, the resulting liquid must be poured into a detergent cuvette. However, before this, it is better to clean the tray itself by wiping it with a “washcloth” soaked in a soda solution.
When the powder dispenser is clean, you need to pour the resulting solution into it. Two glasses of acetic acid (500 ml to be precise) are poured into the drum. Then you should run a high-temperature washing program lasting at least two hours. After the procedure, the washing machine will shine clean from the inside.If necessary, this wash can be done twice in a row to achieve maximum effect.
Mix soda with lemon
Citric acid is also often used when cleaning washing machines. You can wash your washing machine only with lemon, but housewives prefer to combine two effective products together.
Soda ash in combination with citric acid gives amazing results when cleaning a washing machine.
The procedure will require 100 grams of lemon and the same amount of sodium carbonate. It is necessary to pour the products into the powder receptacle. Then a long washing mode with a water heating temperature of 60°C is selected and the cycle starts. The machine must be empty, so make sure there is no laundry in the drum.
Two powerful agents, when interacting, dissolve limescale, destroy bacteria, and remove dirt. In addition, they effectively combat unpleasant odors. Even if the layer of scale is very large, regular cleaning of the washing machine with soda ash and citric acid will help to gradually remove the deposits.
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3 reader comments
There was no need to skip chemistry at school. You cannot mix alkaline and acidic agents (soda and lemon), they will cancel each other out and there will be practically no effect.
100% . Can't mix
I agree, colleague