Can it be washed with shampoo?

Can I wash it with shampoo? You should not wash things with hair shampoo. The composition “works” on a completely different principle, not like ordinary powders and gels. It is strictly prohibited to pour such a product into the tray of an automatic machine. It can harm both equipment and clothing. If we are talking about a special shampoo for washing jackets and other products with down filling (such products are found in stores today), then they can be used. And, of course, they are not suitable for washing your hair. Let's try to understand this issue in more detail.

What happens if you wash with shampoo?

Why can’t you pour shampoo into the SMA cuvette? How is it different from regular gels and powders? There are differences, and they are significant.

If you pour hair shampoo into a machine, the scenario will depend on three nuances:

amount of hair shampoo. The more product gets into the drum, the more abundant the foam will be, which means the likelihood of the machine failing will increase;
foaming intensity. Components are added to shampoo for washing hair to promote the appearance of dense foam. This is necessary to degrease the hair and remove all the debris “sticking” to it. Such an amount of foam is harmful for the machine - there can be so much of it that it gets on the control board and disrupts the operation of the equipment;
washing machine load. The more things in the drum, the less space is left for the foam itself. Therefore, it begins to leak through the pipes into the powder receptacle, drain system, etc.

Hair shampoos foam a lot, and excessive foaming can lead to failure of the washing machine.

When the level of foam in the drum reaches its maximum level, it will begin to be pushed out through the existing holes. For example, through a powder receptacle. Inexpensive automatic machines cannot boast of perfect sealing of the hatch, so soap bubbles will come out through it. The heating element is humming due to a breakdown

If you don’t notice in time that the machine is “bubbling,” the foam will go further and reach the sections where the engine and various sensors are located. It’s good if the protective system works and the cycle is interrupted. If not, there will be a high probability of a short circuit.

Do not think that soap bubbles cannot harm equipment. Foam can cause a short circuit and damage the control module, motor, heating element and other elements of the washing machine. It’s not for nothing that modern machines have sensors that monitor the level of foam formation.

Repairing a machine that has suffered from a foam “invasion” will cost a tidy sum. You cannot continue using the washing machine without a specialist diagnosis - this is life-threatening. Therefore, it is better to abandon the idea of pouring shampoo into a powder receptacle and use products specially designed for vending machines.

Wash it with shampoo and foam comes out

Not everyone thinks about how hair shampoo can harm the machine, and calmly pour it into the dispenser if the usual product has run out. The understanding that something is wrong comes when things become invisible due to foam, and soap bubbles seep through the powder receptacle, hatch door and other openings. What to do in this case?

Interrupt the wash by pressing the Stop button.
Remove water from the system by running the “Drain” mode.

If the control panel does not respond to touch, turn off the power to the equipment by unplugging the power cord from the outlet.Next you need to drain the water from the system. There are three ways to do this:

using the emergency drain hose;
unscrewing the “plug” of the garbage filter;
through the hatch (in this case, tilt the machine back, open the door and scoop out the water from the drum).

Be sure to turn off the power to the washing machine before draining it yourself.

Once the water has been removed and items have been removed from the drum, inspect the machine. Remove the back wall of the case and check whether foam has got on the motor, heating element, or sensor contacts. Make sure soap bubbles do not leak into the control board. If you find traces of moisture on the parts, wipe them with a cloth soaked in medical alcohol. Then call a specialist to perform a comprehensive diagnostics of the equipment.

Why is shampoo dangerous for clothes?

In addition to the fact that hair wash can harm the machine, it can also ruin the items being washed. The shampoo contains not only surfactants, but also various caring components: natural oils, silicones and other polymers. These substances, whose task is to protect the hair, are not rinsed out of the fibers of the fabric, but literally “stick” to every thread.

As a result, things lose their original appearance and become unwearable. In addition, shampoo cannot cope with serious stains. Therefore, such washing will simply become useless.