How to clean a washing machine with citric acid: the advantages and disadvantages of the method

Cleaning procedure

In order to understand how to descale a car, you need to imagine the complex device of an erasing unit in the form of a kettle with a drum. This means that you can clean the washer in the same way as a kettle. Only in this case, a different proportion of ingredients is used.

Citric acid in the washing machine should be loaded without linen and detergents. Otherwise, all cleaning will come down to the fact that your laundry will acquire a lemon scent.You can wash things with this acid, and this will have a positive effect on the condition of the drum and the heating element. However, this should be done only in a situation where the water used is highly mineralized. So it will be possible to produce a precipitate immediately during the washing process. A good rinsing after washing helps to remove salts, and not their accumulation inside the machine.

However, if there is a need to remove the accumulated sediment, you need to clean the washer at idle, that is, without laundry. In this case, nothing will prevent the acid from interacting with salts and accumulated dirt.

To clean up, you must perform the following steps:

• instead of washing powder, you need to pour acid in the amount described above;
• then it is necessary to drive the machine in the washing mode with hot water (the temperature must be at least 90 degrees);
• the run time should last at least 40 minutes;
• Finally, drain the acidic water and rinse the machine with clean water.

These recommendations are based on average conditions. However, the machine does not tolerate idle washes, so put a few rags in the container. A small amount of acid will not do anything to them.

If the effect did not satisfy you, then you need to repeat the procedure after the machine is completely washed from the previous acid treatment. You should also wash those surfaces that are not part of the internal mechanisms. This is especially true for plastic and rubber parts, which are most affected by aggressive environments.

How to clean?

Citric acid cleans not only the internal parts of the CM, but also the box for pouring powder, the door and its rubber gasket.

For this you will need:

• 100 g of citric acid;
• good absorbent cloth.

The following step-by-step instructions for cleaning the washing machine with citric acid are guaranteed to help get rid of internal salt deposits without harming the details of the equipment.

Simplified, the principle of cleaning the inside of the washer with citric acid is to conduct a regular washing session with loading a folk remedy into a cuvette for detergents or into a drum

Step 1: Preparing for Cleaning

You should first check the drum again and remove things from it, if any. Then measure out 100 g of citric acid for a washing machine with a load of 6 kg. If the technique involves a different maximum amount of laundry, then the amount of reagent should be adjusted in the appropriate direction.

Lemongrass can be used in 2 ways:

• crystalline;
• diluted in water.

Dissolved acid is preferred because the crystals are guaranteed not to get stuck anywhere. 100 grams of lemons are bred in half a liter of warm water. LC in dissolved form is not suitable for cleaning washing machines, which, at the beginning of work, pump out the remaining water under the drum.

Step 2: Loading the acid and turning on the washing machine

The crystalline powder is loaded into the detergent dispenser, and the dissolved lemon can be immediately poured onto the drum before the door is closed.

The longest washing mode with a water temperature of 90-95 ° C is selected and turned on. It should contain at least 3 rinses.

Step 3: Removal of residual crystalline acid

After the final set of water in the machine, you should open the compartment for loading the powder and rub the remaining lemon on its walls.If it's not there, you can borrow some reagent from the kitchen.

After 30-60 minutes, it is necessary to wipe the compartment with a damp cloth, removing the plaque present there. The main thing is to have time to remove the acid before the start of the rinsing regimen.

Step 4: Washing Machine Inspection

After washing, open the door and allow the interior to dry. Separately, you need to wipe the accumulated water in the pocket of the rubber cuff.

Additionally, you can remove bottom panel machine and clean the drain filter, which may contain loose scale particles.

The SM door and rubber seal must be wiped with a cloth soaked in 1% citric acid solution. The remaining plaque on them should be easily removed. This completes the descaling process.

It is important to wipe the rubber seal well so that the sealing collar does not have to be replaced.

Pros and cons of cleaning with citric acid

The properties of citric acid are due to its chemical structure. This substance was not invented specifically for cleaning washing machines, so its effect on the details of equipment has both positive and negative sides.

Positive aspects of the method

Without cleaning the scale in the SM, one can expect, at a minimum, burnout and the need to replace the heating element. Therefore, it is not worth pulling with the cleaning procedure. The method of removing deposits should allow every person without experience to carry out the procedure.

If you decide to regularly clean the CM with citric acid, you can immediately buy a large volume of it. It will be cheaper and less hassle

The use of citric acid to eliminate accumulated insoluble salts meets this requirement due to a number of advantages:

1. Availability and cheapness. Citric acid in the right amount can be bought at any store for a few tens of rubles.
2. Simplicity. Even an unprepared person can carry out the cleaning procedure.
3. Efficiency. 100 g of citric acid will dissolve up to 80 g of scale.
4. Safety. Both citric acid and calcium citrate formed after scale dissolution are harmless to health.

These positive aspects of LA make it the drug of choice in the fight against scale. There is no point in buying expensive SM cleaning products if they provide a similar effect.

Citric acid is used both in the care of internal and external parts of the washer. The advantage of a folk remedy is that using lemons you can effectively clean surfaces that are inaccessible to the user

Confirmation of the effectiveness of removing accumulated citric acid is shown in the video:

Negative effects of citric acid

There are legends about the negative effect of citric acid on internal parts when cleaning a washing machine. Numerous arguments are made against this method, but few provide evidence.

The theoretical claims of people to clean the SM with citric acid are:

1. The formation of salts that remain in the washing machine and can clog the drain.
2. The acid corrodes the metal components of the heater.
3. Rubber seals soften and may crack.
4. After cleaning, things have a specific smell.

To remove scale in the CM, a 1% solution of citric acid is used.

For comparison, a 10% solution of aggressive hydrochloric acid is used to clean deposits from hot water boilers. And even multiple processing with such a strong tool does not affect the operation of the equipment. And rubber is generally resistant to short-term exposure to weak acids.

The problem will arise if crystals or a solution of citric acid remain in the pocket of the rubber cuff that seals the door. In other cases, the negative effect of citric acid on the inside of the washing machine is a myth.

Holes in the cuff from citric acid do not appear immediately, but only after multiple descaling sessions without observing elementary rules

Salts formed during cleaning, along with LC residues, are completely removed by subsequent two or three rinses, leaving no smell or sediment.

Are all the cons of citric acid turned out to be far-fetched? No, descaling has another drawback, but it is common to all cleaning products.

Insoluble salts can accumulate at water leaks, temporarily plugging the hole and removing the problem. After cleaning the washing machine, the leak may reappear. The described problem is not initiated by citric acid or other means, but the possibility of its occurrence should be remembered.

The consequences of using LC for cleaning SM are presented in the video:

Cleaning procedure

Cleaning a washing machine using citric acid is done as follows:

1. Acid is loaded into the powder container in the required amount.
2. The automatic washing program is activated, which includes rinsing and provides for heating the water to a temperature of +60C. This is the normal mode for cotton fabrics.At this temperature, citric acid will not have a harmful effect on polymer and rubber parts, but it will easily cope with a small amount of scale on the heating element. In the event that the last cleaning was carried out a long time ago and there is reason to believe that the “fur coat” of scale is especially thick, you can use a program with a higher temperature up to the maximum temperature once. But keep in mind that in this case there is a small probability of failure of the temperature sensor.
3. During the procedure, scale fragments, falling off the heater and moving along the drain hose, can make unusual sounds, so you should not panic when you hear them. If the machine behaves very strange, you should turn it off and remove the pieces of scale from the tank that caused the failure.
4. At the end of the cycle, the washing of the machine can be considered completed. It is not necessary to supplement the washing program with a spin phase.

Now you need to look under the edge of the rubber cuff and inspect other hard-to-reach places for the presence of scale pieces. All these areas should be wiped with a soft cloth.

With special attention, you should inspect all kinds of holes, especially hidden ones, for example, under the same rubber band.

You also need to clean the strainer installed in front of the pump (to it drain hose connected).

The powder container should be rinsed and dried.

It is not necessary to repeat the rinsing immediately, even if you think that the scale has not been completely removed. To keep acid exposure to non-metallic parts to an acceptable minimum, clean the machine no more than once every 4 months.

Getting rid of limescale

Scale appears on the heating elements during the washing of automatic machines, and the reason for this is the poor quality of water with a high salt content. There is also a pattern: the higher the temperature of water heating, the faster scale forms. If a thick layer of limescale is allowed to build up, it may cause damage to the washing machine, unpleasant odors, or simply make it impossible to start the washing program. This is due to the fact that the heating element covered with scale cannot work at full strength in order to heat the water to the desired temperature, the settled salts interfere with it.

Step-by-step cleansing using citric acid powder is outlined in the following instructions:

• Lemon should be poured into the powder compartment or straight into the drum. Experts advise using option number one, since in this case not only the drum is cleaned, but also all the parts through which the powder passes.
• The next step is to select a washing program. For better work of citric acid, the program should be at a temperature of at least 60 degrees. More often this is the "cotton" mode, but some washing machines offer 60 degrees in the "synthetics" mode. If the machine has not been cleaned for a long time, it is advisable to perform it at a temperature of 90 degrees. The program must be complete with all cycles, including the obligatory rinse and spin.

• By selecting a program, you can start. At the end of the cycle, if you have the opportunity to see the water after draining, you will find particles of dirt and deposits that made it difficult for the machine to work.
• When the job is done, gently peel back the rubber pad to check for any lumps of scale in it.If they remain, you need to remove them and wipe the gum with a soft cloth. It is better to leave the door open and close it after the device has completely dried.

In order to form as little scale as possible, it is recommended to clean the “washer” at least once a quarter.

Maintenance Tips

Professionals recommend regularly using special equipment to prevent the appearance of scale. This advice can be ignored if every 4-6 months you clean the washing machine with “lemon”.

The frequency of the procedure depends on the hardness of the water in the region and the average washing temperature. The higher they are, the more often it is necessary to clean the equipment.

Inside the machine, citric acid comes into contact only with the heating element and the workspace made of metal, plastic and rubber. She and her vapors do not get on the engine, electronic board and other critical elements of technology, so you should not be afraid of the regular use of LC.

Although the process of cleaning the SM with citric acid is quite simple, it is still better to prevent the formation of scale than to remove it later.

Leaving the laundry in the drum for a long time can lead to mold and bad smell in the washing machine.

The suggested tips will help reduce the deposits of insoluble salts on the internal parts of the machine and reduce the likelihood of its breakdown:

1. After washing, keep the drum open until it is completely dry.
2. Buy powders containing water softening ingredients.
3. Pour in the amount of detergent recommended for hard water.
4. Do not machine wash old, decaying items.
5. When washing, it is preferable to use modes with a maximum temperature of 40-50 ° C.
6. Pull the laundry out of the CM immediately after washing.

When removing scale, it is not necessary to exceed the established concentrations of citric acid. This will not enhance the effect, but will only lead to extra cash costs.

And we must not forget about the obligatory wiping of the sealing rubber cuff to dryness after the cleaning procedure.

Filter cleaning

As you know, automatic washing machines have a filter that is necessary to prevent clogging of the drain hose with dirt accumulations and hair. If the filter is cleaned occasionally or if this procedure is completely neglected, then a not very pleasant smell will appear. It also increases the risk of machine breakdown.

Step by step, this event can be described as follows:

• First, remove the cover of the panel behind which the filter is located.
• It is necessary to take some kind of bowl or other container into which the liquid from the emergency hole will be drained.
• Drain the water from the drain hose.
• In some cases, for better cleaning of the drain hose, it must be removed.

• Keep in mind that the drain hose must be empty before you pull the filter out of it.
• It is imperative to remove all hairs, fluff and other dirt from the filter.
• Don't forget to look into the filter hole as well. Dirt and even small objects can linger there.
• Clear the hole.
• Replace the filter.

Citric acid perfectly destroys the smell and dirt inside the washing machine. How to properly clean this equipment? You can learn more about this in the following video.

Cleaning individual elements of the washing machine

How to clean the drum of a washing machine

For owners of household appliances who do not know how to clean a washing machine with citric acid, it is enough to study simple instructions. To remove scale from the drum, you must select the "hot" wash mode, pour the agent into the powder compartment and start working with an empty tank.

"Idle" washing must be carried out using the "Spin" and "Rinse" modes. As for the temperature regime, it is enough to set 60 ° C. At the end of the operation of the machine, carefully dry the surface of the drum.

Please note that during the operation of the unit, sounds resembling crackling may appear. This indicates the destruction of deposits

During rinsing, they will be removed into the drain system.

How to clean gum in a washing machine

Rubber is easily cleaned of scale and salts after washing with citric acid. If dirt and impurities remain, they can be removed with ordinary detergents. To properly clean the rubber, after using household chemicals, thoroughly wash its surface using running water and a clean rag.

It is imperative to move the rubber rim and check it for foreign objects and fungus. The use of various lubricants that prevent cracking is not recommended.

How to clean the filter in the washing machine

The filtration system of washing machines also needs periodic cleaning. This must be done because small objects and dirt accumulate, which entails the flow of water with low pressure.

In addition, the duration of the wash increases, in addition, during the pouring of water, the machine starts to buzz.All these signs indicate the need for preventive measures. How to clean the filter in the washing machine Indesit and other brands?

First you need to unscrew and disconnect the water inlet hose from the washing machine. After that, the filter mesh is removed. For these purposes, it is better to use pliers.

To clean the device from dirt, it is advisable to use an old toothbrush. After that, the mesh is washed in running water. If the owners of household appliances do not know, for example, how to clean the filter in a Samsung washing machine, this procedure is carried out in a similar way.

After flushing, it is important not to forget to install the filter back.

Cleaning the heating element

Considering the question of how to clean the washing machine from dirt, you should be aware of the ways to prevent all its structural elements. One of them is a heating element, which most often becomes overgrown with scale.

Heating elements often break due to poor water quality. The technical condition of the heating element must be carefully monitored, since most modern machines simply will not start.

Finding out that the heating element needs maintenance is quite simple. The washing machine will turn itself off during washing. The heating element must be removed and placed in a container with citric acid. When there is no scale, the heater must be thoroughly dried and reinstalled.

Cleaning the drain pump

Table 3. Step-by-step instructions for cleaning the drain pump.

Tip! To avoid electric shock, before carrying out installation work, you must disconnect the cable from the household network.

scale

Usually, before treatment, the cause of the disease becomes an important step in order to avoid such problems in the future, so you need to ask yourself this question:

What is the reason for the appearance of scale?

Everyone has long known that water flowing from a faucet is far from ideal and consists of a large number of different substances. In some areas, the water is "hard", as it contains a lot of iron, salt and various components. When heated, all these chemical elements contained in water form deposits (carbonates) on the heating elements, which, as we remember from the school chemistry course, can be removed with acid. The higher the temperature of the water during washing, the more scale will form in the machine.

If crystal clear spring water flowed from the tap, then there would be no scale. But since we live in a modern world with poor quality water, we have to deal with this problem.The only solution that will get rid of scale in the washing machine is to install a polyphosphate filter, it will help soften the water and reduce the likelihood of scale on the heating element.

What causes scale in the washing machine?

For us, scale is not dangerous, but it has a detrimental effect on the processes that occur in the washing machine. Let's see what problems it leads to:

• Increase in electricity consumption. Covering the heating element with scale slows down the normal heating of water, which entails additional energy costs. A symptom that the heating part is covered with a layer of scale is prolonged heating of water. But there may be other reasons why washing equipment does not cope with the task on time.
• Machine breakdown. Scale contributes to its breakdown, since the heating element has to work in an enhanced mode, which inevitably leads to its breakdown, which will require the replacement of the heating element. If the replacement is not made in time, then this is fraught with a serious breakdown of the machine, since the software module of the equipment may burn out.
• fungus formation. Scale leads to mold and fungus, which cause a lot of trouble.

How to use citric acid

The washing machine can only be descaled in idle mode. Before proceeding with the procedure, you need to make sure that there is nothing in the drum, and also check for buttons, coins or other small parts under the rubber pads that could damage the drum while the machine is running. Damaged items will further tear clothes loaded for washing.

Lemon juice will not be able to replace the acid in the powder, because it has a much lower concentration of the active substance.

Citric acid is a powerful agent, so use it to clean the washing machine with caution. To prevent damage to plastic and rubber parts, do not exceed the recommended dosages.

How much citric acid to pour to get rid of scale? If the "home helper" is designed for 5-6 kg of laundry, you need to take 200 grams of the substance, for 3-4 kg - 100 grams is enough.

Cleaning the washing machine from scale with citric acid is simple: pour the product into the powder compartment and turn on the longest wash cycle at a temperature of 60 ℃ and above. Acid under the influence of temperature will dissolve deposits on the heating element and other parts, and the machine will rinse them out with water.

Citric acid must be poured into the compartment for washing powder

During the cleaning process, you need to listen to the sounds that accompany the operation of the equipment. It happens that large pieces of lime get stuck in filters or drain hoses. The machine in this case buzzes more. To avoid overloading, you need to stop the streaker, unscrew the drain hose, open the filter and remove stuck pieces of plaque. Then return everything to its place and start washing further.

At the end of the cycle, you should check if there are any pieces of plaque and lime left in the drum or under the rubber pads. Residues must be removed so that they do not damage the drum and clothes during the next wash. Also check the drain of the washing machine.

How often do you need to descale? If the machine has been working for several years, and during this time it has never been cleaned, you can safely proceed to processing. Then it is enough to repeat the procedure once every 6-12 months, depending on the hardness of the water.

If you are in doubt about whether your appliance needs cleaning, you can try to inspect the internal elements of the washing machine yourself, without calling the wizard. The heating element is usually located directly under the drum, and with the help of an ordinary flashlight, with a little patience, the heating element can be examined without disassembling the machine.