Washing Machine Care Tips

Washing machines keep you looking your best by ensuring you always have clean clothes. Make sure they are able to do the job they were designed for by following the tips and advice presented here.  Not only is it important to maintain your washing machine to keep your clothes looking good proper maintenance can save you costly repairs & avoid possible water damage if there is a hose problem. Follow the advice presented to keep your washing machine functioning correctly.

Washing rubber backed mats in a washing machine

You don’t want to wash rubber mats because the rubber backing deteriorates over time, eventually falling apart and clogging up the drain and water lines, thus resulting in a very expensive repair.

Checking and replacing washing machine water-fill hoses

Hoses that burst always give a warning first, at the 90 degree turns either coming from the wall or at the washing machine connections. The hoses 99% of the time will form a large bubble giving the home owner a warning. Look for this situation. When replacing washing machine water fill hoses..

• Use steel braided hoses (they are less likely to rupture at the 90 degree bends.)
• Turn off both hot and cold water supply and then remove the old hoses.
• Connect your new hoses to the washing machine first and tighten firmly. Make sure there are no kinks.
• Connect to the hot and cold water supply and tighten. Check for leaks!

Using Front Load Washers

Front load washing machines provide superior wash results compared to top load machines. They allow clothes to remain newer looking for a longer period of time, and save energy in the form of reduced water, detergent, and electricity consumption.

• Sorting and loading the clothes correctly will provide the best results when used with a detergent approved for “HE” High Efficiency washers.
• Separate clothes that shed lint (chenille and terrycloth) from clothes that attract lint (synthetics, corduroy, velveteen).
• Pilling, which can look like lint, is produced by normal wear on cotton/polyester blend fabrics. To reduce pilling, wash these fabrics inside out, using the delicate wash cycle.
• To prevent “yellowing” of whites, use the hottest recommended temperature for each type of load.
• Retain the dark or bright colors by washing in cool or cold water.
• Read the labels on the clothing for recommended wash cycles, a simple but often overlooked tip.

Return to our Appliance Care Tips resource.