What is this dirt and why does it keep reapearing

[kwatt]

Re: What is this dirt and why does it keep reapearing

There’s no magic bullet because it isn’t possible to get rid of all the germs and bacteria in a machine regardless of how hard you try.

Sure, you can manage it with proper use but that’s rarely the case unless the owner knows of the issues and takes steps to prevent it. Afterwards and, after it reaches critical point it really is like a band aid for a bullet wound.

Old fish wives tales of vinegar, sodas of various sorts etc are total garbage. A very weak acid or alkaline solution in greater solution will do squat to address the issue.

Bleach wil cure some, manage a little and mask the odour. But it is wholly ineffective against anything like dirt, grime, skin etc.

Maintenance washes run regularly and properly after the event will help control it and, if it’s not too bad, may even prevent any kind of serious reoccurrence.

Affresh will blast it but, it can take several treatments to get it back under control. But, as I said, if it’s really bad it may not work. It’s good but it isn’t magical.

The actual cure is prevention.

Proper use of wash cycles and proper use of detergent will prevent people having these problems in the first instance but, sadly, lots of people don’t care until it’s too late or just plain don’t think about it. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way at all but I speak or converse with so many people every year that makes the same mistakes because they’re too busy, don’t care and just think that their washing machine will somehow work all this stuff out for them.

The bottom line is that it won’t.

I get the impression that lots of people think appliances are like kettles. They fill them up, switch them on and it does what it does.

Washing machines especially are not at all like that and are infinitely more complex in many respects. They do their mechanical bit just like the kettle example sure but, they rely completely on people putting in the right stuff, on the right program and in the right quantity. If you mess it up, it can all go horribly wrong just as it appears to have here.

It doesn’t matter what brand or what machine, some are better and some are worse certainly but they can all fall prey to this sort of thing. It does seem far, far more common with plastic tanks though and has only become the wider problem since they came along or, so it would seem. But then, that same period has seen the rise of eco washes, low temp washes, silly detergent substitutes (that don’t work), cheap low quality machines and so on therefore, it could be one or any combination at fault.

What I can say pretty assuredly is that, on decent quality a stainless steel tanked or enamel tanked machine used properly you will never have these issues.

K.

[Martin]

Re: What is this dirt and why does it keep reapearing

Dear Chlorinated,

As to what has caused the grey dirt to keep appearing and how best to deal with it has been well and truly covered in this thread. Interestingly you haven’t once mentioned whether or not you have checked the drain filter? Or given us any information as to how the drain outlet arrangements are with the installation, like if it is coupled to the sink drain or has its own standpipe? Both are extremely important factors when trying to answer poor wash and smelly washing machine problems. 🙁

[Author]

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