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Re: dishwasher maintenance using vinegar
Well, I don’t really think there is any need to argue and fall out all over a cup of vinegar.
Kwatt, I don’t think vinegar is carcinogenic, it wouldn’t be sold as a foodstuff it was.
I fully understand that appliance manufacturers and detergent manufacturers recommend the commercially available big name brands, and I am sure that there is a lot of research and testing that goes into the efficiency of the various products, but they tend to be expensive and not very environmentally friendly. Some people also have reactions to these products, too. So, for a variety of reasons, I am quite happy running a maintenance wash with a cupful of white vinegar, and that does the job well, and cheaply. Every few months I maybe use the Finish cleaner, but I just don’t fancy using it every month, as recommended.
In fact, today I dismantled the filter, gave it a bit of a wipe to remove the greasy food residue – there wasn’t all that much anyway. I ran the machine empty with a cup of white vinegar poured into a bowl on the bottom rack. I used a 70C programme, and when it was finished, I checked the filter again, and everything was all very clean.
It’s not so easy to check a washing machine, but a cup of vinegar in a maintenance wash should help cut down on those greasy, fatty build-ups.
I can’t see how it would harm either a dishwasher or a washing machine, it is a mild acid and as Kirk says, very much diluted. The Finish cleaner strongly smells of chlorine bleach, and I would guess it is far harsher. So I would prefer to use it less frequently, and do the monthy clean with a cupful of white vinegar, most of the time.
But I wonder how many people even bother with maintenance washes at all?
Re: dishwasher maintenance using vinegar
Actually, the idea for a cup of vinegar once a month to clean out your dishwasher and washing machine comes from How Clean Is Your House, on Channel 4. In fact, I think they say it in their book.
Yes, indeed, vinegar is acetic acid, I do know that. I did chemistry at school, blah blah. I understand perfectly.
But it is indeed a disinfectant, not to the same extent as bleach or branded disinfectants, but it does have some anti-bacterial properties.
I have removed some very stubborn stains from laundry using vinegar, and it is very, very effective.
As for using it as a fabric conditioner, I never use commercial fabric conditioners anyway, I cannot stand smelling of some chemical soup, and I don’t think they do very much anyway, except clog up the dispenser drawer.
Do your clothes smell like a fish and chip shop? No. As soon as you hang out the clothes, the smell evaporates, and there’s no trace of it.
I have to say, I’m with you, Kirk. It’s far better to avoid flushing harsh chemicals into the drainage system. That’s why I never buy all these branded household cleaning products. They don’t do the job any better than the old fashioned things I mentioned in my earlier post.
I mean, I mention one cup of vinegar to clean out your dishwasher once a month, and look at the aggro 😉
But as Kirk says, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. The reasons I use it are for the very reasons Kirk states.
Using 3-in-1 with salt is overdosing the salt and that can lead to issues.
In my area, with very hard water, it’s recommended to use salt even with 3 in 1. Even Bosch say so.
And whoever suggested that I would actually put washing up liquid into a dishwasher is seriously underestimating me. I mean, come on …..
The thing I am interested in is getting RESULTS. Everything else, whether this or that person is right/wrong, I don’t care. It’s the results that count.
Clean laundry, clean dishes, and low maintenance.I prefer to keep my use of branded, harsh, proprietary cleaning products to a minimum. And like Kirk says, unless it actually harms any of the components, and it produces the desired results, then I think I’ll continue to do my maintenance washes using the vinegar.
Re: dishwasher maintenance using vinegar
Vinegar has very good cleaning properties, and disinfects too, although not to the same extent as proprietary disinfectants. In fact, some people use vinegar instead of rinse aid, and it can also be used as a fabric conditioner in the washing machine.
It doesn’t just tackle limescale, but also grease, and it’s a very good household cleaner. In fact, there are is no good reason to shell out for branded cleaners when the old fashioned ways are just as effective, and are often better.
Not only vinegar, but also soda crystals, bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice, and washing up liquid, depending on the job. You can use a vinegar/hot water mixture to wash your windows for example, a cheap and non-toxic alterntive to Windolene or Mr Muscle and very effective.
But back to dishwashers. I use 3 in 1 tablets, I keep the salt topped up, and the dishwasher is pretty much clean all the time. But it pays to look after your machine, keep it in good working order. I have used the Finish cleaner, and it works well, but a bit expensive.
I did some searching on the internet, and I did eventually find how to use vinegar. You put it into a bowl on the bottom rack, and run the dishwasher on the hot cycle. The spashing should distribute the vinegar.
I don’t mind the Finish cleaner once every few months, but not once a month as recommended. I’d rather use the vinegar method once a month, and every 3-4 months use the Finish stuff.
By the way, the washer help site suggests running the machine empty on a hot cycle with a cup of vinegar to get rid of the soapy, slimy stuff that can build up, and he even recommends soda crystals too. My washing machine manual suggests running the machine empty on a hot cycle as a maintenance wash.
Re: washing machine fire – possible cause?
From what I can tell, the fire seemed to be at the top of the machine, which is now blackened and smoke damaged.
I can only assume that this machine is older than the 7 years the neighbour says she has had it. It certainly looks old-fashioned.
It does make you wonder. The fireman referred to it as being “left unattended” but it is quite unrealistic for anyone to spend two hours or so watching over a washing machine. They were at home, though, doing other things, like most people do when they having washing in the machine.
I still wonder how it happened. An electrical fault inside the machine seems the obvious explanation.
