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Re: Bosch SGS43E02 poor cleaning performance – I read the FA
Are you using Tesco’s “Naturally” Dishwasher Tablets?
If so, I really would caution against them. I used them in my full-size Bosch, and they foamed up very badly indeed, in fact they caused the machine to stop washing.
If you want a cheap well-performing tablet, go for Tesco’s “Value” dishwasher tablets. They get a good rating for cleaning from Which? Magazine.
Re: New Indesit IS70C Condenser Dryer Hot/ Damp Air?
Which? magazine a few years ago did a report on condenser driers, and found the worst (Hotpoint, Creda – you can lump Indesit in too) belched 50{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of the moisture extracted from the clothes, back into the room.
The best on test was Miele, followed by the slightly cheaper AEG, and an even cheaper Zanussi.
To date, Zanussi condenser models still get a good report from Which?
You have to have a decent amount of cool air entering the room, or else the wallpaper will start to peel.
Re: The ‘Reason’ Washing Machine
No idea who cooked it up, but the website has a countdown timer.
Maybe that is how long this machine will last!
Apparently the website is registered to one Andrew Reason of Haverfordwest.
http://private.dnsstuff.com/tools/whois.ch?domain=www.reasonwashingmachine.com
Do you think this is some sort of joke? I think the mechanics of the machine will be put under some strain.
Re: The ‘Reason’ Washing Machine
Did you notice the “Reason” name? It seems to be in a font that looks like Dyson’s.
I thought the same thing, that the drawer will be the first thing to break. It shoogles as the guy in the video pushes it back into place.
As for detergent dispensing, I believe that Miele has a washer that feeds itself liquid detergent. Powders would be pretty useless, as they clump and clog.
Re: General Dyson question…
My experience with Dyson cleaners is as follows:
DC01 – poor suction; filters clogged very readily; filters reasonably cheap to replace.
DC03 – poor suction; filters clogged readily; filters expensive to replace.
DC04 – filters washable, quite good performance, though particles of grit noticable in filters.
DC05 – reasonable performance, though long hair repeatedly made its way through the cyclones to the filters.
DC07 – excellent performance initially; serious design flaw that allows the smaller cyclones to become clogged.
DC11 – mediocre performance, best suited to bare floors; turbobrush too slow for fitted carpets.
DC14 – reasonable performance.
DC15 – very bulky, prevents side-on edge cleaning against kitchen cabinets.I should also point out that Dysons must never be used for picking up large quantities of powder like plaster dust or chimney soot. The cyclones will be overloaded and the filters will become clogged. (Been there, done that with DC01, DC03, and DC11).
Re: Cheapy dishwasher tablets
There seems to be a popular misconception that multifunction dishwasher tablets contain salt: they don’t.
What they do have, is a process of softening water by (apparently), polymers. This is known as “salt function”.
As for lubrication of seals, detergents by their very nature, make water slippery, and thus reduce the friction between surfaces. Food soils such as fats and oils, will also provide a degree of lubrication.
What the ‘engineers’ you spoke to might mean, is lack of corrosion inhibitors. The most common one is benzotriazole, which is used to provide protection to machine metallic parts, as well as cutlery. Certainly, most supermarket own-brands will have it included. The Co-Op used to have a list of all ingredients on their boxes, and I’m certain it was listed upon the box.
I’m also pretty certain that Ecover DOESN’T include it, as it is petroleum-based, manufactured chemical.
Re: Bosch Exxcel 1400 Express – Smelly clothes!
I would say that there is likely to be an awful lot of clarty washing machines on the go, if my recent experience is anything to go by.
I recently met a friend in a supermarket, who had bought a new Hoover machine nearly a year ago. He always washed at 30 degrees, with a liquid detergent. The machine started to smell mouldy, and he was getting dirty marks on his laundry. He had done a couple of 90 degree washes without much success.
I took him to the detergent aisle and told him to buy a powder with oxygen bleach; he chose Daz. I told him to use the powder for several maintenance washes, then to start using Daz for his clothes on minimum temperatures of 40 degree cycles. I told him that liquids create the problems he encountered and that he shouldn’t use them.
Haven’t seen him since, but I’ll ask if that has done the trick, the next time I see him.
Re: Bosch Exxcel 1400 Express – Smelly clothes!
From what I have read about the ‘Affresh’ machine cleaner, its major ingredients, apparently are sodium carbonate and sodium percarbonate; ingredients that are already in decent powdered laundry detergents.
That being the case, a powder detergent used on a boil programme would make better economic sense.
Re: Bosch Exxcel 1400 Express – Smelly clothes!
If the machine was badly crudded up, I suppose you could try something like Finish dishwasher cleaner. This is a liquid product that I have used several times in my Zanussi. I poured it in through the powder drawer as it was filling, set on a 90 deg wash.
The dishwasher cleaner contains a mixture of sulphamic and citric acids, with cleansing agents. (And yes, ‘sulphamic’ is spelled the correct British way; if it has an ‘f’, it is the foreign spelling!).
DON’T add laundry OR any other detergents!!!
Aldi supermarket has an own-brand similar product to ‘Finish’, but a damn sight cheaper. Usually in packs of two bottles.
Re: Ecover & low temp washes.
It’s quite simple really; there is insufficient agitation on the wool cycle for the detergent to dissolve properly. It remains in contact with the fabric for extended periods (the inaction, or soaking of the wool cycle). A liquid detergent would be a better bet for the super-gentle wool cycle.
Furthermore, the low temperature of 30 degrees will probably hinder the dissolution of the powder pouch.
I’m not a fan of ‘place-them-in-the-drum’ powder-pouches and tablets, as I too have experienced the blotchy bleaching of dark clothes in the past. I believe that is why P&G detergents recommend the use of the powder drawer, to facilitate proper dissolving. Powder detergents are best placed in the powder drawer, so that the water can dissolve the powder as it flushes it into the tub.
Finally, try washing and drying your articles inside-out. That way, there is a reduced chance of damage, and if you line-dry outside, the sun will fade the ‘wrong’ side of items; particularly important for red or dark articles.
Re: Bosch SKT5002 – still working but noisy
It might actually, believe it or not, be the detergent you are using.
Do not use tablets or those Fairy pouches: they over-foam far too much for small table-top machines, and they are designed for full-size machines.
Use a powder detergent, or a liquid detergent such as ‘Finish’ Liquid/Gel, or ‘Sun’ powder or liquid, if you can find it. Don’t overfill the little detergent dispenser.
I recently tried Finish Liquid again, after years of trying tablets in my full-size Bosch. I did notice a faint whistling whine at certain stages of the wash cycle.
Re: New tumble dryer
If it is any consolation, the current Zanussi range of condenser driers will be quieter than their ancient predecessors.
My mum had a Zanussi TC470 condenser model that lasted 11 years.
She bought a ZDC46130 that is much quieter. It has a water collection bottle at floor level, and steel drum. ‘Twas in an Electricity Board Shop sale, a couple of months ago. It actually feels sturdier than the old TC470.
The model you quote is slightly different again. It looks as though it has a water collection bottle situated on the fascia. This would be in keeping with the design of the top-of-the-range model, where the production techniques finally filter down to the cheaper models, after a year or so.
Re: OK to set water softener slightly too “high”?
It isn’t to do with the softness of the water as such, more to do with the susceptibility of the glassware to certain detergents and temperature.
For example, I have ‘Pyrex’ (by Corning) glass bowls and they seem to be excellent at resisting the effects of glass corrosion/etching.
On the other hand, I have various items of French manufacture: ‘Tefal’ pots & pans with glass lids; ‘Arcuisine’ branded glass bowls and ovenware. These are most certainly the worst for showing the effects of corrosion. The glass displays a whitish bloom that can never be removed; an iridescent ‘rainbow’ can be seen under certain light angles; and silver mirror effects can also be seen.
The detergent also has a large part to play in the corrosion. Older powder detergents and current liquid dishwasher detergents use a chlorine bleach in a more aggressive alkaline formulation. This formulation removes tea tannin stains perfectly and makes stainless steel shine, and can even combat the pink plastics caused by tomato sauces, but it can etch glassware very badly. Starchy stains such as pasta and mashed potato, might not always be removed successfully.
Modern powders and tablets use a less alkaline formulation, supplemented by oxygen bleach and enzymes. They are more successful at removing starchy stains, are gentler on glassware, but less likely to prevent tea and tomato stain building up.
As for detergent dosage, it depends upon your machine, but most manufacturers recommend about 20-30g of powder, or one tablet, for a normal wash.
What should be noted however, are the intensive cycles. Frequently, these programmes have a heated prewash at 40degrees C. The instructions call for additional detergent to be added, either to the floor of the machine, lower part of the door, or a special compartment on the dispenser. A Zanussi manual I looked at the other day, mentioned adding a portion of another tablet to the floor of the machine. The main wash will reach 65-75degrees C., and the hot water will cause damage at a quicker rate, than at a lower temperature.
Also bear in mind that cutting back on detergent may prevent items being cleaned successfully, as one of the functions of detergent is to suspend the soil in the water, preventing redeposition of said soils.
Re: OK to set water softener slightly too “high”?
It probably doesn’t matter whether the softner unit is set slightly high, because:
(1.) The hardness of the water supply may alter during the course of the year, as the water table goes up and down.
(2.) Some basic machines only have a two or three position setting (eg. soft water/medium hardness/very hard). So you might not be able to finely tune the machine to the softness required.
(3.) Some more intelligent machines use an ‘Aquamix’ method to protect glassware (reduces chances of glass etching). They can sense the degree of softness/hardness and mix the soft water with ordinary tap water to protect the glassware. They also only use soft water when required, such as washing and the final rinse, possibly using standard water for intermediate rinses.
For what it’s worth, the Bosch machines seem to have very low salt consumption. I have a Bosch ‘Logixx’ that was refilled with salt at the beginning of April, and the machine has still not indicated to me to add salt, despite being used daily. It has a 7-position hardness adjustment, computer controlled, and is set to the mid-point.
Conversely, my parents have an Indesit-made Hotpoint, with the type of softener described in (2.) above, and that machine will only last a month before it requires refilling, even though it is set to the lowest hardness. It probably softens all stages of the wash cycle, rinses, etc.
So I wouldn’t worry about it.
