A washing machine is currently not a luxury item, but a necessity. Maintenance of this unit is simple. It is necessary to regularly clean it from the inside, since scale can reduce the performance of the equipment and even provoke its breakdown. The means at hand will help, they can be found in the arsenal of any housewife. In this article, you will learn how to clean your washing machine with citric acid.
Is it possible to clean the washing machine with citric acid
Scale is created by the deposition of salts on the metal objects of the machine, which dissolve when the liquid is heated to high temperatures. If you do not clean the heating element and drum in a timely manner, then there is a risk of getting a faulty unit sooner or later.
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The washing machine must be descaled regularly, otherwise your electricity bills will increase significantly. Teng, covered with a salt coating, takes longer to warm up and eventually burns out. There are many products available for cleaning your washing machine.
The most popular are the tools at hand, they can be found in every kitchen. Among them are substances such as food water, vinegar and lemon. Many people are interested in the question, is it permissible to clean the washing machine with citric acid? This is an elementary remedy for combating plaque, housewives have been using it for more than one decade.
How citric acid works on scale
Citric acid is well known even in industry. In short, acid acts as a reagent when it reacts with water salts, as a result, the latter are converted into soluble elements. The acetates and chlorides obtained as a result of this reaction destroy the plaque formation. After which it comes off easily, washing off with water. The only caveat is that the destruction proceeds unevenly.
Pros and cons of citric acid cleaning
Cleaning the washing machine with citric acid has its positive aspects and drawbacks. The advantages of using include:
- Availability. It is cheap, there is an opportunity to purchase a considerable amount of lemon for little money;
- Ease of use. The cleansing procedure does not require the use of special products and preliminary preparation;
- High efficiency. 100 grams of active substance can remove up to 100 g of scale;
- Safety. The substance itself and its derivatives on scale are not harmful to humans.
Lemon perfectly overcomes solid deposits, it does not have a negative destructive effect on teng like other chemicals. This substance is included in many specialized products.
Moreover, in terms of financial costs, cleaning a typewriter with a lemon is much cheaper than using special chemicals. It has been proven that many housewives spend much more money on cleaning products than repairing a washing machine can do. In particular, the replacement of the heating element.
Acid deficiencies most often have nothing to do with reality. It does not corrode rubber seals and metal components of the machine. Many people note that after cleaning the washing machine with citric acid, a specific smell remains, but it is eliminated after one or two washings.
The only problem may be the accumulation of lemon crystals in the pocket of the rubber cuff. Therefore, it should be thoroughly wiped after processing. And the short-term effect of the substance on the rubber and the components of the machine does not have a destructive effect.
How to clean a washing machine with citric acid
The machine is processed in several stages.
Preparation for cleaning
The preparation procedure is as follows: all things and objects that can be damaged or damage the interior of the unit during the cleaning process are removed from the machine. The use of lemon in a liquid state is permissible in a technique that does not remove the water remaining under the drum at the beginning of work.
How much citric acid to pour for the washing machine
A liquid solution or substance in crystals is used to remove plaque. Dissolved lemongrass is preferable, this ensures that loose solids do not linger anywhere or get stuck. The calculation is performed as follows: 100 g of the substance is taken on equipment with a permissible load of 5 kg.
Loading acid and turning on the washing machine
Liquid solution or powdery substance is poured into the powder compartment. It is permissible to pour the diluted lemon into the drum. The technique is started in high temperature mode and with at least three rinses. You can use the boiling or bleaching mode, in some units this is provided.
Removal of crystalline acid residues
After filling the drum with water, clean the powder hopper with a lemon. The residues of the substance from this compartment are completely removed.
After cleaning, the door opens and the inner surface is ventilated. The rubber cuff is carefully wiped dry, and all the water that has accumulated inside is removed. You should also look at the drain filter, where scale residues accumulate.
Washing machine inspection
During washing, you should observe the operation of the device. If a thick layer of plaque comes off, it will fall into the drain when rinsing. At the end of the cleaning, the inside of the machine should be inspected for the presence of small scale particles.
How to clean the drum of a washing machine from dirt
Cleaning the washing machine drum is done by hand or by starting one of the automatic wash modes. To clean it, any available substance is used, the washing machine can be cleaned with vinegar. It should be understood that, unlike other products, vinegar concentrate does more harm to the unit.
Cleaning the washing machine with soda:
- A solution is prepared from water and ¼ glass of soda, it is poured into a tray.
- 9% vinegar is added directly to the drum.
- The machine is started for a maximum time at a high temperature.
This is a good alternative to cleaning the washing machine from dirt and odor using a lemon. It should be understood that the defeat of the machine can be not only scale, if improperly used and maintained, mold and fungi may develop, it is difficult to get rid of them.
To solve the problem of how to wash the washing machine inside, you should take two bags of the product and pour it into the drum. Start a normal wash, at the end of the work for an optimal result, you can turn on the rinse again. Some models of automatic machines have a convenient automatic drum cleaning function.
Equipment maintenance frequency
Masters advise to systematically descale equipment. Also, prevention of contamination of the washing machine with citric acid can be carried out. The repetition rate depends on a number of factors, among which are:
- Hardness of water.
- Washing temperature.
- The frequency of using the technique.
The more often the family uses the device, the more often the washing machine should be descaled with citric acid. Experts recommend doing this on average every 4-6 months. In most cases, the boiling mode, which is usually used infrequently, contributes to the appearance of scale in the washing machine.
Tips and Precautions
It is possible to reduce the accumulation of insoluble substances inside the machine, which will reduce the likelihood of lime scale and the possibility of malfunctions in the unit. To do this, you should take care of the equipment during operation. After washing, the door remains open until the machine is completely ventilated.
In areas where water is hard enough, it is recommended to use powders with special additives in the composition. These components soften the water and prevent the formation of limescale. It is recommended to use them in the amount recommended for water of the specified hardness.
It is not recommended to wash things in the machine, which deteriorate from dilapidation, even if the wash is not intensive. It is advisable to choose modes for everyday washing with a low temperature, not higher than 50 degrees. The laundry is immediately removed from the drum after the end of the last wash cycle. You can use powders that contain anti-scale substances.
The specified amount of citric acid is sufficient for high-quality cleaning of the unit from plaque. Exceeding the permissible concentration will not lead to an improvement in the result, but it may have a bad effect on the condition of certain parts of the machine. A large amount of the substance can damage plastic parts of equipment and rubber inserts.
The procedure for cleaning the machine is as simple as possible. Moreover, it is much easier to prevent the appearance of scale than to deal with the consequences later.
