Today it is difficult to imagine a family that does not have a washing machine. She has long ceased to be a luxury item, and in families where there are small children, this helper is simply not enough. Do you agree? But, like any household appliances, the washing machine may break.
The most common cause of breakdowns is scaling on its details. It can reduce consumer performance and even disable your assistant.
To prevent problems, it does not hurt to know how to clean the washing machine with citric acid (LC). This method is absolutely safe for equipment, but only if certain rules are followed.
In this material you will find expert advice that will help to clean the washing machine from scale, without resorting to the services of specialists. We will talk about how often you need to carry out preventive cleaning with citric acid. In addition, the article contains videos that clearly demonstrate the process of caring for appliances.
The content of the article:
- Scale and chemistry to remove it
- Causes and effects of scaling
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Pros and cons of cleaning with citric acid
- The positive side of the method
- Negative effect of citric acid
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The process of cleaning the washing machine
- Step # 1: preparation for cleaning
- Step # 2: Loading the acid and turning on the washing machine
- Step # 3: removing crystalline acid residues
- Step # 4: Inspecting the Washing Machine
- The frequency of care for equipment
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Scale and chemistry to remove it
The basis of scale in household washing machines (SM) are insoluble magnesium and calcium carbonates. (CACO3 and MgCO3), settling on the details. They determine the level of water hardness, and their concentration affects not only the process of scaling, but also the chemical effectiveness of the detergent.
In accessible places, salt deposits can be mechanically torn off, but it is quite problematic to get to scale on heating heating elements.
Therefore, a chemical method using citric acid is used to remove it in hard-to-reach places. It dissolves CacO3 and MgCO3, and does not corrode metal surfaces.
Citric acid is an affordable, always commercially available product that effectively dissolves resistant mineral deposits.
The chemical reaction is:
2C6H8ABOUT7 + 3CaCO3 = Ca3(WITH6H5ABOUT7)2 + 3CO2 + 3H2ABOUT.
Calcium citrate is formed during the reaction in the SM. (Ca3(WITH6H5O7)2)which dissolves well in water and is removed with it when draining. It is safe for humans and even comes in tablets to replenish the reserve of calcium in the body.
Theoretically, 125 grams of citric acid would be required to clean a washing machine from 100 grams of scale. This chemical fact must be remembered when evaluating the effectiveness of the cleaning.
The purity of citric acid is only important in cooking, for descaling the main thing is the low cost and a correctly calculated amount.
Causes and effects of scaling
The scum formed in the washer is a fait accompli that requires a response. But we can not ignore the reasons for its occurrence, which can repeat the process of salt deposition on the details.
Frequent washing at a temperature of 95 ° C reduces the service life of the washing machine. A mode of 30-40 ° C in combination with a good powder is also able to remove all the dirt from things
The formation of scale contribute to:
- Carbonates dissolved in water, calcium and magnesium cations.
- High washing temperature (over 60 ° C).
- The use of phosphate-free powders.
The effect of high temperatures is that with strong heating, vapor bubbles begin to form on the metal surface of the heating element — the result of local boiling of water.
At the micro level, this leads to its separation into a pure fraction. H2O, passing into the surrounding liquid, and insoluble carbonates deposited on the metal. The higher the temperature of the wash, the greater the obligation to scale in one cycle.
Besfosfatnye powders favorably affect the ecosystems of water bodies, which drain the sewage, but they bring people the same problems.
Phosphates reduce the overall hardness of the water and inhibit the formation of insoluble carbonates, so they are used in special means for the internal cleaning of washing machines.
Try to try the temperature of the glass door SM in the washing mode, as its coldness indicates a breakdown of the heater
The absence of phosphates in the detergent powders leads to an acceleration of salt sedimentation on the SM parts and the following consequences:
- Overheating of the heating element due to poor heat transfer to the surrounding water through the scale.
- A layer of salts isolates metal and rubber parts from the air, which contributes to the retention of moisture, rusting and reduced strength.
In general, there is little good from scale, therefore it should be removed with citric acid or another effective means. About the features of this method should know the maximum information.
Mineral sediment on the pulley, crosspiece, bearing, and other, located near moving and contacting with each other details increases the load on the engine, as a result, contributes to accelerated wear
Pros and cons of cleaning with citric acid
The properties of citric acid are due to its chemical structure. This substance was not specifically invented for cleaning washing machines, so its effect on machinery parts has both positive and negative sides.
The positive side of the method
Without cleaning scale in the SM, you can expect at least a burnout of the heating element. Therefore, to pull the cleaning procedure is not worth it. The method of removing deposits should allow every person without experience to carry out the procedure.
When deciding to regularly clean CM with citric acid, you can immediately buy a large amount of it. So it will be cheaper and less troublesome
The use of citric acid to eliminate accumulated insoluble salts meets this requirement due to several advantages:
- Availability and low cost. You can buy citric acid in the right quantity at any store for a few dozen rubles.
- Simplicity. Even an unprepared person can carry out the cleaning procedure.
- Efficiency. 100 g of citric acid dissolve up to 80 g of scale.
- Security. Both citric acid and calcium citrate formed after dissolving scale are harmless to health.
These positive sides of LC make it the drug of choice in the fight against scale. It makes no sense to buy expensive special equipment for cleaning CM, if they provide the same effect.
Citric acid is used both in the care of internal and external parts of the washer. The advantage of the traditional drug is that with the use of lemon, it is possible to effectively clean the inaccessible to the user surface.
Confirmation of the efficiency of removal of accumulated citric acid is demonstrated in the video:
Negative effect of citric acid
There are legends about the negative effect of citric acid on the internal parts when cleaning the washing machine. There are numerous arguments against this method, but few provide evidence.
Theoretical claims of people about cleaning CM citric acid are:
- The formation of salts that remain in the washing machine and can clog drain.
- Acid corrodes the metal components of PETN.
- Rubber seals soften and may crack.
- After cleaning things have a peculiar smell.
To remove scale in the SM used 1% citric acid solution.
For comparison, a 10% solution of aggressive hydrochloric acid is used to clean water boilers from deposits. And even multiple processing with such a powerful tool does not affect the operation of the equipment. And rubber is generally resistant to the short-term effects of weak acids.
The problem will arise if the crystals or citric acid solution remain in the pocket of the rubber cuff sealing the door. In other cases, the negative impact of citric acid on the insides of a washing machine is a myth.
Holes in the cuff of citric acid do not occur immediately, but only after multiple sessions of descaling without observing the elementary rules
Salts formed during the cleaning of scale together with residues of LC are completely removed by the next two or three rinses, leaving no smell or sediment.
Are all cons of citric acid contrived? No, scaling has another flaw, but it is common to all cleaning products.
Insoluble salts can accumulate in places of water leakage, temporarily tightening the hole and removing the problem. After cleaning the washing machine, a leak may appear again.
The described problem is not initiated by citric acid or other means, but the possibility of its occurrence should be remembered.
Consequences of using LC for cleaning CM are presented in the video:
The process of cleaning the washing machine
Citric acid cleans not only the internal parts of the CM, but also the box for falling asleep powder, the door and its rubber gasket.
For this you will need:
- 100 g of citric acid;
- water absorbent rag.
The following step-by-step instructions for cleaning the washing machine with citric acid is guaranteed to help get rid of internal salt deposits without harming the details of technology.
Simplified principle of cleaning the inside of the washer with citric acid is carrying out a normal washing session with loading of a folk remedy into a cuvette for detergent formulations or in drum
Step # 1: preparation for cleaning
You should first check the drum again and remove things from it, if any. Then measure 100 grams of citric acid for a washing machine with a load of 6 kg.
If the technique involves a different maximum amount of laundry, then the amount of reagent should be adjusted in the appropriate direction.
It is possible to use a lemon in 2 types:
- crystalline;
- diluted in water.
Dissolved acid is preferred because the crystals are guaranteed to never get stuck. 100 grams of lemon leaves are diluted in half a liter of warm water. LC in the dissolved form is not suitable for cleaning washing machines, which in the beginning of the work pump out the remnants of water under the drum.
Step # 2: Loading the acid and turning on the washing machine
The crystalline powder is loaded into the receiver for the laundry detergent, and the dissolved lemon can immediately spill onto the drum before closing the door.
The longest washing mode with a water temperature of 90-95 ° C is selected and activated. It should have a minimum of 3 rinses.
Step # 3: removing crystalline acid residues
After the final set of water in the machine, open the compartment to load the powder and grind the remaining lemon into the walls. If it's not there, then you can borrow some reagent in the kitchen.
In 30-60 minutes it is necessary to wipe the compartment with a damp cloth, removing the plaque present there. The main thing - to have time to remove the acid before the start of the rinse.
Step # 4: Inspecting the Washing Machine
After washing, open the door and allow the inner space to dry. Separately, you need to wipe the accumulated water in the pocket of the rubber cuff. Additionally, you can remove the bottom panel of the machine and clean the drain filter, in which breakaway particles of scale can get stuck.
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Before the descaling procedure, you can pay attention to the appearance of the surface of the drum, so that later you can compare
A temperature of 90 - 95 ° C is not necessary when removing scale, but it significantly speeds up the chemical reaction to dissolve carbonates.
For the convenience of cleaning the powder compartment, you can pause the wash and completely pull out the box
You can also clean the drain filter before the cleaning procedure so that large pieces of scale will not get stuck there.
Step 1. Checking the drum and unloading things
Step # 2. Setting mode with a temperature of 95 ° C
Step # 3. Cleaning the powder compartment
Step # 4. Cleaning the debris filter
The door of the CM and rubber seal must be wiped with a cloth soaked in 1% citric acid solution. The remaining plaque should be easily removed. This completes the descaling process.
The frequency of care for equipment
Professionals recommend regular use of special means to prevent the occurrence of scale. This advice can be ignored if you clean the washing machine with a lemon.
The frequency of the procedure depends on the hardness of the water in the region and the average temperature of the wash. The higher they are, the more often it is necessary to clean the equipment.
Inside the machine, citric acid is in contact only with the heating element and the workspace of metal, plastic and rubber. She and her couples do not fall on the engine, electronic board and other critical elements of technology, so do not be afraid of the regular use of LC.
Although the process of cleaning CM citric acid is quite simple, it is still better to prevent the formation of scale than to deal with its removal.
Prolonged exposure of the washed laundry in the drum may cause mold and bad smell in the washing machine.
The proposed tips will help reduce the deposits of insoluble salts on the internal parts of the machine and reduce the likelihood of its breakdown:
- After washing, keep the drum open until dry.
- Buy powders containing water-softening ingredients.
- Pour detergent into the volume recommended for hard water.
- Do not wash in a machine dilapidated, decaying things.
- When washing it is preferable to use modes with a maximum temperature of 40-50 ° C.
- Pull the laundry out of the SM immediately after washing.
Removing a scum, it is not necessary to exceed the established concentration of citric acid. This does not enhance the effect, but will only lead to excess cash costs.
And we must not forget about the mandatory wiping of the sealing rubber cuff to dryness after the cleaning procedure.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
After reviewing videos about the practice of using LC for cleaning a washing machine, one can be convinced of the effectiveness of this method.
Cleaning the washing machine from start to finish:
Analysis of the effectiveness of using citric acid for descaling proves that this tool copes with the task perfectly.
The main thing when cleaning the washing machine is not to get involved in amateur activities and to carefully follow the specified rules and recommendations for the procedure.
