How to clean the powder tray of the washing machine?

If you notice that your washing machine has become worse at washing and rinsing clothes, we recommend that you check the powder tray first. It may be clogged and should be cleaned.

Often, housewives do not think that cleaning the tray is a necessary event. It seems to them that the detergents and water that constantly circulate in the tray, by themselves, make it clean. However, it is not. Limescale deposits, detergent or conditioner residues are difficult to clean. Some of them remain in the tray. Over time, all this accumulates, lime-powder “stalagmites” form in the tray, and they close the hole through which water is supplied. As a result, detergents do not get into the drum of the machine and washing becomes ineffective. And sometimes it even breaks the car.

How to remove the dispenser?

If the tray of your car is not too dirty, you can clean it without removing it from the slot. But if the pollution is strong enough, then for your own convenience, as well as for better cleaning, it is better to remove the container. This process can cause difficulties for beginners, but as you get used to your machine model, you can get out the tray with one deft hand movement.

Different machine models have dispensing trays in different ways. Therefore, before you get this part out of your washing machine, carefully read the instructions.

In order to remove the tray, you usually need to do this:

1. pull it all the way;
2. with a finger on the air conditioner compartment cover, pull the tray toward you and down with a little effort.

Now that the dispenser is in your hands, you can use one of the following methods to clean it.

How to deal with contamination of the tray?

There are three ways to tidy up the powder tray:

1. clean it manually;
2. use chemical cleaning agents;
3. trust in popular recipes.

Manual cleaning

If the powder receptacle is not very dirty, then hot water and a sponge may be enough to restore its pristine cleanliness.

Simply dampen the tray with water, thoroughly wipe all the compartments with a sponge and rinse them again. You can use an old toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach spots.

Tip

Be careful not to rub too hard or use a very stiff brush so as not to erase the plastic marks in the air conditioner compartment.

If there are still contaminants on the dispenser, you can leave it to lie in hot water for a couple of hours, and then repeat the cleaning procedure.

Nowhere without chemistry

If you cannot manually get rid of limescale and hardened powder residues, do not despair, the achievements of the chemical industry will come to your aid. In order to clean the dispenser using active agents, you do not even have to get it out of the machine.

The following preparations cope well with the contamination of the dispenser and other parts of the washing machine.

• "Eona", "Doctor TEN", "Antinakipin" will help with light pollution.
• Frisch-aktiv removes mud and lime deposits as well as unpleasant odors.
• Sandokkaeb and Bork K8P (Korean products) are able to cope even with fairly severe pollution.

When using chemicals, we recommend that you adhere to the following algorithm.

1. Measure the required amount of the product (how much it is required for cleaning is indicated in the instructions).
2. Pour or pour into the tray.
3. Remove dirty clothes from the machine, if any.
4. Set the mode with a temperature of 90-95 degrees and start the wash with an empty drum.
5. After washing, turn on the rinse.

These five steps should be enough to clean the powder receptacle. But if suddenly something else remains, then you can brush it. If this does not help, then the tray is best removed and soaked for 2-3 hours in hot water with the addition of chemicals. For example, such as the well-known Domestos, Comet, Silit, Pemolux, even Dressing Duckling and Sanfor Anti-rust are suitable. Then you need to rub the part again with a brush and rinse under a stream of warm water.

For those who do not accept chemistry

Household chemicals are so firmly entrenched in our lives that we can hardly imagine how people used to do without it. Chemicals, of course, make life much easier for us, but cause damage to our health. If the option of using chemicals to clean the tray is not suitable for you, then there are other, “folk” recipes. They are much safer for health, and their effectiveness is not lower, and often even higher than that of chemicals.

The most common tray cleaners include citric acid, vinegar, and soda.

• Citric acid successfully replaces chemicals. In order to clean the tray of powder, citric acid is poured into it and washing is started at a temperature of 70-75 degrees. With this method, not only the dispenser, but also other parts of the washing machine are cleaned of scale and dirt. In addition, the acid eliminates unpleasant odors.
• Vinegar can be used to soak the tray. To do this, pour 1 liter of hot water into a plastic basin, add a glass of 9% vinegar there and soak the container in this solution for 6-8 hours. After removing the tray, brush, rinse and wipe dry. The method takes time, but the result is worth it.
• Soda will help clean the tray of limescale and powder residue. Pour it into the compartments, moisten it with warm water. You can let it stand for a while. Then, with a toothbrush, go over the entire surface of the dispenser, not forgetting about inaccessible places. Then wash the part with warm water and wipe dry.

We told you about the basic ways to clean the tray in the washing machine. In the case of severe pollution, this process requires a lot of effort and time. But it’s much easier to prevent a problem than to fix it later. If you systematically monitor the purity of the dispenser, then you will not have to suffer, trying to scrape off the petrified clods of powder. And you can significantly extend the life of your indispensable assistant.