Cleaning the washing machine with citric acid

It is convenient to clean the washing machine with citric acid if you need to dissolve hard deposits on metal parts. The effect of the product is good, but care should be taken when cleaning.

Is it possible to clean the washing machine with citric acid

There are many professional tools in stores that help to descale the machine. But cheap household substances are still very popular. The most famous of these is citric acid, or lemon, an aggressive chemical that quickly breaks down solid salt deposits.

The substance is very suitable for the care of the washing machine. It has several advantages, namely:

• low price, you do not need to overpay for a sachet of the substance, as for specialized funds;
• good solubility, when interacting with hot water, the powder leaves almost no sediment and is fully washed out from the internal parts of the device;
• economical consumption - to clean the car, you need only 100-200 g of powder for one procedure;
• ease of use, the product does not need to be prepared for use in advance;
• high efficiency, the substance copes with any solid deposits and helps to dissolve even very old scale.

Citric acid does not leave a strong unpleasant odor in the drum when used

The disinfecting properties help not only to clean the washing machine, but also to eliminate all bacteria on the inside of the unit.

How to choose citric acid for washing machine cleaning

Regardless of the manufacturer, lemon is one and the same substance. Accordingly, you can clean household appliances with powder from any brand, there will be no difference in the composition.

When buying, you need to take into account that 200 g of the substance will be needed for one cleaning cycle. Since the product is usually sold in bags of 20 g, in this case, you will need to purchase at least 10 packages.

How much citric acid to pour to clean the washing machine

The recommended amount of chemical may vary. For a standard washing machine, a dosage of 200 g of citric acid will be sufficient. Sometimes the volumes can be even less if the household unit is small, and its maximum load is only 3-4 kg, 50 g is quite enough.

Usually, about 1 cup of citric acid is poured into the pull-out tray.

What mode to clean the washing machine with citric acid

The chemical powder acts as a strong solvent when interacting with hot water. To clean the automatic machine from accumulated salts, set a long cycle of operation and set the temperature in the settings from 60 to 95 ° C.

After processing, the smallest powder particles can still remain in the automatic unit. To completely rinse the detergent out of the drum and folds of the cuff, we recommend setting the double rinse.

How to clean a washing machine with citric acid

Removing tough salt build-up with a household chemical is not difficult. The procedure looks like this:

• all laundry is removed from the drum, especially carefully check the main compartment for forgotten small items;
• the rubber cuff is wiped with a soft sponge or cloth to remove residual water and the most obvious dirt;
• according to the classic recipe for cleaning the washing machine, citric acid is poured into a drawer in an amount of 200 g;
• in the settings of the unit, the desired mode is set, usually it is an intensive wash at 90-95 ° C, but if a little scale has accumulated, you can start the cotton washing mode at 60 ° C;
• the spin is turned off completely, and the double rinse is indicated.

The temperature when cleaning the machine is usually set to the maximum - 90 ° C

The empty unit is closed and put into operation. When the wash cycle is over, you will need to open the door and thoroughly clean the drum and door gum with clean water.

Treatment of a washing machine drum with citric acid

Basically, the cleaning powder is placed in the appropriate compartment of the machine. But if the unit has not been cleaned for a long time, and it has an unpleasant smell from the inside, then you can clean the drum of the washing machine with citric acid directly.

In this case, the algorithm will look a little different:

• the amount of the product is left the same, about 200 g, but it is not placed in the tray, but directly into the drum;
• for cleaning, select a program for washing cotton or for an intensive wash, with a long duration and a temperature of 60-95 ° C;
• set repeated rinsing, it is necessary for the high-quality removal of powder residues;
• the machine is started up, but after 20-30 minutes the process is stopped by pressing the pause button or simply disconnecting the device from the network;
• after 40 minutes, the unit is restarted and waited for the cleaning cycle to complete.

If the drum smells bad, you can pour acid directly into it

It is necessary to pause for 40 minutes so that the cleaning agent lingers in the drum for some time and has time to dissolve all soft and hard dirt in it. In this case, the effectiveness of the procedure will be noticeably higher than with a continuous cleaning cycle.

Is citric acid harmful to a washing machine

If the correct dosage is observed, the powder does not harm the interior of the machine. It is perfectly safe for metal parts and can clean deposits while maintaining the integrity of the metal itself.

But if you clean the machine with too much substance or carry out the procedure very often, the unit may be damaged. In particular, the chemical:

• has a bad effect on the condition of the rubber parts of the machine, if you use a chemical unnecessarily, the hatch cuff may become unusable;
• negatively affects plastic parts if the product is used excessively.

Cleaning the gum of the washing machine with citric acid is allowed only on condition that then the residues of the chemical will be washed off with clean water. The product removes mold, plaque and unpleasant odor well, but rubber dries up and collapses under its influence.

To prevent the hatch gum from deteriorating, it must be wiped clean with a damp cloth

For the same reason, after using the chemical, it is recommended to clean the powder compartment with a damp sponge. Plastic from frequent contact with an aggressive substance can become brittle.

How often to clean the washing machine with citric acid

It is not recommended to use an aggressive detergent too often, it can damage the washing unit. At the same time, you cannot wait until strong scale builds up on metal parts, since it will be more difficult to clean it.

The optimal frequency of treatments is 2 times a year. If the appliance is used very often, it is possible to clean the appliance every 3 months or every 30 cycles, especially in regions with very hard tap water.

To understand whether it is time to clean the automatic machine, you can examine the condition of the drum and take a closer look at the operation of the unit. The presence of deposits inside the device is indicated by:

• persistent whitish bloom on the inner surfaces of the machine;
• unpleasant odor from the drum;
• unusual hum emitted by the device during intensive work.

If at least one of the signs appears, you can clean the household appliance and solve the problem early.

Citric acid will be safe for the washing device if the rules are followed

Conclusion

You can clean the washing machine with citric acid without any harm. If you follow the recommended dosages and take care of the rubber cuff of the device, the powder will only benefit - it will remove scale and destroy germs in the machine.

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