What could we be doing wrong with our new washing machine?

[newlark]

I hope the wisdom of mumsnet can help... our old, faithful washing machine died after 10 years and we bought a new one with good reviews this summer. It is a Bosch Varioperfect model. We wash all normal clothes on the standard 40 degree programme using the recommended dose of Ariel or Persil washing liquid (bio for whites, colour protect for coloureds).

Apart from being a bit annoying that a standard wash takes 2 hr 45 mins our biggest problem is that it doesn't get the clothes very clean.

One issue is dirty streaks on clothes (I suspect this is from the door seal - I have been wiping it regularly but not every wash but after a particularly bad load I noticed that there was some grey sludge in the bottom of the seal where it should be draining.

Another issue is clothes not smelling very fresh, particularly if the machine is not emptied immediately - because the load takes so long we sometimes put it on when we go to bed and it smells slightly musty in the morning which suggests there are bacteria left in clothes which are multiplying.

A third issue is that areas of white garments which are exposed to sweat are going yellow very quickly - again suggesting they aren't washing properly.

What are peoples experiences with these so-called "eco friendly" new machines (not so eco-friendly if you have to re-wash stuff!). Does a quick wash with a smaller load do any better? Is it better to use powder or liquid? What have you found to be the optimal way to use them? We do a regular 90 degree empty wash with white vinegar already. Any suggestions welcome! Thank you :)

[Tarzanlovesgaby]

try using powder for a bit.

liquids tend to wash not as well and can leave a slimy residue inside the drum.

[Tarzanlovesgaby]

do you leave the door open ehen not in use?

[rabbit123]

Switch to using a bio powder for all laundry. Colour detergents are a waste of money. The oxygen bleaching agents in the powder will kill any bacteria that is causing the sweat patches and also help remove any marks left behind.

[rabbit123]

Liquids don't contain any kind of bleaching or antibacterial agent, whereas bio powder does.

Also, there is absolutely no difference between bio & colour liquid. Bio powders contain bleaching agents, whereas colour powders don't. But oxy bleach can't be used in liquid form, so it's not found in any liquid. The formula of bio & colour liquid is identical, apart from the smell and colouring used.

Colour detergents were a marketing scam invented by P&G. Pre-liquid days, all detergents contained oxy bleach. P&G removed it and sold this as colour protect detergent, but oxy bleach doesn't strip colour, that's chlourine bleach. People hear the word "bleach" and immediately assume it will fade clothes, but that's not true.

[Tarzanlovesgaby]

well, powder not labelled 'colour' contains optical brighteners (i.e. small amount of blue dye) that makes clothes appear whiter. don't know if this is in liquids as well.

[highlighta]

Have you changed to a new detergent or is it the same as you used to use in your old machine?

I am not really a fan of liquid as years back the Miele Man said not to use it as it coats the machine, not sure how true that is seeing as even Miele use liquid detergent in the dos system now....

But it doesn't sound right for a brand new machine, I have to say. And over 2 hrs for one load, that's just bonkers... . Is there a quick wash function, or a button for a short load? The clothes shouldn't be smelly either after being in the machine for a short while after.

Is it getting hot? Maybe there is something wrong with the heating element and its just washing with cold water??

Just thinking of what it could be as doesn't sound right to me....

[rabbit123]

Tarzanlovesgaby, both colour & bio liquids contain optical brighteners.

[rabbit123]

Also, they don't make clothes appear whiter, they make clothes appear brighter. They amplify the existing colour, they don't fade or strip it.

[QueryQuery]

I was going ask about the heat. When the element went in mine it started not washing as well. Try feeling the door glass about 30 plus mins in. If it's cold it might need looking at.

If it doesn't have an inbuilt timer buy a plug in timer and set it to come on in time for it to finish just before you get up.

[youngestisapsycho]

I changed to powder a few months ago and it has stopped the smells and the grey sludgy stuff around the door. Does your machine have a timer? I put washing in at night but delay the start till 5am so the wash has just finished when I get up.

[ChinaSorrows]

Some times you also need to get through that "new car" smell (washing machine equivalent!)

Does your machine offer a REALLY hot wash? Like 90deg? Run it totally empty, no detergents. That helps.

[Katie2001]

Is it draining properly? If dirty water is sloshing back in, that might be it. Check the drain.

[HappenstanceMarmite]

rabbit123
Colour detergents were a marketing scam invented by P&G. Pre-liquid days, all detergents contained oxy bleach. P&G removed it and sold this as colour protect detergent, but oxy bleach doesn't strip colour, that's chlourine bleach. People hear the word "bleach" and immediately assume it will fade clothes, but that's not true.

That's really useful info rabbit (btw are you in the industry?). So are you saying that using a bio-powder on coloured clothing will NOT fade them?

[ragged]

Our clothes are a lot brighter & keep colour much better since we started using colour Bio (about 8 yrs ago).

Our machine cannot be loaded to the amount (kg) it says in the manuf. specs. We now run 1/3-1/2 loads on quick wash, or we often get streaks too. I blame the low water usage modern machines require & try to only use.

[ragged]

colour bio powder, btw, I don't know anything about liquid detergents.

[VeryPunny]

Wehave a new Bosch, had it for about 2-3 years and it's still a bit pants.

[Babbafish]

We have a Bosch and never had anybody's like this !!!! We use non- bio liquid tabs.
I've got 3 kids do it dies get lots if use and o only ever use the quick wash which is about an hour.
Everything is clean. Towels and bedding go on a higher heat!!!!

[JaniceJoplin]

I think we have the same machine and haven't experienced your problems. I find the 2hr 45 min wash is never always that - the machine reduces the time of the wash as it goes, presumably it is weighing the clothes or something. We also use the speed perfect setting which I think is an hour. We do use powder though. I think the grey sludge you mention is really weird, I would be tempted to get the man out or take photos and send them in to their services people. Its a bit rotten for a new machine to be performing so badly.

[rabbit123]

HappenstanceMarmite, I used to be! I worked for unilever for a fair few years (who make Persil, Surf & Comfort).

Colour detergents were first brought in by Ariel in the early 90's. It was the same formula as their regular bio, just with no oxygen bleaching agents and a different scent. The success of Ariel colour is the only reason why other companies introduced a colour detergent.

Oxygen based bleaching agents don't fade or strip colour like chlourine bleach does. Whilst it's true that it will fade items over time, this would take years and years to fade to a noticeable degree, by which time that top has gone out of fashion anyway lol.

The washing process, regardless of what detergent you use, will ALWAYS fade clothes. Loose dye particles will run no matter what you do, just by getting the clothes wet with no detergent. Also, one of the chemicals used to treat tap water in this country is chlourine, which will fade the colours. So no matter what you use, colours will eventually fade over time. It's enevitable. In fact, just by wearing clothes, they fade, because the sun's UV Ray's will strip the colour. Using supposed "colour protect" detergent is like swimming against the tide.

[EmGee]

I have a 14yo Bosch washing machine and now and again get dirty streaks on washed clothes white ones of course. My machine is old though and belonged to DH for five years before I came on the scene. He used liquid stuff/tabs and never did a maintenance wash. I use powder for whites and add soda crystals, sometimes vinegar in the fabric conditioner drawer. I also put the powder/soda crystals in the drum before the clothes. The machine does not smell although I keep the door open all the time. I do a monthly empty wash on the hottest cycle (90deg?).

As for the long cycle time, mine does this but there is a button called Rapid wash or something that is permanently on. It cuts the wash time by at least half. I don't think I've ever done a wash without this option! Cycle times are:
30 deg standard wash - 48 mins, 40 deg - 56 mins, 60 deg an hour-ish.

[newlark]

Wow - loads of replies while I've been out at soft play with the dcs. That is interesting about the colour detergent. I have noticed that small amounts of colour on mainly white clothing with the bio detergent do fade quite quickly so thought that might be related to bleaching agents but perhaps it is the water.

It does definitely get hot - with the 90 degree wash with just white vinegar this morning I could feel the heat radiating from the door without touching it.

I'll try putting a smaller load in at a time - I do fill the drum about 2/3 full at the moment. I wondered if it was the low water quantities used but had used the "extra water" setting to see if that helped without it seeming to make much difference. Will try powder too to see if that helps. We probably use slightly less that the recommended amount of liquid at the moment.

We do have a timer on it if I remember to put it on - it shouldn't really smell after just 6 hours though.

Thank you all for the responses and ideas

[HappenstanceMarmite]

rabbit I love detailed info on products so thanks for that . Will go back to Bio I think. I stopped using powder because I found it clogged the drawer and I'm a lazy cow and hated the extra job Then they introduced those balls you could fill with powder to place in machine, which I loved. But can't get them now.

[Ricardian]

For no particular reason we've used liquids since forever, usually one of the "sensitive skin" products because we can't be bothered to find out how completely one of our children has grown out of eczema. We don't have problems with sludge, slime or poor cleaning, even at 30C, but we have very, very soft water (no scale in anything ever, even thirty year old kettles, and we turn off the water softener in dishwashers). I suspect that in a lot of accounts of "I use detergent X in machine Y and it's terrible" meeting "well I use the same and it's great", the missing variable is the hardness of the water.