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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be incredibly disappointed and think you all lied to me?

139 replies

GodRestTEEMerryGenTEEmen · 07/12/2013 14:16

I did a maintenance wash on my washing machine yesterday.

There were not mountains of bubbles. There were no bubbles.

I blame all of you for my disappointment.

OP posts:
OHforDUCKSchristmascake · 07/12/2013 18:43

Im a huge soap nuts and lavander fan.

I never added vinegar because I didnt want my house to smell like a fish and chip shop.

Mmmmmm, fish and chips.....

digerd · 07/12/2013 18:43

I don't have a filter, what is it? A 95 degree wash will cost a fortune in electricity.
Mine was bought in 1998, is a condensing one, but the dryer doesn't work anymore. The fabric softener drawer becomes so gungy and black-yuck.

AnAdventureInCakeAndWine · 07/12/2013 18:44

SchmaltzingMatilda, soap nuts are made when a daddy Sapindus and a mummy Sapindus love each other very much and have a special cuddle.

mintberry · 07/12/2013 18:44

When we moved into our (rented) house, there was all mouldy gunk inside the detergent tray going back into the pipes, so I splashed a load of bleach in there and sent it round at 90. Does anyone know if this is harmful? I made sure I sent it round on a rinse with to clear the bleach out of the system after, it seemed to help.

SandStorm · 07/12/2013 18:46

I once found one of DH's socks in my filter. Lordy knows how it got there.

oldgrandmama · 07/12/2013 18:55

Filter? My washing machine has a FILTER? [short pause, while oldgrandmama goes to have a look]. Oh. So it does.
I've got the mouldy gunk in the bit where the soap dispenser goes ... I asked washing machine engineer about it last time he came and he said NO-ONE KNOWS what causes it. Really?

I use Brillo pads to scrape away as much of the stuff as I can.

DejaVuAllOverAgain · 07/12/2013 18:57

soap nuts are made when a daddy Sapindus and a mummy Sapindus love each other very much and have a special cuddle.

GrinGrinGrin

Ooh, I remember, my old washing machine used to have a filter because socks kept getting stuck in it. No idea about this one though.

BettyMacdonald · 07/12/2013 19:05

Where and when do you add the lavender?

AnAdventureInCakeAndWine · 07/12/2013 19:15

You can generally take the soap dispenser drawer out entirely if you jiggle it a bit. (I assumed everyone knew this, but then I assumed everyone knew that the machine had a filter Grin)

Nanny0gg · 07/12/2013 19:22

Me too AnAdventureInCakeAndWine

I recommend the Good Housekeeping topic over there ->

Lots of these kind of handy hints Grin

DejaVuAllOverAgain · 07/12/2013 19:26

I can take mine out (the soap dispenser drawer that is Wink) but I'm always afraid I'm going to break it.

PiratePanda · 07/12/2013 19:26

You need to do it because all the biological and eco-friendly washing products we use these days enable living gunk to grow in the machine (shudder).

Meerkatwhiskers · 07/12/2013 19:29

I've never done a maintenance wash either. It's my landlords washing machine and is a cheap brand that no one has ever heard of. It's 4 years old and even though I leave the door open for it to dry out after each wash (unless I'm on a washing frenzy) the rubber round the inside is all mouldy and manky.

It on at the moment but I will try a maintenance wash when it's done.

Meerkatwhiskers · 07/12/2013 19:31

I'm also going to investigate the filter

AnnieLobeseder · 07/12/2013 19:36

These are soapnuts (and I always buy mine from this site - tried some off eBay once and they were shit).

I use a big bottle of Sarsens white vinegar.

Occasionally DH gets creative and puts lavander oil in I haven't bothered since we stopped washing nappies.

Though we do put Vanish powder in our white wash.

Did you know you can clean the soap drawer in the dishwasher?

monicalewinski · 07/12/2013 19:50

Wow - who knew?!

I've just read the soapnuts link Annie, so I know I should put nuts in a bag in the main drum and lavender oil in the softener bit, but where does the vinegar go?

Also, with the vanish for a white load - where do you put that?

lljkk · 07/12/2013 20:23

Soap nuts did nothing for us.
No mould on any bit of our machine. Bit of rust. It's 9.5 yrs old & lives in an unheated room.

starsandunicorns · 07/12/2013 21:32

Annie I just ordered a sample of those soap nuts never seen them before thankyou

Sparrowlegs248 · 07/12/2013 21:51

Mouldy draws?? Yack.

Where is the filter??

Original poster
GodRestTEEMerryGenTEEmen · 07/12/2013 21:52

My goodness, what have I started?!?!

Thanks Annie for giving the soap nuts link. I was Xmas Hmm no one had googled them!

I take my drawer out all the time. It has a handy little thing that says 'push' to release it.

I am still disappointed by the lack of bubbles in my maintenance wash.

OP posts:
HearMyRoar · 07/12/2013 21:57

I just ordered a sample too. I am rather excited about it, and so is dp...really he is :o

Beehatch · 07/12/2013 22:07

If you want bubbles put a little washing up liquid in your maintenance wash. Emphasis on the little unless you want the aforementioned eighties disco foam night effect.

When I do a maintenance wash you can actually see the crud washing around through the door, so it is deffo doing something.

Oh, and if you get a manky powder drawer you can put it in the dishwasher periodically.

4yoniD · 07/12/2013 22:21

Some washing machines will automatically detect they are empty it isn't a full load and will only do a short wash (hence a few machines have special "cleaning" washes, which will override this). If you have any old pale towels you can add them to your maintenance wash for the extra weight, so you get a full wash. Might get more bubbles then?

ThreeGoMad · 07/12/2013 22:25

My cousin once put washing up liquid in the dishwasher and opened it to find it full of foam. She lived with her landlord and was terrified she'd piss him off, so scooped the foam into two bin bags and left them by the bins. Not sure she believed me when I told her they'd be empty apart from a dribble of water when the bins got collected Grin

larlemucker · 07/12/2013 22:32

DSs socks keep going missing, maybe I should look in the washing machine filter!