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

[GodRestTEEMerryGenTEEmen]

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.

Is this a new soap opera?

I love doing a maintenance wash. I stick it on 90 and pour white vinegar into the detergent bit, sit down with a cup of tea and feel virtuous. If I feel it deserves an extra treat I put Dr Beckmann machine wash in there too.

We use finish cleaner in the dishwasher - I want to do the white vinegar thing with it but DH seems to think all the pipes and innards will just dissolve away. Silly little man. I might just do it one day.

DH likes to put all the tea towels into the washing machine, with some bleach at 90 degrees, to clear the gunge. As already mentioned we dishwasher the drawer from the washing machine.

This is a spoof thread, isn't it? No-one's really this interested in their washing machine?!!

OK, delurking - and I can't believe a washing machine thread is what made me delurk! I actually only use vinegar to wash my clothes and it's a total revelation, my clothes have never been softer and come out perfectly clean, even quite badly stained stuff. I just slosh in some vinegar in the drum, probably a few tablespoons for a whole load. Lots of people use it instead of fabric softener since that's not great for the machine and vinegar is very good at softening clothes. There is no vinegar smell once the clothes are dry. I use the very cheapest 35p for 500-ish ml brown vinegar from Asda or Sainsburys, but all the major supermarkets do cheap vinegar - malt vinegar is fine, doesn't stain the clothes at all. Fruit and veg stalls are selling white vinegar for pickling in gallon bottles too at this time of year, just make sure it's not spiced vinegar!

I used a washing capsule today (first time in ages) as I'd ran out of vinegar, and couldn't really tell a difference. I did add a bit of bicarb with the capsule since it was a heavily stained emergency wash. Some people use washing soda (different to bicarb), but I've never tried that myself.

There are lots of threads on the Money Saving Expert forums about washing with vinegar/soap nuts/soda/homemade laundry liquid/other cheap methods which will probably tell you more.

I have just done my first ever maintenance wash but used malt vinegar

Now I just really fancy fish, chips and mushy peas.

I do a maintenance wash regularly once in a while when I actually remember, because the bloke who used to sort out my mother's washing machine recommended it. I also wash out the powder tray.

I use white Sarson's vinegar, which I get from the supermarket - it's about 35p for a massive jar, I think (can't remember when I last got any.)

I love a good washing machine thread.

Finney malt vinegar is fine to use in the washing machine and once it's dry, there's no smell.

(I always thought a maintenance wash was just normal??)

threegomad

at the sex life of soap nuts.

Annie, is it not somehow wronging the universe to use vanish powder with soap nuts? Kind of like curdling baileys and lemonade? nasty chemicals spoiling the soap nuts' saturday night.

I have questions:

1. do soap nuts go in a bag or just in the drum?
2. are you absolutely sure clothes won't smell do vinegar afterwards?
3. if I do this maintenance thingy, do I have to clean the drum afterwards somehow if there's gunk in it, or does it go to some mysterious place?
4. I want to order a soap it sample off that site but I don't know if its legit.

Oh, and can I use something else instead of lavender?

KenAdams my clothes never ever smell of vinegar once they're dry. The smell evaporates off. I mean, de-scaling a kettle with vinegar is just normal and the smell goes from that once it's dry. I also don't clean the drum after a maintenance wash, because the wash cleans the drum Do you mean the filter? I've never bothered to clean that out myself.

I haven't used soap nuts before though so can't help with that.

Oh and absolutely, you can use any essential oil you like, it's just there for the scent and doesn't do anything to wash the clothes. I don't use any essential oil, I just like the clean clothes smell.

Someone up thread mentioned that they had gunk all around the door which made me think that it all comes up into the drum?

I use a dryer, I take it the vinegar smell will go using that then?

Every now and then I get panicky that I haven't cleaned out my washing machine filter.

So I spend ages battling to open it, flooding the floor and bashing my fingers in the process.

There is never anything in there.

Yes you must take your drawers off and soak them to avoid the gunky deposits and my plumber used white vinegar to flush out my pipes the other day

I found a washable breast pad in my filter once. Goodness knows how it got there

I've had mine for 14 years and never done a maintenance wash. I'm going to have ALL THE BUBBLES. The kitchen will be full of them.

I, too, have never done a maintenance wash, but somehow cannot work up any enthusiasm for one.

Here in Islington we are a bit posh ... would balsamic vinegar in the 'maintenance wash' do an even better job????

I don't know why I'm liking this thread but I am

Marking my place to remind me to do this tomorrow. Though I should probably actually wash some clothes first [slattern]

I just found a squirrel in my filter! ...he must have been after the soap nuts?

I'm gad we are finally getting some sensible and practical comments on this airy-fairy (no pun intended) thread!

*glad