How do i keep washing machine pipes from clogging up?

[misdee]

i use minimal washing powder
already. but in the last 6months have had several flooding incidences from the pipes to the drain due to the furry of the plumbing pipes, due to limescale. had an incidence earlier, and cleared the pipes again and loods of limescale came out again.

does calgon work? even o na lower wash as the ads state used on 60 degree wash, and although most of my stuff is washed on 60 due to dd1 allergies and stuff, not all of it is.

will soda crystals work just as well?

what else can i do?

apaprt from install a water softener, which we cant afford really.

we live i na v hard water area.

anyone?

my washing machine repair man says calgon doesn't work and what i now do is every so often run the machine empty on a 90 deg waqsh with soap powder in it. we sue gunky stuff for eczema and it gets absorbed and had terrible trouble. but also have hard water. this seems to have solved our problem.
btw have you thought of asking good housekeeping mag for advice - i did about something and they were brilliant very helpful - they might have an answer

Give your machine a monthly maintenance wash. This means running the machine on hot, empty and with a full detergent load.

Using miminal powder is probably the root of your problems.

we have to use minial powder as using the right dosage wreaks havoc with dd's skin.

we run a maintance wash. todays flooding came after a week of non-use, i guess all the gunk dried up.

does calgon really not work??

I put it in every wash and have never had an issue and i live in a very hard water area (Had current machine for 3 years)

i also use liquids/tabs rather than powder

well he told me i was wasting my money! but to do a once a month 90deg wash empty with full amount of w/powder.
must admit that mainly these days i run half loads with half what they say for powder (but we too have probs with skin). misdee you may want to try what my friend does which is wash it normally full maount of powder and then REWASH with no powder immediately (or later that day but b4 wearing/washing again) it double rinses. Spose it uses lots of water but it works for her and her ds skin