i thought i would share this with you: advice on powder vs liquid vs tablets for washing machines

[yarooo]

after a (fascinating) conversation with my mil on this, i called miele to ask what they advise

they say that they always recommend powder, but that every 6 weeks or so you should run a hot wash (empty) with biological powder, to clean /clear it all through

so there you go

nannyL -oh dear, I use non-bio as well.

im pretty sure so long as you do an occasional hot wash with bio powder it will wash all the manky stuff out

(I use liquid as well (as after seeing my mums, i conclude a washing machine is easier to sort / replace then the drains outside) but do the odd hot wash with ariel bio powder to clean it out, and i figure as i only use it in a hot wash it will dissolve

(I hope )

NannyL Bold 2in1 is fine as it includes a clay-based fabric softener that doesn't affect the absorbancy. Have been using it for months and love it. A lot of other cloth nappy users use it. I've done my research!

My machine is 10 years old. It is a washer/dryer but I rarely use the dryer as it's rubbish.

Have used fairy tablets since ds born 7 yrs ago, always with fabric conditioner and calgon tablet. No problems (hope I'm not tempting fate!)

Most washes I do 40deg but all whites and bed linen I do at 60deg because of allergies.

When I remember, I put it on the hotest wash I can empty but that is very rarely.

Well, I switched from liquid to powder after stern talking-to from Bosch engineer about how bad liquid is for the machine. Totally forgot that he told me to run a hot wash/empty machine once a month - thank you MNetters!

I use Fairy non-bio - lurvely. But friend just telling me about her washing balls - full of bicarbonate of soda crystals. She swears they work just as well as regular powder.

What does powder do to the drains???

mrsjasmin

i have learnt something today thanks

slayerette powder forms a whit manky crust in the inside of thepipes which gets thicker and thicker til it blocks completely.. it looks and smells gross

Now I was told by three appliance engineers, on separate occasions that the white crust on the pipes is limescale, and nothing to do with powder.
The powder does not dry hard onto the pipes, but if you overuse powder it will form a sludge in various nooks and crannies.

The best powder from a machine p o v is biological, and a hot empty wash once a month is also recommended.
And use much less than the manufacturer's recommendations - a third of a scoop is plenty!

I always use half of what manufacturers recommend and find ecover powder works best. I wash me and dh's clothes at 30 degrees and ds's clothes and nappies at 60 degrees. Line drying gets any particularly stubborn stains out or if forced to tumble dry because of constant rain and all my airers are full I use evover's oxygen whitener. I clean out the drawer if it gets gunky but have learnt that gunk is caused by using too much powder. I think tablets are a rip-off.

the really gross white stuff was definitley not limescale (though might have contained some)... it was soft and gooey and sticky and smelly but absolutely not hard calcium deposits like limescale

ewww nannyL, that sounds grim...

at least limescale is dry adn non-smelly (if ever there could be a positive to limescale deposits [hwink])

Jeez. I've always had my suspicions about tablets but I just stocked up on LOADS of liquid and now I find it's shit too. Ah Crap.