2x technical washing machine questions

[BertieBotts]

Hopfully someone can help :)

The first is that pineapple juice was spilled on the counter over the washing machine, and it ran into the little wheel for selecting the program, which is now sticky and has lost the pleasing sensation when turning it (it just feels sticky). I've squeezed water over it to rinse it out but it doesn't really help.

Could I take the front panel off to clean it? It seems like it, but DH thinks it would be a really bad idea. It still works so it's not a huge issue. It's just annoying me.

The second issue is, when I run a longer cycle, such as the eco cycle, after about 2-3 hours of running, it starts to make a kind of overheating-type smell. Sorry I can't be more specific - but it smells like for example a computer when it's getting too hot. Nothing seems to happen and it completes the cycle fine, but since it doesn't happen on shorter cycles, I've been using those. I would like to run the longer cycles as they are more efficient. Am I being sensible to be concerned by the smell or just OTT? It is nearly 7 years old.

Bumping for you as no answers to these technical questions.

But, as the machine is 7 years old, have you ever cleaned out the filter at the bottom? I don't know if a blocked filter might make the pump or motor work harder and have a hot smell.

Not the point, but nothing needs to be washed for 2-3 hours! Even on an eco cycle.
And computers shouldn't get so hot that they smell either.

Try giving the clicker wheel a firm pull. Sometimes ts a push fit then you can clean it.

Ooh good tip, I'll try that!

I have looked in the bit at the bottom, but there doesn't seem to be anything there to clean out. I'm sure you're supposed to but it's such a stupid design with being so close to the floor, and it does nothing, I could never figure it out. Once it didn't drain through the drum and I found a coin and some stickers in there, but mostly nothing.

Yes, turned out my computer was dying when it was overheating, most electrical things are when they make that smell, which is why I don't really want to kill my washing machine. And I don't particularly mind how long it takes to wash, the short washes are convenient, but the long one uses less power, so I'd rather have the option to use it when time is not of the essence.

I'm very bad at describing smells, basically it's either oil or metal or plastic, maybe rubber.

But I could also smell something like this in our bedroom and I was worried it was the plugs under the bed, it turned out to be some kind of plant outside, probably a pine type thing.

I wish there was a way of capturing smells so you could communicate them to other people. Like a YouTube of smells so I could look one up and find out what it actually smells like instead of the weird connections in my head.

Google the make and model, there will probably be a you tube video