At Tide, we believe that the more you care for your washer, the longer it will last. So, we’re sharing our best washing machine care tips to help you get the most from yours. Find out:
How to Look After Your Machine
Clean Out Your Drawers
Rinse out any traces of detergent and softener in the dispenser drawer. Softener or detergent can cause blockages that can damage your machine and prevent your clothes from being properly and thoroughly cleaned. Some washers allow you remove the drawer completely, so you can clean it out more easily.
Keep it Naturally Clean
Never use chemicals or scourers to clean your machine, because they can damage the paintwork or the plastic surfaces. Instead, clean your washer gently with warm, soapy water.
Lighten the Load
If you put too much laundry in your machine, then you could throw the drum off balance, leading to costly repairs. So, make sure you leave a space at the top of the drum about the size of a hand’s width to give it enough space to tumble the clothes for the most effective cleaning. Overfilling can also cause garment residues.
Stay on the Level
Make sure your washer is level – if not, it won’t work efficiently and you increase the risk of it breaking down. If your machine hops around while it’s washing, then it probably isn’t balanced correctly. The easiest way to check this is to use a spirit level, and then adjust the feet as necessary until it’s straight.
Dealing with Bad Odors
Keep your Machine Smelling Sweet
Once a month, run your washer through an empty hot-wash cycle. Afterward, your machine will smell clean and fresh again.
Take Laundry out of the Washer or Dryer Promptly
Take your clothes out as soon as the wash cycle ends, or your garments will quickly develop a musty smell. Many washers come with a timer or delay switch, so you can time it to start automatically and end when you’re due home.
Get Freshness that Lasts. And Lasts. And Lasts
For garments that smell nice and fresh all day long, use Tide Plus A Touch of Downy Liquid or Tide Plus A Touch of Downy Powder in your washer. It not only rids your laundry of lingering odors, but also helps tackle difficult stains and leaves your garments with a gorgeous, subtle fragrance.
Saving Energy
At Tide, we believe that by making a little change here and there, we can collectively make a big difference to the environment.
Dial Down and Save Energy
Heating the water takes up 80% of the energy used during a wash. That’s just one reason why we’ve given Tide outstanding cleaning powers at low temperatures. Tide Coldwater Clean Liquid cleans thoroughly at cold settings, which reduces the energy used in your wash by up to 40% (compared with washing at a normal setting).