5 Tips to Maintain Combo Washer Dryers

Washing machines and dryers are essential for not only keeping our clothes clean and dry, but they’re also fantastic labour-saving devices. Just think of how much time must have been spent at the turn of the century washing clothes by hand and it’s easy to see how these appliances are essential for modern life. Even better, combo washer-dryers take this a step further by keeping everything under one hood (or door, to be precise).

As with many great innovations in technology, combo washer dryers are prone to breaking down and causing all sorts of headaches. If it does break down, you’re losing its full functionality. Keeping them in good working order is therefore essential, so here are five tips to maintain combo washer-dryers:

Use the Self-Cleaning Feature

Many combo washer-dryers come equipped with a handy self-cleaning feature. Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget that the option is there or we simply become complacent and neglect to use it. Either way, don’t hesitate to use this function if it’s available.

Empty out the drum completely and remove any debris that may be caught inside (lint, dust, etc.) then close the door and engage the self-cleaning feature. Doing so every 6 months will go a long way towards keeping your machine clean of soap residue.

Check for Dampness

Combo washer-dryers use condensation drying to dry your clothes. Consequently, it’s quite normal that they may seem a little damp when you first reach in to pull out a load of supposedly dry clothes. Take out one article at a time and wait about 15 seconds to see if it naturally dries up after being taken out of the drum. If so, nothing to worry about!

If your clothes still maintain the dampness from the humid interior of the machine, throw them back in and run another cycle. Note, however, that if this becomes too common then there may be a problem with the machine, so you may want to phone in an appliance repair technician if this does happen too often.

Don’t Run at 100% Capacity

It’s probably happened a few times where we’ve filled up a washer or dryer to the very edge of the door thinking that we’d maximise the load and reduce our water and energy consumption in the process. What often happens, however, is that the clothes don’t come out clean/dry as anticipated.

Aim for a maximum load of ⅔ of the drum, no more. This is the optimum wash/dry load since it permits the clothes to tumble around and to either rinse out properly or to air out properly depending on whether you’re in washer mode or dryer mode.

Turn it Off and Turn it On Again

Every once in a while, our appliances can malfunction for a moment or two. Most new appliances are increasingly being made ‘smart’ and use digital, electronic circuitry, whereas older models were simply mechanical devices with knobs and dials to work with.

If your machine isn’t working properly, turn it off, remove the plug from the electrical socket, then try plugging it back in and turning it back on again. It’s so obvious and by now an overused technique, but it’s nonetheless valid.

Call in a Repair Technician

When your washer-dryer isn’t working properly and you’ve tried the above tips, it may be time to call in a domestic appliance repairman. They can repair your washer-dryer and provide you with tips and advice to keep it running optimally for years to come.

Domestic Appliance Repair

New appliances and washer-dryers are prone to malfunctions and technical problems that are best left to professionals. Contact Domestic Appliance Repair today to have your appliances professionally repaired.

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