[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The phrase “too much of a good thing” applies in several household areas, and one perfect example is soap usage within the washing machine. While you obviously want to use enough soap to properly clean your clothes, too much soap can led to issues where excess suds build up during your wash – and remain stuck to your fabrics, the washer drum and other areas once the cycle finishes.
At All Pro Appliance Service, overly-sudsy washing machines are just one of numerous washer repair themes we’ve assisted clients with over the years – a range that also includes more significant issues like component breakdown or malfunction. Let’s look at the underlying causes if you’re finding soap suds all over the place after each wash cycle, plus how to both remove the suds in an immediate sense and prevent this issue from cropping up in the future.
Excessive Washer Suds Causes and Concerns
The single most common cause of too many suds in the washer is one we already mentioned: Too much soap or detergent, which will interact with water to create a huge quantity of bubbles. However, there are also a few other precursors that can lead to this effect, including:
- Water softener: If your home was previously using a hard water supply but then had a water softener installed, this change may increase the suds in your washer.
- Agitation: If you significantly increase the agitation intensity in your wash without changing detergent usage, this may lead to both suds issues and water damage.
- Buildup: In other cases, soap builds up in fabrics over a period of many washes.
- Wrong detergent: While using too much detergent is usually the issue, using the wrong kind for your washer may also cause the same problem.
Why are too many suds a negative, anyway? Beyond their simple annoyance, the primary reason here is actually water conservation. Modern washers have sensors that detect suds levels, adjusting based on the results. If you use too much detergent or the type that creates heavy suds, this will often trigger additional rinse cycles that add time, water usage and energy usage to your washer. Over time, too many suds will also reduce your washer’s cleaning power and efficiency, often leading to deposits being found on clothes.
Removing Excess Suds
If you’ve opened the washer to find excessive soap suds, these can be removed by running another cycle for the same load – with a different solution. One such solution is vinegar, which must be used with care and requires the interior drum to be wiped first; adding two cups of distilled white vinegar before running another cycle will remove residue. Another solution is fabric softener and water, which can be run for multiple cycles to remove suds.
Preventing Sud Formation
Some basic tips to ensure overly sudsy water doesn’t crop up again in the future:
- Use proper detergent: Generally, low-phosphate or phosphate-free detergents produce fewer suds. These are best for front-loading machines that use less water than top-loading machines.
- Proper amounts: Not only is the type of detergent important, so is following manufacturer recommendations for amounts.
- Periodic buildup reduction: Every few weeks, add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle to remove any minor detergent buildups present.
For more on avoiding overly sudsy washers, or to learn about any of our appliance repair services, speak to the staff at All Pro Appliance Service today
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