Cleaning a washing machine with citric acid - reviews

Citric acid is not only a substance used in cooking, but also a product used in everyday life. It’s impossible to list everything that can be done with the help of lemon juice. You can use it to clean your washing machine, it’s no secret. But whether citric acid is really so good in this matter, we read the reviews.

What do people think

Probably, most housewives have already tried citric acid as a means to combat scale, and some are just thinking about giving it a try. They will benefit from people's feedback, that's what they say.

Anna Anikina

To get rid of scale in the washing machine, I use citric acid from Pripravych, which is sold in all grocery stores. This product was recommended by a car repairman. It is necessary to add 150 grams of lemon juice and run a washing program with water heating to 60 degrees, and also set an additional rinse.

Since tap water is hard, I do this regularly, about once every few months. This procedure saves the heating element from premature wear. My assistant has worked for 8 years without failure. And most importantly, I never bought any advertised expensive products. With citric acid, everything is quite cheap and without problems.

Musita

Citric acid is an excellent, budget-friendly home remedy. After the washing machine broke down, the repairman told me to use citric acid instead of Calgon. This cleaning must be done once every 2-3 months. In addition to the washing machine, I also clean the kettle, microwave, and tiles. Just be sure to wear gloves.

Rishk@

Very often I use citric acid for baking, sometimes I clean the kettle with it. But not so long ago I found out that you can also clean your washing machine with it. I tried lemon in action. I bought a couple of bags and poured them into the powder tray. Next, I turned on the longest wash at high temperature, and after finishing, started rinsing.

I saw the result of cleaning with my own eyes, since the hose from the machine goes into the bathtub. Scale particles came out in the waste water, the removal product works much better than the store-bought one. Now after a certain time I carry out such cleaning. And the heating element began to work noticeably better. I can't recommend it enough.

JaneM

Like many people, after purchasing a new machine, I started adding Calgon powder along with it. Moreover, I poured as much as indicated in the instructions for hard water, it turned out to be very expensive. But one day a relative recommended citric acid. You need to pour 200 grams of lemon into the machine and turn on the wash with hot water. I've been washing my machine using this recipe for 5 years now. I just didn’t suspect such effectiveness. I tried to clean the kettle with lemon and saw how all the scale was washed off. This means that everything in the machine is perfectly clean.

RosaLi

For me, citric acid is simply irreplaceable. I add it to compotes, clean the kettle and tiles, as well as the washing machine. Our Zanussi washing machine is already 10 years old, after replacing the heating element, on the advice of the master, we began to use citric acid. For a machine with a volume of 4.5 kg, I take 125 grams of lemon and start the wash at 90 degrees, the result depends on the temperature. In this case, the drum must be empty. This cleaning is enough for six months. It turns out cheap and effective.

Jula267

I have never tried cleaning a washing machine with citric acid.All because I saw the result of such cleaning among neighbors. After several washes with lemon juice, all the rubber fell apart and they had to replace the machine with a new one. So you don’t know whether to believe in a miracle or not. Maybe it's all about the dosage of acid...

Nastenish

So I decided to share my experience of cleaning a washing machine with citric acid. My washing machine is already 5 years old, I haven’t used any cleaning products. But lately, white things have become gray after washing, and colored ones have become pale. In addition, the drum became covered with a slippery coating and an unpleasant odor emanated from the machine. So I decided to take lemon juice, which my mother recommended to me. You need to take 2 packs of citric acid and pour them into the drum, and then turn on the wash at 90 degrees. After such cleaning, it is better not to wash white and new clothes. And don't forget to clean the drain filter. It was possible to completely get rid of scale only after 4 procedures with lemon juice. The drum shines like new.

To use citric acid correctly, be sure to read the instructions!

Instructions for use

After reading the reviews, it is clear that most people are satisfied with cleaning their automatic machine with citric acid. But we noticed that everyone pours different amounts of lemon juice, some pour it into the compartment, while others pour it directly into the drum. So how to do it correctly so that it does not lead to damage to the rubber and other parts of the car.

To descale your washing machine, you need to:

• make sure there are no things in the machine drum;
• take 100-200 g of lemon, the larger the volume of the machine, the more lemon, for a machine with a volume of 5 kg, 100-120 g of lemon is enough;
• pour citric acid into the main wash compartment or into the drum, it doesn’t matter;
• select and run a long washing mode, in which the water heats up to 90 degrees;
• wait until the end of the wash and start the rinse cycle;
• wipe the machine drum and cuff with a dry cloth; there may be scale particles under the cuff;
• rinse and clean the water drain filter.

Important! Citric acid is quite a strong substance, so you should not use it too often, 1-2 cleanings per year is enough.

Other cleaning methods

In addition to citric acid for descaling, some people recommend using lemon juice and acetic acid. But we are categorically against such tests. As for lemon juice, nothing bad will happen, and the scale will not disappear, since the concentration of substances in the juice is lower than in the acid. But acetic acid, in addition to its pungent odor, can cause trouble. Such cleaning can cause all rubber bands, including pipes and hoses, to deteriorate and crack.

Only mechanical cleaning can replace cleaning with lemon juice. To do this, you will have to disassemble the washing machine and remove the heating element. Only then will the residue remain on the tank and drum of the machine.

You can also replace citric acid with special anti-scale products. For example, Antiscale, Topper 3004, Top House and others. The main thing is that the product is intended specifically for cleaning the washing machine. Full instructions for using Antiscale can be found in the article about use of Antiscale for washing machines.

For your information! Calgon is not a descaling agent for your washing machine; it is only intended to soften water and prevent scale formation. Therefore, it cannot replace citric acid.

To summarize, we note that the correct use of citric acid can be much more effective than all expensive and advertised products. The main thing is to be careful and know the “golden mean”. Take care of your machine on time!

1 reader comment

1. 10/07/2017 at 07:07

   Lyuba:

   Bosch washing machine for 12 years, with citric acid (added during washing), the color remains bright. The machine works (for 12 years), has not been repaired. That's it!

   Answer