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Washing Machine Not Rinsing Soap Out of Clothes

I am have a problem with loads of washing not rinsing properly. I never overfill the machine, always use half or less than half the amount of detergent on the box/bottle, clean my machine at least once every 2 months (with either ammonia or soda and vinegar). Yet, still, I frequently open the load to find that there are soapy streaks on items and I have to re-rinse with a good amount of vinegar to get rid of the soapy residue.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Is my machine just too old? I've tried various detergents, including a brand new gel that is supposed to wash at 15 degrees so it should dissolve more readily, but they all have the same problem.

Laureland from UK

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RE: Washing Machine Not Rinsing Soap Out of Clothes

Thanks for so many helpful suggestions :-)

I THINK there is enough water going into the rinse cycles, but it could be that, I suppose.

I'd never considered whether the water was draining properly as I've had the same washer for the past 12 years and it's only been having problems over the past year. (It drains through the hose into my sink and I often watch it draining to make sure that its doing OK!) At the moment I have to let the cycle finish and then set it to go through the last rinse at least once, usually twice. (It's a front-loading automatic machine.)

I will try all your suggestions out!

Does anyone know whether the rinses are ALL meant to be COLD - for a standard No. 5 wash? I know the first wash has hot/warm water but I think all the other times it fills the water seems to be cold. Do you think that could be the problem? Any further opinions/suggestions would be gratefully received. Thanks.

Post By Laureland (Guest Post)

RE: Washing Machine Not Rinsing Soap Out of Clothes

My guess would be that the machine is not filling with enough water on the rinse cycle.

Post by louel53

RE: Washing Machine Not Rinsing Soap Out of Clothes

Sounds like it is not draining fully on the wash cycle. A good repair man might save you a lot of stress.

Post By Sally (Guest Post)

RE: Washing Machine Not Rinsing Soap Out of Clothes

Why not try putting the water in first, then adding the detergent and agitating until the detergent is fully mixed in, and then add the clothing last. If you still have streaks, you probably need to work on that rinse cycle a bit. Best of luck!

Post by coreenhart

RE: Washing Machine Not Rinsing Soap Out of Clothes

I wonder if you need a water softner hooked up to your main supply.

Post By rae (Guest Post)

RE: Washing Machine Not Rinsing Soap Out of Clothes

Do you have enough water in the machine? You may be trying to save water and sometimes it just isn't enough to completely rinse the soap.

Post By Linda K (Guest Post)

RE: Washing Machine Not Rinsing Soap Out of Clothes

You could try dissolving the detergent in a pitcher of hot water before adding it to the machine.

That's the only other thing i can think of if you've tried just about everything else.

Post by Mary T

RE: Washing Machine Not Rinsing Soap Out of Clothes

Hard to say as I know you have different types of washers in the UK. It sounds like you might be putting too many items into a load. Can you select an extra rinse cycle? On my washer I have this option.

Post by OliveOyl

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