How to clean the filter in the washing machine?

The washing machine took on the function of cleaning, washing, rinsing and drying clothes and linen, thereby providing invaluable assistance to the housewives. While things are spinning in the drum, you, saving time and effort, can enjoy the extra minutes of relaxation or devote yourself to other household chores. However, modern automatic machines are a rather complex electrical mechanism. Failure or failure even of a relatively small part can disrupt the operation of the entire washing unit.

Many have heard that there is a filter in the washing machine that should be periodically cleaned of clogging and contamination. Some suggest that this filter purifies the water that enters the drum. There is an opinion that the filter, on the contrary, is located at the place of discharge of waste water after washing, rinsing and squeezing.

Both of these opinions are true.

There are two filters in the automatic machine:

• for water entering the drum;
• for water draining from a machine.

They are located in 2 different places, and both require timely cleaning. The drain filter is most susceptible to contamination. However, periodically check the condition and patency is necessary in both filter elements.

The filters in the washing machine may become clogged and dirty for the following reasons:

• Rust and small particles in water. This applies to the inlet filter, which purifies the water entering the washing machine. In most cases, fortunately, tap water does not have obvious visible impurities, but it is still necessary to check the condition of the filter at least once every 3-4 months.In addition, often due to constant contact with water, the filter element itself rusts, and this can impair its patency and impede the flow of water to carry out a washing or rinsing program.

• Limescale coating. It mainly affects the drain filter element. Limescale or scale is formed from surface contact with high-temperature water; it is this water that is drained from the machine after a washing cycle. The reason is the high content of salts and minerals in the water, which evaporate at high temperature or boiling and settle on the surface and walls of dishes or household appliances. The higher the water hardness, the more intensively limescale forms and accumulates.

• Mechanical trash. The largest share of contaminants in the drain filter is represented by various small items from clothing: garbage, sand, threads, small fasteners or decorative items, hair, animal hair. Naturally, these elements are washed out of the laundry and clothes during washing and exit in a stream of merging water. Such blockages are most intense and dangerous, because they can completely clog the lumen of the filter element, and the washing machine will not be able to perform the drain operation.

Before starting work on removing and cleaning the drain or inlet filter, it is very important to carry out preparatory operations to protect yourself during this process:

• Shut off the water supply to the washing machine.
• Turn off the power to the machine.

• After turning off the power, wait 10-15 minutes. The fact is that many models of washing machines, for example, the Indesit brand, are equipped with the function of protection against emergency power outages. After a power outage, such washing machines have a reserve of electricity for several minutes. This allows you to save the parameters of a given program or mode.
• Unscrew the hoses and carefully drain the remaining water out of them. For this, it is better to use a basin. Dip the end of the hose into the basin and shake it slightly. It is better to leave the ends of the unscrewed hoses in the basin until the completion of the cleaning of the filter elements.

The element that filters the water at the inlet of the drum is not contaminated as intensively as the drain filter, but it is still worth checking and cleaning it at least once every few months. It is much more often worth monitoring the condition of this element if you have water in the water supply with visible impurities, for example, with rust or cloudy elements.

After carrying out the preparatory operations, you can proceed to unscrew and clean the inlet filter:

• From the name of this element it follows that you need to look for it in the place where the water supply hose is screwed to the machine itself. Most often, this entrance is on the back wall at the top. After unscrewing the hose carefully remove the filter elementby unscrewing it from the nest with pliers or thick tweezers.
• Carefully inspect the condition of the element and the filter mesh. If rust or other contaminants are present, rinse the filter under a stream of warm water. and brush with an old toothbrush. For better cleaning, you can use laundry soap.

• If the filter is rusted, it can be soaked in a solution of citric acid. In a small enameled or plastic basin, dilute 50-60 g of citric acid in a liter of water. Leave the filter in solution for 10 minutes. Then intensively brush the rusted areas with a brush and rinse with warm water.
• After drying the filter, carefully screw it back into its original place.

The drain filter is located in the washing machine below and is usually covered with a plastic lid.

To remove it and then clean it, do the following:

• The drain filter is slightly larger than the inlet filter.It is a twisting cork, and no tools are needed to extract it. Use your hand to grasp the notches on the filter cover and rotate a few turns counterclockwise. Then remove the entire filter element.
• After removing the filter from the open hole, water may spill at the bottom of the machine. Lay a floor rag or thick towel on the floor in advance to absorb water. Or substitute short dishes. Usually a small amount of water is poured, about 40-60 ml.

• After removing the element, clean the hole. To better clean it, take a flashlight and shine inside. Usually quite large debris gets stuck in the hole, for example, coins, toothpicks, small fasteners, zipper dogs. You can remove objects from the hole by hand.
• Further, you can start cleaning the filter itself. Remove curled hair, threads, pieces of fabric, wool and other visible debris from it. Rinse the filter element under a stream of warm water. To remove limescale, you can also soak a drain filter in a solution of citric acid as described above.
• After cleaning, screw the filter back into place and close the lid.

After checking and cleaning the drain and inlet filter, try to follow the simple recommendations and rules that will allow you to maintain the operability of these elements of the washing machine:

• The following malfunctions are a sign that the inlet filter is clogged: the washing time has increased significantly, the water flows into the drum intermittently and in small portions, while the water is entering the drum, the washing machine emits a strong buzz.
• You should immediately check the drain filter element, if your automatic machine began to turn off during an extraction or drain of water. Also a sign of clogging of the drain filter is an uneven discharge in small portions, an unusual buzz of the machine during the discharge of water.

• Try not to get a lot of debris, sand, small objects in the washing drum. Clothes with strong sand, earth or clay contamination should be shaken over the bathtub or brushed off dry dirt. Check pockets of clothing, do not leave small objects, candy wrappers, pieces of paper, coins there. These simple steps can significantly reduce the clogging of the drain filter.
• There are situations when the drain filter element is too heavily soiled or there is a lot of scale on it. In such cases, unscrewing and removing it in the simple manner described above will most likely fail. You can try using a screwdriver to unscrew the entire drain pump. The machine must be turned on its side, remove the lower protective panel. In the lower part at the very bottom of the housing you will see a drain pump, which is located just behind the filter. By unscrewing the pump, you can remove the filter not from the outside, but from the inside of the housing.
• To avoid serious damage and failure of your washing machine, promptly respond to the above signs of clogged filters. Even in the absence of noticeable alarms, filter elements must be checked and cleaned regularly if necessary. The condition of the inlet filter must be monitored at least 1 time in 4 months. The drain filter, if there is no sign of failure of the outflow of water from the drum, it is advisable to check at least once every 2 months.

Clean the filter in the washing machine - see our video on how to do it correctly.