Washing machines are great, but just like any other appliance, they have a tendency to go wrong from time to time. When the machine stops working, it’s usually not a quick fix. Sometimes you need to call the professionals in, but it’s worth doing a bit of research to see if there’s any way of solving the problem yourself. Let’s take a look at five common faults that regularly occur with washing machines.

Hard Water Damage

Sometimes, damage to your washing machine doesn’t relate to the mechanics of the machine. Hard water can affect your machine in serious ways, clogging up the pipes and even destroying clothes on occasion. Repairing washing machine water damage isn’t the easiest thing to do. You’ll normally have to call out the professionals in a case like this. If you’re worried about hard water, pick up a testing kit from your local store.

Failing To Spin

When the drum stops turning altogether, it could be down to a number of things. Again, you’re best calling in the professionals in this case. They’ll need to investigate the situation and narrow down the possibilities. Faulty motors are often the cause, but this sort of thing can even be affected by worn brushes. 

Excessive Shaking

We’ve all seen this from time to time. This is the type of washing machine that terrifies your neighbors and sounds like a plane taking off. A lot of people confuse this as a natural occurrence, but if your machine is shaking excessively, there could be a deeper issue at hand. The weights might be eroded, or the shock absorbers might not be working correctly. Carry out the checks if you feel comfortable doing so.

The Door Won’t Unlock

Sometimes, this is confused with normal operations. If your washing is finished, and you can’t open the door for a while, that’s normal practice. Check for any excess water inside the drum. If you can’t see any, try turning the machine off and on again, just in case it gets stuck in a cycle. If the door is truly stuck, call in the professionals for some help. You can also consult the manual for an emergency door release in some circumstances.

The Washing Stinks!

After a while, you might find that your washing starts to smell worse than when it went in! Gemma Tyler explains here that it's most likely because of bacteria. A lot of the time, this is due to running too many cold washes. You can use a combination of white vinegar and baking soda to counteract this, and make sure you run more hot washes in future.

That’s all we’ve got for now, but there are loads of different ways that your washing machine can potentially fail. They’re a great tool, but they need to be looked after properly. Consider calling the professionals in the majority of cases, but also, check for any warranties that you may have. You’ll often have a long guarantee with any new purchases these days. Soon, you’ll be back to clean washing in no time (no matter how messy the kids get!).