The Homeowner's Guide To Washer, Dryer, and Water Softener Maintenance

The washer, dryer, and water softener are useful household appliances that often get taken for granted. Like all household appliances, they require regular maintenance. Keeping up on their maintenance can increase their lifespan and help them stay at peak performance. Plus, it can be a matter of health and safety for your family.

Luckily, maintaining them isn’t anything tricky. Once you get into the habit of regular maintenance, you’ll find that it takes less and less time to keep them working at the optimal level. Check out this homeowner’s guide to washer, dryer, and water softener maintenance. 

Washing Machine

We often forget that the appliances we use to wash other things ALSO need to be washed every once in a while. Because a washing machine is dealing with warm water, it can easily attract mould and mildew, so it’s a good idea to give a good cleaning every now and then. 

Top Loader Machines

Clean these once every three-four months. Add a quart of bleach to the machine and run a hot cycle. Once the cycle finishes, take a scrubby sponge and clean it out thoroughly, making sure to get the nooks and crannies. Then add a quart of vinegar to the machine and run another hot cycle. This time, when it’s done, dry it thoroughly with a microfiber cloth. 

Front Loaders/High-Efficiency Machines

You’ll want to clean these every month or two. Clean the outside and knobs of the machine and dry with a microfiber cloth. Add a quart of bleach to the machine and run a hot cycle. Once the cycle finishes, take a scrubby sponge and clean it out thoroughly, making sure to get the nooks and crannies. Then add a quart of vinegar to the machine and run another hot cycle. This time, when it’s done, dry it thoroughly with a microfiber cloth. Don’t forget to dry the door!

Pro-tips

Don’t close the door to your machine after using it. By leaving it open you’ll let it air dry better which will reduce mould and mildew build-up and keep it from developing a smell. 

Don’t forget to clean the built-in detergent dispensers when you clean your machine. Just wash with warm soapy water and dry thoroughly. 

Dryer

Cleaning your dryer isn’t just good for keeping your home clean and your machine working well, it’s also a safety concern! Build-up from dryers is a fire hazard. Plus, as a bonus, you’ll use less energy if your dryer is properly maintained as it won’t have to work as hard to pull air through. 

The Vent

There is a vent at the back of your dryer that needs to be taken apart and cleaned out every year to two years. As you take it apart, make sure that you check for damages. If you see any, replace the vent. 

The vent also has a cap outside that will need to be cleaned out when you clean out as well. Along with lint and debris, it can also get clogged with lawn trimmings, dirt, and even animal nests. Simply clear this area out and replace damaged flaps as needed. 

The Lint Screen And Trap

The lint screen should be cleaned out every single time you use the dryer. At least once a month, clean out the lint screen trap from any build-up. You can do this with the stick attachment on your vacuum. Lint is incredibly flammable and not cleaning the screen and trap regularly is a fire hazard. 

The Drum and Outside

You can clean the drum out twice a year or so. Spray a vinegar water solution into the drum and wipe it out. Make sure that you dry it thoroughly with a microfiber cloth. You can clean the outside of the dryer with any all-purpose cleaner. 

Vacuum around the dryer every month to remove any lint build-up. 

Water Softener

Hard water wreaks havoc on your plumbing system, sinks, tubs, laundry and more. In areas with hard water, people have water softeners, which eliminate the calcium and magnesium ions from the water, thereby “softening” it. It’s important to keep your water softener well maintained and working well to keep your water fresh, clean, and soft! 

Check For Salt Bridges

Check your unit occasionally for “salt bridges” which happen when a layer of salt forms a crust above the waterline in the tank. It can make it look like your brine tank is full when it actually isn’t. If you just poke at the bridge it will break up. But if it breaks up in large chunks, scoop those chunks out and replace them with fresh salt. These bridges happen more with newer units, so make sure to have a watchful eye. 

Check For Mould And Sludge 

Every time you add salt, check around for mould and sludge in the tank. If you see it, you’re going to have to give the tank a good scrub before replacing the salt. 

Give The Unit A Good Scrub

Once a year you need to clean the brine tank thoroughly. Use the bypass valve to shut off the water to the softener and then unplug all of the hoses from the brine tank to the softener. Drain the tank with a wet vacuum and take out all of the salt. 

Then mix dish soap and water and scrub with a bristle brush. Rinse the tank out with a hose and then reconnect everything. Refill your tank with salt and then reset the control valve to get a regeneration cycle going.  

Replace Salt

You’ll need to add salt every 6-8 weeks, depending on your household usage. Keep an eye on the levels and check it every couple of weeks until you get an idea of your usage. You’ll use a 40lb bag of salt each time you fill up your brine tank. You can get these bags at the grocery store.