1. Why does lemmy not have a laundry dedicated forum? How have lemmy been a thing for this long with no laundry dedicated forum?

  2. I live in an apartment where there are public washing machines available but the filter for the washing machines are DEFINITRLY not regularly cleaned (most of my laundry smells like vomit right now T-T) so should I just clean it all on my own? in the wash bin? What tyoe of wash bin should ? What else should I consider?

  3. If I do get a washbin do you have any suggestions as to what washbin I should get or sny special considerations I should consider? I plan on getting a steel one. Also I live in canada

  4. I have a lot of merino wool stuff to clean so does anyone have any advice on suirfactants that shouldnt be used on merino wool stuff other than enzymes and bleaching agents?

Thanks to anyone that helps.

Edit THIS is a similar model of machine than what we have here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mWzJ1gw3-j8&pp=ygUobWF5dGFnIGNvbW1lcmNpYWwgd2FzaGVyIGZpbHRlciBsb2NhdGlvbg%3D%3D and I dont know how much trouble Ill get intk for takong off the back part and cleaning out the filter.

  • antianarchist@sopuli.xyz
    2·
    1 day ago

    If the water is not able to pump off, you wouldn’t be able to open the door. So water flows, meaning the pump is able to work. Don’t worry about the big objects, the pump itself is protected. Odor comes mostly from bacteria, which is killed by heat. Dead bacteria still smells, which is why you use a oxidizer or tensides to get rid of those.

    The oxidizer is quite impressive at decomposing anything organic, including hair. So just go ahead and try it.

    • UnequalExchange@lemmy.worldOP
      1·
      21 hours ago

      bleach isalso a deoxidizer? If you know ehat is the cheapest, buy-in-bulk deoxidizer I can get my hands on legally please?

      • antianarchist@sopuli.xyz
        1·
        21 hours ago

        Bleach is not the name of a chemical, but a group of chemicals with a specific property. In this case, the oxidizer (usually hydrogen peroxide or sodium percarbonate) is also acting as bleach. The same goes for chlorine.

        Don’t use clorine in a washing mashine. It will disinfect the machine, but it does not react the same way as hydrogen peroxide or sodium percarbonate. Additionally, chlorine might attack synthetic materials that are needed for the machine to work.

        If you have a dish washer, put one of those tabs inside the washing mashine directly, then run it on max heat, full cycle. If you don’t have that, buy something with “Oxi” in the name. There should be a few cheap brands.

        • UnequalExchange@lemmy.worldOP
          1·
          11 hours ago

          But surely sodium hypochlorite in a washing machine can be used in place of sodium percarbonste for this same purpose right? Or are they very different for this task?

        • UnequalExchange@lemmy.worldOP
          1·
          21 hours ago

          Don’t use clorine in a washing mashine. It will disinfect the machine, but it does not react the same way as hydrogen peroxide or sodium percarbonate. Additionally, chlorine might attack synthetic materials that are needed for the machine to work.

          …Then why is sodium hypochlorite recommended to clean white clothing in washing machines? …Wot?

          • antianarchist@sopuli.xyz
            1·
            19 hours ago

            The amount matters. Sodium percarbonate is much safer to use compared to sodium hypochlorite. And again, the sodium percarbonate does much more than just bleaching.

          • LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.works
            1·
            20 hours ago

            Sodium percarbonate is a mixture of Sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide, that’s an oxy bleach, which is essentially super alkaline, it will kill proteins (urine, some vomit, grease, blood, faeces etc) but it’s more so designed to do so on clothing, it is the least harmful bleach on clothing, (except certain materials like wool or silk, it will absolutely harm natural fibres,as that’s what it targets, kinda)

            For woollens, silks etc use wool wash only. And use a very small amount, you only need a teaspoon to a tablespoon amount in a full washing machine load.

            If you go to websites, you will find the ingredients or active compounds of different detergents, brand names might put the price up for the brand preference, but you want to look for something that’s not too cheap, a slightly more expensive brand (not crazy expensive, just mid prices) would have more put into the working efficacy of the product.

            Less or no fragrance, never use fabric softener. It quite often shortens the length of your products and worse.

            You can use laundry sanitiser, in place of fabric softener which I would highly recommend when using a communal machine, canestan make one.

            IF YOU WANT TO TACKLE CLEANING THE MACHINE.

            The smell is likely coming from built up skin, hair, fluff decomposing in the machine. If you fold back the gasket (rubber door seal bit) and have a look in the grooves, what does it look like? What does the machine smell like in the drum? Which model is it?

            Once I found the answers to these questions, I would look up the model and the cleaning recommendations. Follow them, you probably want a toothbrush to get in the grooves, and give it a losen run a tub clean cycle, or hottest wash WITH NO DETERGENT. See what happens, did that improve the situation?

            Still awful? Some machines can tolerate and recommend vinegar, which can do a lot for killing the fungal elements, mould etc. But check if the machine recommends it first. If not, you can get descaler from a store (labelled washing machine cleaner specifically) and run that.

            If you can’t remove the drain filter, the question I would be asking is, does it still drain, if yes, use it, if no, it might need a technician to deep clean and remove, troubleshoot and replace any parts not working (find out who you talk to about getting that going?)

            I would pick a couple of rag towels or something you don’t care about and run a quick wash to see how it comes out.

            If you do get the drum clean, and remove the smell enough, good to go, and I would carry a rag to wipe out the gasket before and after use, to slow that sludge and mould build up, they can get.

            I’m assuming front loader, because you showed a front loader yt clip, let me know if you need tips on top loader.

            • UnequalExchange@lemmy.worldOP
              1·
              11 hours ago

              But surely sodium hypochlorite kn a washing machine can be used in place of spdium percarbonste for this same purpose right? Or are they very different for this purpose? And yes it is a front loader. maytah commercial brand and model . Ive put a youtube video in my edit that shows a similar looking machine to the one in our landry’s room

              • LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.works
                1·
                9 hours ago

                Sodium hypochlorite is just standard bleach. I’ve never used it for taking stains out of clothing, I know some people do. It’s more a last option, than first go to for machine cleaning. I wouldn’t recommend it because it *can errode plastics and rubbers, relatively quickly, especially if not rinsed well at certain concentrates, that you would come close to needing to clean the machine. Whereas the oxygen bleach won’t errode the plastics or rubbers, and should effectively dissolve any biological contaminants.

                Here’s what I’d do, if wanting to try to salvage using the machine.

                1. Wipe clean, and agitate whatever dirt or sludge in the grooves you can see on the door, gasket, and barrel.
                2. Set a tub clean cycle or hottest wash setting available.
                3. Check if that worked. If not…
                4. Try deep cleaning the machine with oxygen bleach, or oxy bleach it might be called. Run a wash super hot, with soak options. That’s the least corrosive, or damaging to clothing or machine, it’s also the chemical components least likely to cause trouble with any other so I’d start with that. It’s a super awesome component to have in your laundry, anyway, it gets out sweat, blood, stains brightens, great stuff. (sodium hypochlorite, common bleach and the limescale cleaners or standard washing machine cleaners conflict to make dangerous gasses so I’m going to suggest those as a last option).
                5. Still having issues, it might have to have its drain filter cleaned, and possibly professionally, but you could check what a replacement is and just break it off, without harming the surrounding casing. Can’t clean the filter or any of those options?
                6. Try either limescale remover (standard washing machine cleaner) or standard bleach, (sodium hypochlorite) but not both. Although the smell of that bleach might stay in the machine, and at high concentrates might cause damage. If you use one, don’t use the other, they react badly together.
                7. None of that works? Give up and buy a small hand crank machine, something you can spin, or go to the laundromat?