You’ve decided to check on your washing machine, which is washing clothes smoothly, and suddenly discover a soapy spectacle: those wonderful bubbles, which belong inside the machine, have somehow mysteriously escaped! And the washing machine is gushing with suds. What should you do with all this “festive” wealth?
First, stop the wash cycle. If suds are gushing out of the machine, they can get anywhere, including onto the control board or the motor. A short circuit is a short distance away. So, stop the wash cycle, drain the water using the drain filter (located in the hatch on the lower right side of the front panel), and then remove the laundry. Manually skim off any remaining suds from the drum, close the machine, and run the rinse cycle to remove any remaining suds. If there’s a lot of suds, you may need to repeat the rinse cycle several times.
Now that the machine is freed from the foam captivity, let’s figure out what could have caused such excessive foaming.
- Problems with the powder are the most common reason why foam comes out of the washing machine.
- You may have used a cheaper detergent with a low concentration of antifoaming agents. Or you may have simply bought a counterfeit product—this happens, too.
- It’s also possible that you chose the wrong detergent: a hand-wash detergent. Be sure to check! Using hand-wash detergent in automatic machines is strictly prohibited!
- Or you may have simply overdosed the detergent and added too much. To avoid this, always read the instructions on your detergent (different detergents may have different concentrations) and use a measuring cup. Remember: even if your laundry is very dirty, don’t add more detergent! A properly functioning machine will handle even the dirtiest jobs with a standard amount of detergent.
- Fluffy and porous items always require less detergent. Tulle, lace curtains, children’s and adult onesies, and down jackets all produce extra foam due to their texture. So, either use specialized detergents according to the instructions, or reduce the amount of regular detergent by half.
- Soft water. Perhaps you’ve moved to a new place or simply installed a water softener filter. Remember: the harder the water, the less foam it produces. Conversely, soft water requires less detergent. If this is your case, simply reduce the amount of detergent by a third.
- But what if your detergent is fine (you used it yesterday, after all), you added just the right amount, the water definitely didn’t change its composition, and you didn’t even touch the curtains, but washed regular items? In this case, the foam is likely due to some malfunction.
The most common breakdowns that cause foam to come out of the washing machine
Foam coming out of your washing machine during operation can indicate a variety of problems, from a simple clog to a leaky component. So, it’s best to entrust your appliance’s diagnostics to a qualified technician.
As you can see, the causes of foam leaking from your washing machine aren’t as serious or expensive to fix. However, leaving them to chance is definitely not a good idea. Foam containing water can get onto the contacts of virtually any component inside the washing machine and cause a short circuit. If the problem turns out to be the control board or motor, repairs can be quite expensive – up to half the cost of a new washing machine.
So, if your washing machine is starting to bubble, don’t delay. Contact a specialist. RemBytTech technicians offer free in-home diagnostics with your consent! A specialist will inspect your appliance, determine the exact cause of the malfunction, and, with your consent, perform the repair. The repair will take no more than two hours. Afterward, you can use your washing machine without worrying about ending up at a foam party in the middle of your own apartment.
