How to clean the lint filter in a washing machine?
The lint filter in the washing machine can get clogged with foreign objects. To prevent this from happening and to allow water to flow normally, you need to clean the filter at least once a year. With our instructions, you can do it!
The essentials in a nutshell
The lint filter collects anything that doesn't belong in the washing machine's drum. This can be lint, sand, hair clips, money, or tissues.
The strainer should be cleaned at least once a year to ensure the smooth operation of this unit.
By performing simple maintenance tasks yourself, you will prolong the life of your washing machine.
Washing machine lint filter function
The washing machine gets a lot of things that don't belong there: sand after a day at the beach, a napkin you forgot in your pants pocket, hair clips, buttons, bills, or other foreign objects you think you've lost. No wonder the machine fails over time. That's why the lint filter requires regular attention.
As the name implies, the lint filter also collects lint, but its main job is to collect foreign objects that don't belong in the washing machine's drum. You may have heard a washing machine expert call it a "foreign body or small part trap." If you don't clean your washing machine's lint filter regularly, the drain pump will clog and the machine simply won't be able to pump detergent. Among other things, this ensures that your freshly washed and very clean laundry will start to smell.
That is why you must clean the filter regularly
You need to remove and clean the lint filter at least once a year. This is the only way to ensure that you will be able to use your washing machine for many years without any problems and that your laundry will always be clean. Cleaning the lint filter is a simple maintenance operation that usually only takes a few minutes. With our step-by-step instructions, you're sure to succeed.
How to clean the lint filter of a washing machine?
When cleaning the lint filter, prepare a shallow watertight container to drain the water from the machine. Then do the following steps:
Open the lint filter cover: it may look different depending on the brand of the appliance. Any washing machine is equipped with a hinged cover or a separate drain hose. Usually, the panel is located to the right or left of the glass porthole of this machine.
Now take the prepared container and place it under the lint filter. The container can now collect the water coming out of the machine.
When all the water is drained out, you can unscrew the filter counterclockwise. Caution: Now a lot of water may leak out again!
After removing the lint filter from the machine, you can easily rinse it under running water and, if necessary, remove any remaining dirt with a cleaning cloth. Use a sponge to clean the lint filter seal of the washing machine.
After cleaning, the filter can be screwed back into the appliance and the cover closed.
What to do if the machine has stopped washing?
If the pile filter is very dirty and has not been cleaned for a long time, or if it has repeatedly washed pants with unloaded pockets or with things with sand and dirt, the washing machine may sooner or later just stop in the middle of the washing process. An error message appears: the door does not open, the water is not pumped out - the machine is full of dirty water and wet clothes.
It is useful to read the washing machine manual. It says that in this case, it is necessary to drain all the water from the machine. Prepare several buckets or containers, because depending on the model, the machine can hold up to eight liters. When the water has completely drained into the bucket, you can open the door manually with the small lever on the drain hose. Take out the wet clothes and put them in the tub. Now you can start cleaning and replacing the lint filter as described above. Once everything is cleaned and assembled, you can put the clothes back in the washing machine and wash them normally. There should be no further error messages.