Usually, the water is very hard, which causes a lot of trouble for the washing machine, for example. But you don't have to resort to expensive remedies right away to save yourself from the usually expensive repairs. Here is a tip:
Home remedies to protect the washing machine from limescale
The best home remedy to protect the washing machine from limescale is and remains vinegar. Take a simple (cheap) vinegar, pour about 4 liters of it into the machine, and run the 60° C program. This is an inexpensive and natural way to protect yourself from limescale.
The washing machine through the ages
Many centuries ago, washing laundry was a real feat of strength that often took several days. Today, in the age of washing machines and dryers, such work is hardly imaginable. But when was the first washing machine invented and how does this technology work, which seems all too natural to us today?
It was not until the 20th century that the first precursors to the washing machine appeared. Before that, there was only the washboard, with which the laundry was scrubbed clean bit by bit through plenty of manual labor. Washing was done with a lye made of potash and soda. Lavender was used as a fragrance.
Every few weeks, a wash day was scheduled, for which all female workers were called to action. After soaking the garments and scalding them in the lye, each individual piece was beaten, kneaded, and then rubbed. Afterward, the laundry had to be rinsed, bleached, and wrung out again before it finally took its place on the clothesline.
How did the first washing machine work?
It was not until the 1950s that the first fully automatic washing machines found their way into private households. Of course, such a machine was pure luxury, and therefore such devices were initially produced in small numbers. As demand increased, more washing machines could be manufactured. By the 1960s, washing machines became cheaper and were thus affordable for the middle class.
A washing machine generally requires a power, fresh water, and a sewage connection. A distinction is made between top-loaders (where the hatch is on the top) and the front-loader, as the machine door is attached to the front here. By entering programs and adding detergent, fabric softener, and similar additives, the machine is started. It now lets water run into the machine and will also pass the detergents on to the laundry during the course of the program. Whether pre-wash, main program, spin cycle, or delicate cycle – the machine washes the dirty laundry through various programs – just as the plan intended. To prevent damage, the latest devices nowadays contain gadgets such as an Aquastop, rinse stop, air trap, imbalance control, or even an eco-valve.
What is contained in my detergents?
The main components of every detergent are probably the surfactants. Furthermore, there is soap, alkali salts, and, of course, fragrances. This mixture breaks down the fats and oils in the clothing and thus enables good dirt removal from the laundry items. Thanks to some enzymes, it is nowadays even possible to clean laundry perfectly at low temperatures. This point is particularly useful for nature.
What does the environment have to do with washing laundry?
With a lot of chemicals, as we find them in detergents, our environment is also burdened. If plenty of detergents, bleaching agents, or starching agents as well as fabric softeners are used, these agents reach the sewage system via the pump-out function. To protect nature, the following rule should prevail when washing laundry: as much detergent as necessary, as little as possible.
It is also important to pay attention to water and energy consumption. Of course, a washing machine always runs on electricity, but it also needs electricity to heat the water. If you wash at low temperatures, at a low spin speed, and also forgo a pre-wash, you can effectively save water and electricity.
Read also: The best washing machines
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
