How to Clean a Washing Machine Drum

Stainless steel washing machine drums are among the most durable products on the market. When they become heavily soiled with mildew, rust and dirt, however, cleaning them can take hours and require special solvents to remove stubborn deposits and grease.

Drums are long cylinders that rotate around a vertical axis in either front or top load washers. In top load models, wash action is supplied by an agitator, a central post that twists back and forth, rubbing clothes against each other, to help loosen soils. In front load machines, a series of lifters or fins keep the cloths tumbling during a cycle.

When a washing machine is running, the inner drum turns to mix water and detergent with the laundry, agitating them to release stains and soils. When it is time to rinse, the valve opens and clean water is pumped in and out of the drums. The inner drum turns again to help drain away the soapy water. The cloths are then spun dry by the centrifugal force of the drum.

In addition to a regular wash cycle, many modern drum washers offer options like hot and cold temperature settings, stain removers, fabric softeners and other specialty treatments. Some even provide a drying cycle that helps reduce the amount of wrinkles in the clothing.

Most washing machines have a drum capacity that ranges from 5 kg to about 12 kg. Choosing the right size depends on your laundry needs and habits. Large families, for instance, may prefer a bigger drum to allow them to wash more clothes in a single cycle. A smaller drum can also work well for a couple or single person who does only a few loads each week.

Some washing machines include folding flexible bellows around the door opening to prevent socks or other small articles from slipping between the outer and inner drums during a tumbling wash cycle. Without this feature, these items could drop down the drain and clog it or jam the rotation of the inner drum. Retrieving such items can require disassembly of the front of the washer and pulling out the inner drum.

The type of residues to be removed from the drum has a major impact on the design and cost of a washing system. In particular, the amount of dissolved solids and oils that are to be removed from the drum may influence the choice of cleaning solvent used to dissolve these residues. Drumbeaters’ Product Extraction System removes the majority of these flowable residues from the drum during prewash cleaning. This shortens the washing cycles, reduces the frequency of decanting and often allows most products to be recovered for reuse. As a result, the cycle and operating costs of a washing system can be greatly reduced. This is particularly important for companies with heavy duty industrial washing applications.