Washing Machine Maintenance Tips from Repair Clinic

This free troubleshooting video shows quick maintenance tips including checking and replacing your water hoses, adjusting leveling legs, and cleaning the door gasket for keeping your washing machine working safely and efficiently.

Water-fill hoses
Over time, the water hoses that came with your new washing machine may leak or burst. It's a good preventive maintenance practice to check these hoses from time to time for any sign of wear or weakness. Often there's a small blister in the rubber of the hose, which could rupture. Most manufacturers recommend replacing the hoses every 5 years.

Note... If the hose ruptures, large quantities of water could gush from the hose. If it's the hot water hose that ruptures, the gushing hot water may scald anyone nearby.

Leveling
Because your washer is so heavy, when it's not level, it can vibrate strongly during the spin cycle. If your washing machine is not perfectly level--with all four legs touching the floor--it can bang and rock back and forth, and even begin to "walk" across the room. This isn't good for the machine and may damage anything near the machine.

Your washing machine has adjustable, front leveling legs with a lock nut. You adjust the leg to the proper height, then tighten the lock nut up against the body of the machine to keep the leg from rotating.

Some washers have adjustable leveling legs in the rear also, and you can adjust them in the same way. Keep the machine as close to the floor as possible--the lower it is, the less likely it is to vibrate.

Most machines, however, have "self-adjusting" rear legs. You set these legs by tilting the entire machine forward onto its front legs (with the rear legs 3 to 4 inches off the floor) and then setting the machine back down. The legs should adjust automatically. If they don't, you may need to tilt the machine forward and rap on the rear legs with the handle of a hammer to loosen them--a procedure that's easier to accomplish with a helper.

Surface cleaning
Your washer has either a painted steel or porcelain-coated steel cabinet. It's perfectly safe to use a little dish detergent and a damp rag to clean all of its surfaces. If the surface is porcelain, you can even use a little non-abrasive cleanser for stubborn stains.

Lint disposal
Most washing machines collect lint during the wash cycle and send it down the drain during the drain cycle.

If your machine is a Maytag, though, it may be different. Most Maytag washing machines collect lint in the center tube of the agitator. You need to lift out that tube and clean it periodically. Other machines have a lint filter near the top of the tub, which you need to slide out, clean off, and reinsert.

If you're unable to find the information you need on our website, we suggest that you use a search online to find a reliable online repair forum. It's likely that your question has already been answered there. We also recommend contacting your product's manufacturer or calling a local repair technician.

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