HOW IN HELL CAN I CLEAN A MAYTAG FILTER OUT?

[phillymatt53]

My 1985 Maytag A482 has one of those blue "in the agitator" lint filters with the softener cup on top.
The filter has something like 4840 tiny holes that get clogged up with lint and sticky goo from Downy softener.
The cup is easy to clean, but the damn filter itself is a curse.
I've tried soaking it in a bucket of hot water, then toothbrushing the hell out of those holes, inside and out.
But can someone, maybe Robert-Unimatic1140?, give me some better effective solution?
Thanks.

 

[washerlover]

I have the same machine and the same problem. I'd love to know if anyone here knows of a better way to clean it other than soaking and toothbrushing..!

 

[qsd-dan]

Is it clogged from Downy or water deposits? Maybe both?

I use a plant based softener so clogging is a non issue. I also have a water softener so deposit buildup is also a non issue. Along with that, I have an adjustable tempering valve set to 90F which prevents any type of buildup from water that's too cold. I doubt Philly ever has water that's 75F at the cold tap, which is the bare minimum requirement for cold water washing by detergent manufacturers. Using a quality detergent helps significantly.

For machines I have acquired in the past with clogged filters, I used a vase that was tall and wide enough to submerge the filter and filled it up with straight vinegar. Let is soak while periodically brushing it with a stiff toothbrush inside and out. It may take a week or more but it'll eventually get cleaned. In the future, throw it in the lower rack of the dishwasher and use a hi temp wash feature along with a sani rinse from time to time. This will keep the filter clean without having to scrub and submerge in vinegar.

 

[tomturbomatic]

You are on the right path with vinegar, but I use an industrial strength acid detergent cleaner like for toilet bowls. It eats through the mineral & lint deposits fast, but I let it soak in a plastic container outside so that the fumes don't attack things inside.

 

[phillymatt53]

Is it clogged from Downy or water deposits? Maybe both?

I use a plant based softener so clogging is a non issue. I also have a water softener so deposit buildup is also a non issue. Along with that, I have an adjustable tempering valve set to 90F which prevents any type of buildup from water that's too cold. I doubt Philly ever has water that's 75F at the cold tap, which is the bare minimum requirement for cold water washing by detergent manufacturers. Using a quality detergent helps significantly.

For machines I have acquired in the past with clogged filters, I used a vase that was tall and wide enough to submerge the filter and filled it up with straight vinegar. Let is soak while periodically brushing it with a stiff toothbrush inside and out. It may take a week or more but it'll eventually get cleaned. In the future, throw it in the lower rack of the dishwasher and use a hi temp wash feature along with a sani rinse from time to time. This will keep the filter clean without having to scrub and submerge in vinegar.

The Downy is most of the issue.
They make it so damn thick like mollasses.
So when it dries in the softener cup, it's like glue.

I've been using less per load, and diluting it, stirring it up with warm/hot water before pouring it into the cup.

 

[qsd-dan]

Throw it on the bottom rack of the dishwasher. It'll probably wash most, if not all of the buildup, out.

 

[jr2712]

The filter in my A882 had the same issue. The lady that was the original owner never knew there was a filter. I'm sorry that I didn't take any pictures but when I brought the washer home and removed the filter after a long battle, it was the grossest thing I've ever seen. Lint, fingernails, head hairs, other strange curled uneven hairs (LOL), staples, scum, fabric softener deposits...

In my case just chemical and thermal strategy didn't work so I had to use a ceramic cooktop scraper very carefully to break away all the crust over the tiny holes. Once the outer layer was out, I used a pressure washer with fan shape nozzle to tackle the inner layer.

I will post a pic of how the filter looks now

 

[jr2712]

 

[phillymatt53]

View attachment 318148View attachment 318149

WOW!
That filter looks like Brand New!

 

[bajaespuma]

It's amazing to me how many people I've known who never bother to clean those filters, including someone in my family. Disgusting!
It's a bit difficult because it requires a fair few steps and some equipment:

1. Take the filter out of the machine and let it dry.
2. Tap the bottom of the filter to get a lot of the schmutz in the filter holes exit via the outside surface of the cylinder.
3. Use a car detailing brush (not a metal one) or a toothbrush to brush from the inside to dislodge whatever nasty stuff remains.
4. Soak the entire filter in a solution of hot tap water and a lime/calcium acid remover. (I use this wonderful German concentrated vinegar that chefs use for pickling, pictured below).
5. Rinse the filter well. Repeat if necessary.
6. Run it through a complete cycle in the Dishwasher with the household load if you're not grossed-out by that.
7. This method has never damaged the chrome top on the TOL filters.

 

[rich1953]

Are you diluting the fabric softener? I have never had a problem with buildup in any of my Maytags and I've only ever used Downy.

 

[gredmondson]

I have the same machine and the same problem. I'd love to know if anyone here knows of a better way to clean it other than soaking and toothbrushing..!

You may have to poke the stubborn holes with something like a large needle, but once you have it clean, it is easy to keep clean if you remove the lint after every wash. I had two machines with this lint trap.

 

[circlew]

After my mom passed away, I neglected to clean the filter in the Maytag A207 washer. Needless to say, it got pretty gunked up, and the clothes were coming out linty. I took it out and scrubbed with a brush, which helped a little. I decided to soak it in CLR for a while, which after rinsing and brushing, was clean as new.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Throw it on the bottom rack of the dishwasher. It'll probably wash most, if not all of the buildup, out.

Never put any part of a fabric softener dispenser or anything with softener residue in the dishwasher. The chemical reaction between the dishwasher detergent and the softener residue will deposit terrible scum/film on anything and everything in the dishwasher and repeated washing cycles will be needed to remove it.

 

[phillymatt53]

Never put any part of a fabric softener dispenser or anything with softener residue in the dishwasher. The chemical reaction between the dishwasher detergent and the softener residue will deposit terrible scum/film on anything and everything in the dishwasher and repeated washing cycles will be needed to remove it.

I thought the same thing the other day - that slimy, scummy softener residue is stubborn crap.
I don't need it all over the dishwasher walls to haunt me.

 

[qsd-dan]

You may have to poke the stubborn holes with something like a large needle, but once you have it clean, it is easy to keep clean if you remove the lint after every wash. I had two machines with this lint trap.

DON'T DO THAT!

It will distort and round out the holes, making the filter less effective. It will also create roughness on the backside of the filter causing buildup to occur much quicker. Did that over 30 years ago and had to locate another filter from a trashed machine.

 

[johnb300m]

DON'T DO THAT!

It will distort and round out the holes, making the filter less effective. It will also create roughness on the backside of the filter causing buildup to occur much quicker. Did that over 30 years ago and had to locate another filter from a trashed machine.

No it won’t. You can use toothpicks if you want for gentle care.
That’s how I cleaned our NewtonTag filter as a kid after a little bit of vinegar soak.

 

[qsd-dan]

Toothpicks are probably okay since it doesn't have enough strength or force to distort the holes, but a needle certainly does.

 

[phillymatt53]

DON'T DO THAT!

It will distort and round out the holes, making the filter less effective. It will also create roughness on the backside of the filter causing buildup to occur much quicker. Did that over 30 years ago and had to locate another filter from a trashed machine.

Not to mention, but there's 4840 holes to deal with.
Yes, I counted them, I was bored, it took me 2 whole minutes.
Who in hell wants to deal with that crap?

 

[johnb300m]

Toothpicks are probably okay since it doesn't have enough strength or force to distort the holes, but a needle certainly does.

A needle will not distort the very tough, rigid material the filter is made from. Maybe if you hammered a 16 gauge nail into them? But not a thin needle, by hand.