In over 50 years of working with and restoring washers
I have never seen any kind of detergent or soap buildup inside machines.
Yes, there is lots of scum and mineral deposits from using too little detergent or using poor quality detergents, that's a frequent problem and yes, liquid fabric softener can build up to some degree if you don't have good washing practices and use sufficiently hot water and plenty of detergent to remove it from the machine and the clothing as well The next time the clothing is washed.
Detergents whether liquid or powdered generally dissolve very easily in water so even if some detergent was left from one load it would be gone the next time.
We fixed a 1994 Whirlpool Direct Dr. washer the other month where I had had the basket out out of the washer about three years ago to replace a failed basket drive block. The machine was beautiful and clean and an excellent condition for such an old washer. We went back two months ago because the machine is now leaking. There was so much grudge buildup in the bottom of the outer tub. It was almost a half inch thick and it had corroded the center post through the center rubber seal in the plastic outer tub, I had to pull it all apart, clean it up put a new seal in and seal it back together.
I asked the customer what has changed and she said oh I'm using these little laundry strips for the last three years, they're wonderful. The machine was gross but again it was not detergent building up. It was because you're not removing the dirt and soil that is in the clothing being laundered. It's settling out in the machine. I told her it's time to go back to using good detergent and hoter water.
John L
I have never seen any kind of detergent or soap buildup inside machines.
Yes, there is lots of scum and mineral deposits from using too little detergent or using poor quality detergents, that's a frequent problem and yes, liquid fabric softener can build up to some degree if you don't have good washing practices and use sufficiently hot water and plenty of detergent to remove it from the machine and the clothing as well The next time the clothing is washed.
Detergents whether liquid or powdered generally dissolve very easily in water so even if some detergent was left from one load it would be gone the next time.
We fixed a 1994 Whirlpool Direct Dr. washer the other month where I had had the basket out out of the washer about three years ago to replace a failed basket drive block. The machine was beautiful and clean and an excellent condition for such an old washer. We went back two months ago because the machine is now leaking. There was so much grudge buildup in the bottom of the outer tub. It was almost a half inch thick and it had corroded the center post through the center rubber seal in the plastic outer tub, I had to pull it all apart, clean it up put a new seal in and seal it back together.
I asked the customer what has changed and she said oh I'm using these little laundry strips for the last three years, they're wonderful. The machine was gross but again it was not detergent building up. It was because you're not removing the dirt and soil that is in the clothing being laundered. It's settling out in the machine. I told her it's time to go back to using good detergent and hoter water.
John L