Grease covering brand new Speed Queen washing machine tub.

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mbhokmah

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Just had a new speed queen washing machine installed model AWN542. So disappointed that the tub is full of grease. Already ruined some kitchen towels. Speed Queen wants me to buy a special product and clean off the grease. They say grease is not a defect and not under warranty!!! Very poor customer service. Luckily, the machine only ruined kitchen towels, and fortunately I did NOT try to wash expensive clothes. I have been told the grease is polishing compound that was mistakenly left on the stainless steel tub. Speed Queen should be cleaning the machine in the factory and NOT telling customers to clean up their mistake.
I hated my previous machine because it was HE with low water. I thought I'd be overjoyed with this speed queen. Maybe once the grease is removed it will be good. Can the grease be completely removed?? Will I always have to worry about grease getting on my clothes and linens?????
 
Two user reviews of the AWN542 at Consumer Reports online complained of the same problem with grease. Both reviewers were told by Speed Queen customer service to clean the tub with Simple Green (an all-purpose household spray cleaner). While that removes the grease from the user-accessible side of the tub, it didn't solve the problem.

Here's the description from one of the reviews: "...the factory didn't clean the stainless steel tubs of grease before assembling the two-sided stainless drum, so grease keeps oozing into the tub. Talked to the factory. It's a known problem with no solution. They say to clean it with Simple Green, but the grease is inside the tub. There's no access because the two are welded together. Had the repairman take out the drum, but can't get to the grease due to the design. Tried using Q-Tips to clean each tub hole, but that didn't help because it's apparent the grease is coming from between the two walls."

He goes on to explain SQ sent him a new washer but it exhibited the same problem. The other review complaining of the same problem was told "the machine came from a bad batch at the factory."

Calling John (combo52): You know these machines well; can you explain what the problem might be? The reviewer's explanation is confusing to me. Are there really two layers of stainless steel with a gap between them or is the reviewer not providing a clear explanation of what he was told by SQ and his repairman?

(Aside: Only six of 90 user reviews at CR were negative. The vast majority praised the machine.)[this post was last edited: 3/29/2013-10:52]
 
Fortunately I did not have this problem with my SQ. You might try running an empty load (full water level), hot water, with degreaser. I suppose you might do this more than once; until you are comfortable with the results. Regardless of how many times you run the cycle, definitely clean the interior of the wash basket as previously instructed.

Good luck - these are good machines otherwise!

lawrence
 
Grease in The Speed Queen Tub

Hi, I work in the laundry department at the nursing home here in Savannah, Georgia. We deal with a lot of poop and grease, the only way to defeat all of that grease in your washing machine is by using a degreaser or using a enzyme detergent. The enzymes in this soap will kill the grease and poop.

http://www.zep.com
 
I was thinking of a hot water wash.....and either or, Dawn dish soap, which will suds a lot, but eat right thru grease....or somehing more heavy duty, Purple Cleaner, using a spray bottle saturate the tub and interior all over as much as possible, let set a while, and then a hot water wash...

the purple claeaner works great on scum and grease from a neglected machine, being an industrial cleaner, should prove effective for this..

let us know how you make out
 
I wonder, could one put the machine on a hot wash with degreaser and let it run through a spin-drain cycle with the drain hose pointing into the tub? The would send swirling hot cleaning solution all around the inside of the tubs - kinda like the LG WaveForce. Or would water leak through the tub ring?

Alex
 
Try Pine-Sol with Hot wash, maybe even throw a few kettles of boiling water in for good measure!
Mike

PS great machine, I bought two, one for me, and one for my mother, love em, this is a quality control issue, at least it isn't mechanical!
Good luck
Mike
 
I think a greasy washer delivored to a customer is INEXCUSABLE!!!!Esp a brand such as Speed Queen-if you are paying for a premium brand as this-you should get "Top Hat" service and the machine should be ready to wash clothes after you get it.I would send it back!!!Speed Queen should not have sent out a machine in this condition!-SLOPPY!!I am having second thoughts of buying a SQ.
 
I agree, I would go up the Alliance/Speed Queen customer service reporting chain until I got some help. Expecting the customer to cure a quality control defect is inexcusable and unacceptable. I would also enlist the dealer for help here. My other question is whether the use of such degreasing compounds would do anything to harm the machine. Don't know why I thought of that and it may have no validity...

The bigger issue here is that if Speed Queen is becoming so popular that quality control is slipping and customer service suffers, that spells disaster down the road and it won't be that long before their reputation is damaged beyond repair.

In my mind there is no other appropriate response from Speed Queen other than "we will replace the unit immediately and ensure that this problem does not exist on the replacement or any other unit". Shame on them for not stepping up and handling this.

I am about to purchase a new gas dryer since we just got gas service in our neighborhood and it makes me think twice about a Speed Queen.

That said, I am happy with my 7 year old washer and had good service from Alliance corporate when dealing with an incompetent and uncooperative local servicer.

I hope they will make this right.
 
Quality Control issues with timers too

Speed Queen quality control when it comes to timers has already slipped. Of course I'm sure they buy them from a vendor. I'm hesitant to buy another Speed Queen myself. I was lucky that my dealer took mine back and refunded my money. After replacing the timer twice and the motor once in 7 months, when it tore up again, he took it back. He's had 4 machines in the last year have the same issue and when he talked to SQ they were aware of the issue, but he never really got an answer as to what they were doing to fix the issue. He said the tech rep commented that they were going to have to quit making the toploaders in a few years anyway-- that didn't set well with my dealer. He told them if they were going to cut back on quality they needed to quit selling them now and if these problems persisted, he would not be selling them anymore as he didn't want his reputation ruined.

I hope I just got a lemon and things are not going downhill. You can see more about this on my other post - SQ AWN412 Humming noise.
 
Gansky1 is right

See reply #8 above, the only correct solution for the problem. The defective machine should be returned to the dealer, then the dealer can handle Speed Queen. Otherwise, you probably will have grease problems forever with the washer.

Insist - repeat - insist that the washer be replaced and TEST it while the installer is still there. And if it were me, I would demand the replacement of the ruined towels. There is NO EXCUSE for customers bearing responsibility for inadequate QC at the factory. A greasy washer is a defective washer, period.

When my son wanted to buy an inexpensive washer and dryer recently I recommended a SQ set from a used appliance dealer. He and his wife have been really pleased with their machines. I've also recommended SQ to a dog groomer friend of mine who runs her business out of her home. But now I may have to retract my suggestion to her. She would CROAK if she got one of these greasy washers.
 
Defect

I guess every manufacturer suffers from defects every once in a while.  

 

I would inquire with the store where you purchased the machine and see what they have to say.

 

Malcolm
 
While it's small comfort to someone who is having problems with one of their machines, I'd say Speed Queen is better than most when it comes to overall quality. Peruse the user reviews at the site of your choice, and you'll find SQ (along with Miele) has a much smaller percentage of negative reviews than other brands.

Of the six negative reviews at Consumer Reports, one of them complained that suds kept backing up out of the drainpipe---hardly the washer's fault---and one was mildly critical, saying only that the reviewer thought his former washer (a modern front-loader) cleaned a little better and was gentler to fabrics.

As a staunch proponent of modern front-loaders, I can only say they damn well should clean a little better! There is a super-concentrated detergent solution at work (a full dose of detergent in very little water) during a wash period that is probably 2-3 times longer than the agitation period of a Speed Queen top-loader, where the same dose of detergent is diluted by nearly three times as much water.

Which machine will last longer, a Speed Queen or my 2010 Frigidaire front-loader? I'm very happy with the performance of my Frigilux in every way, but I'd have to cast my vote for SQ on that particular count.
 
The image

of a man kneeling on the floor cleaning grease out of the tub holes--WITH Q-TIPS-- on a BRAND NEW WASHER makes my hair stand up.

I'd call Channel 2 ON YOUR SIDE, and then take the machine right back to the dealer.

We are so screwed now with pure unregulated greed as the ruling ethos in American business. And now SPEED QUEEN, too? I'm throwing in my towel.

I'd be hurling feces if I were a chimpanzee.

I hope you get this resolved quickly.
 
All the positive reviews in the world are not going to help the person who is having the problem and can't get any help. I had the same debate with a friend regarding a local "authorized Speed Queen sales/servicer. They misdiagnosed my issue which turned out to be a belt that needed replacement. Instead, the service man sprayed the idler pulley with WD 40 making the problem worse then insisted the machine wasn't reaching full spin speed because I was overdosing on detergent - the fact that I used Tide HE powder didn't seem to make any difference. When I refused that diagnosis, they turned to out and out defiance insisting that the issue was in my mind and there was nothing wrong with the machine. They then refused to come back and only agreed to refund the $$ they originally charged me for the "service".

Now that I think of it, I was not completely happy with Alliance. They did send me the new parts needed (including a new idler pulley since the original servicer ruined the one on the machine by spraying it) and connected me with another local servicer who was great. However, I insisted they do something with Ted's Appliance Service in Huntington, CT. I felt there was no reason they should be allowed to continue selling Speed Queen if that was the kind of service they provided. The Alliance rep agreed to follow up with me but I never heard from him again even after two additional attempts to contact him. Considering that this whole miserable event took almost three months to finally resolve during which I had to use the coin laundry weekly, I wasn't too happy. And forget about getting reimbursed for the cost and time wasted for all those weeks.

The point of this story is that my friend's brother seems to be a personal friend of "Ted" and his family and would never consider buying or servicing an appliance from anywhere else. They all rolled their eyes at my issue insisting that "crazy Anthony is being a pain again" and touting all their wonderful experiences with Ted's. They may well have had years of great service from Ted;s, but that didn't help me with my problem. So for everyone that never had an issue with SQ, it is exponentially more frustrating for those who do because of the reputation.
 
Stained Tubs In New SQ TL Washers

I had heard of this issue from customers that read on online reviews of SQ TL Washers. We sell several SQ TLers per week and a few weeks ago I was installing one and sure enough it had brown stains all over the wash basket. To me it did not look like greese more like used polishing compound? In any case I mentioned to the new owner that they forgot to clean the washer tub after polishing it at the factory and proceeded to clean it up, I then suggested that the first load should be old cleaning cloth or something similar in hot water. I heard back from the customer and they said they noticed no problem after using the machine for a few weeks.

 

Yes this is pretty sloppy on SQs part but I seriously dough that it would cause any real long term problem. If anyone gets a new SQ and notices this problem I would just clean it up as many here have suggested, the SS wash basket is not double walled and as Dan suggested if you use good hot water maybe some ammonia it should easily wash away in a few loads.
 
Seriously?

In the post above, "If you use good hot water maybe some ammonia it should easily wash away in a few loads." If you bought a NEW car and it was filthy inside, would you just clean it up yourself? How about a NEW fridge dirty with grease and rotten food?

This SQ grease problem is ridiculous. Failure at the factory and then failure of the dealer to take care of the problem, too. The buyer is expected to correct glaring QC problems? "Just wash a few loads in hot water?" To say I'm incredulous would be such an understatement.

Part of the problem here seems to be WIMPY dealers who won't hold SQ to account for problems at the factory. If I were a SQ buyer and this happened to me, I would be kicking and screaming. There is NO excuse.
 
Honestly I don`t understand all that excitement about a greasy washer tub.

Every new washer I have ever had called for an emtpty service wash at the hottest possible cycle with detergent prior to normal use.
Likewise every dishwasher`s manual calls for an empty wash with detergent to flush out grease and other stuff from the manufacturing process.
Even every drip coffee maker I have ever owned so far I had to run a pot of clear water through before it was safe for coffee.

I wonder if this could be a European thing only.

The fact that SQ suggests to buy a special product to clean off the grease is NOT OK ! No doubt about that.
I also take it that there are no directions in the owner`s manual to do an empty cycle before washing clothes. If so, shame on SQ.
 
Yes but even if European manufacturers (and they all do!) recommend a hot wash when first running the machine the tubs in new washers have no grease in them!

It's just leftover water from the factory tests and dirt from the production lines but definitely not grease!
 
Maintenance Wash

Any machine you purchase new or used should have a 'maintenance wash' run to clear out dirt and grease and stuff, like I mentioned in another thread. 

 

Our Miele recommended (when new) a Cottons 60º cycle to clear out all the dirt and grime from the factory. Was it any surprise when the water leaving the machine after the wash was very, very grey and dirty? 

I'm surprised that SpeedQueen wouldn't recommend this. Our old washer also recommended this. So I think this grease issue MAY have been oversight by the customer.

 

And to those that ask if we accept new refrigerators containing rotten food - that is not equivalent to this problem. All refrigerator manufactures ALSO recommend you clean the refrigerator lightly (Baking Soda and Water) before the fridge is started up and food is loaded into it.

 

However, I do think it is silly that Speed-Queen allowed this to occur, although, as with any mass production, there is always a slight error that causes this sort of problem - so this batch of washers probably had grease as a minor fault. When people post bad reviews and stuff, where Speed Queen didn't stand behind their product, did the care to explain the problem and give all particulars to the Dealership AND the Customer Support line? For example, where timer's "went bad" were the users not taking care when turning the timer knob? Were kids playing with it? This is why Speed Queen is perhaps doesn't stand behind their product.  
 
Or how much money did they save on each washer by having the customer do the final cleaning before use rather than have the factory do it?

Has Alliance had any changes in the upper management staff lately? I hope a "new Maytag" type of management has not taken over. We have seen what those types did to Maytag.
 
You know, I am absolutely astonished at the comments being made by the posters here.

If you think you can design and build a better machine, do it.

Or better yet, a lot of you live in the USA. If you want to build the best machine in the world, drive down to Ripon, WI and apply for a job with Alliance. I'm sure they could always use more help on their assembly lines.

Cripes, yes I understand that new machines sometimes do have defects, but these are washing machines for cripes sake, not Bugatti Veyrons or Lamborghinis.

Heck, all of you are talking about a top loader which costs less than $850. Of course I would expect that it won't be perfect. OK, Fine.. Work out the bugs and move on. When the grease is gone, that machine will serve you for many years and do its job properly.

There are a few good ideas in the forum, the consensus seems to be that doing an empty load with the hottest water and enzyme detergent will fix the issue. Perhaps it would have helped if they put that in the manual.

I'm a little irked that so many of you are very quick to deride and denigrate a local US manufacturer who isn't always perfect. What would you rather have though, a tub with some grease temporarily in it or a spinsploding LG?

It is so easy to criticize without actually being on the factory floor and seeing how hard Alliance employees work to build these products so that you can enjoy them. Put in a full 12 hour shift on the factory floor first.

I remember once watching a commercial for the Saturn vehicles. The employees were proud of the vehicles they built because they said they would build them the way they wanted to if they were going to buy one for themselves. This is what manufacturing should be.

I'm thinking about the person who put the polishing compound in the OP's washer. He or she was probably manually polishing out a manufacturing imperfection in the inner tub and had probably been at the end of their shift, tired, with a sore back from bending over using the power polisher. I'm sure that due to the high demand for these machines, they didn't have time to run a cleaning cycle through it and though that the end customer would do it themselves.

Instead, we have a thread where people are complaining it is unacceptable. All I can say is that I'm just disgusted with this attitude.

If you really want to buy a machine which is perfect, build it yourself.
 

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