"Doug Miller" wrote in message ...
"Guv Bob" wrote in
m:

They don't get the clothes clean and stink about every 2-3
weeks. Have been buying some brand name cleaner that costs a
fortune. Anyone have another clearner that will get that stink
out and doesn't cost and arm and leg? Main ingredient on the
brand name is sodium carbonate, so I'm wondering if I just dump
some plain sodium carbonate (washing soda) in with some vinegar
if that would do just as good. I don't want to use bleach.

Considering that washing soda is an alkali, and vinegar is an acid... no, it won't do "just as
good". You'll get sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water -- none of which is really worth
a hoot as a cleaning agent except water, and you already have plenty of that.

Plain washing soda by itself will do about as well as the detergent. What made you think
adding vinegar would be beneficial?

Oh, I don't know -- vinegar works better for cleaning mildew off windows, etc. Just guessing.

Various responses.... thanks to all... good info in this thread!

This washer is a top loading water-saving POS. No agitator -- figure that out.... End up having to wash some things twice. Spins so hard it puts wrinkles in some clothes. Hope it never goes out of balance. Has no lint filter so (a) drain needs flushing out more than ever and (2) more lint is carried over into the dryer which means longer drying cycles.

Previous top loader was 1994 GE, plain old regular water. Had a lint filter, mini basket. Drain pump flowrate was slow enough for our small drain pipes. Lasted about 10 years then the transmission started leaking. Quote of $250 to repair would have been the smart thing to do. Instead now I have an extra large paperweight.

Yes, I leave the top open to air out.

I wouldn't recommend using glacial acetic acid. That's nasty stuff. Vinegar is strong enough for household cleaning. 1:4 bleach/water sounds good - I'll give it a try.

Some asian countries promote this type of low water top loading washer. Makes hardly any noise at all. I like the noisy version myself. US & Canadian made stuff (even if now made elsewhere) is always better made and lasts longer. That's my experience, anyway. OT, but I'm seeing "Made in China" printed on food more and more in the chain grocery stores. "Chinese quality control" means it was shipped without falling apart.

Heard more bad things about front loaders than top loaders. But, in my case, I would gladly swap my top loading dirty-in dirty-out model for a decent front loader.

Begin OT

On my comment about Calif wackies..... They are really not crazy -- they are in most cases cleverly manipulating the system to favor one company over another.

There's a bill in Sacramento to split Calif into 2 states. The new state would be called Jefferson. What's left of the old state would be named Mind-Numbing Stupidity.

That's all folks