Expert issues washing machine advice to help 'avoid expensive repair bills'

Households have been shared some helpful tips to get the most out of your washing machine and to make your machine lasts as long as possible.

Experts at Which? shared some pointers in a post on Instagram to help consumers "take care of it and help avoid expensive repair bills".

The first suggestion is to make sure you keep up with maintenance of your machine. This includes running a monthly wash at 60C with an empty machine, cleaning the detergent drawer and checking the lower filter for any blockages.

Consumers are also advised to check pockets to make sure they are empty, taking out any coins or items that could cause damage or blockages.

Another thing to look out for is hard water, which is water that has a higher mineral content, such as calcium or magnesium, than soft water.

The Which? team warned in the post: "This can cause limescale build up and affect the performance of your machine.

"You may want to use a washing machine descaler every three to six months to tackle this problem, to remove any residues inside the machine.

Another rule to follow is not to overfill the machine. The experts said: "A good rule of thumb is to leave enough space to fit your hand between the clothes and the top of the drum."

It is also important not to ignore warning signs such as banging, rattling or knocking noises, as these can be signs that something is wrong with the machine.

A final piece of advice from the consumer group is to try and repair your machine before replacing it. The group said: "Fixing your machine is often cheaper than buying a new one."

Another expert recently shared a tip for reducing your bill associated with your washing machine. Allie Ogletree, from Save On Energy, said: "Your washing machine uses the same amount of energy regardless of when you run it.

"However, depending on your energy provider's rates, you could still save on your energy bills by changing up what time of day you do your laundry."

This is because energy can be more expensive during peak hours when people return home from work and use their appliances more.

These times are sometimes referred to as time of use (TOU) rates, so it's best to see if you can avoid doing your washing during these hours, to keep your bills down.

Ms Ogletree explained: "A common range for peak hours is between 4pm and 7pm. So the cheapest time to do laundry for an energy plan with these higher TOU rates would be before 4pm or after 7pm."

She also said that during the summer as temperatures are hotter and people use fans and air con to keep cool, it's cheaper to run your washing machine early in the morning, when energy demand is lower.