gezginrocker Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Hi, I'm living in a condo in Bkk and we have 2 top loader washing machines. I've used them both but they don't properly clean the clothes, stains don't disappear at all. I suspect this is because the machine is not using hot water. In the west, front loader machines with hot water are popular. Here, top loaders with cold water. And I don't think they are doing a proper job. Since I can't buy a new machine, do you have any tips on how to have properly cleaned clothes? Maybe detergant advice or something like that? Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post daveAustin Posted January 1, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 1, 2015 Soak them first, rubbing any stains with wash powder. I agree, top-loaders are shiite, the wash procedure is incorrect, needs to be done with gravity not just movement of water and twist. Have an HE front loader here, 95 degrees, and it's the dog's doodahs even on a low temp setting. Towels and bedding come out absolutely crisp. With the top loader, they are still cruddy. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Maybe just be a bit more careful when eating your Penang 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apiwan2 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 With these top loader WM. I think you wash the clothes first then put in the drying drum. ?, do you put the water on while its spinning to get rid of the soap. My thai mates said NO.the soap will go by the spinning action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gezginrocker Posted January 1, 2015 Author Share Posted January 1, 2015 (edited) Soak them first, rubbing any stains with wash powder. I agree, top-loaders are shiite, the wash procedure is incorrect, needs to be done with gravity not just movement of water and twist. Have an HE front loader here, 95 degrees, and it's the dog's doodahs even on a low temp setting. Towels and bedding come out absolutely crisp. With the top loader, they are still cruddy. Thanks for the tip, although I'm too lazy to do that, and probably I'll get used to the stains. Or maybe look for a special stain remover or something. You're right, those top loaders are really shiite. I can't understand why they are the norm here. Just as I can't understand why they are not using hot water in Thailand. They have sun all the time, they can install solar panels instead of using those stupid electric heaters at bathrooms. They are much more economical. With these top loader WM.I think you wash the clothes first then put in the drying drum.?, do you put the water on while its spinning to get rid of the soap.My thai mates said NO.the soap will go by the spinning action. Well, the machines are coin operated and everything is automated. I insert coins, put the clothes and the detergant and then come back 50 minutes later, that's it really. Edited January 1, 2015 by gezginrocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Soak them first, rubbing any stains with wash powder. I agree, top-loaders are shiite, the wash procedure is incorrect, needs to be done with gravity not just movement of water and twist. Have an HE front loader here, 95 degrees, and it's the dog's doodahs even on a low temp setting. Towels and bedding come out absolutely crisp. With the top loader, they are still cruddy. My top loader gets my washing clean in 48 minutes. No hot water required. I dont see that it would be very hard to fit a shower heater to the water input, if I thought I needed to. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 With these top loader WM. I think you wash the clothes first then put in the drying drum. ?, do you put the water on while its spinning to get rid of the soap. My thai mates said NO.the soap will go by the spinning action. You are thinking of twin-tubs. Normal top-loaders just have one tub that works in exactly the same way as that of a front loader, only not on its side. They follow the normal wash, spin, rinse, spin cycle for a quick wash. They also have more complex programmes with more cycles like pre-soak, third rinse, air dry etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apiwan2 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 We got both. I prefer the 1 drum. But it uses a lot if water. Put the clothes detergent and come back later. But loads of Thais prefer the double drum. One for washing and 1 for spinning . Hiso prefer the front loading like in Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooked Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 We bought a fairly cheap top loader, it also leaves stains. The neighbour bought an even cheaper machine, it works ok. We let the clothes go through the normal wash cycle. We then rinse and spin. Still not ideal and if you have a coin operated machine you can't influence much. I had a second hand front loader in Europe, about 20 years old. Apart from forgetting to change the filter sometimes, perfect results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post draftvader Posted January 1, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 1, 2015 (edited) Less items in the wash. Try halving your load and seeing what the results are like. If that is better then increase the amounts slowly until you find a decent balance. Make sure you buy top loader detergent too. Personally I prefer washing liquid to powder as it leaves much less residue. Make sure the filters are clean, even with a shared machine. Wait until later in the day (when it is hot) as it is more likely the water coming into the machines will be hot as it is likely to be stored in storage tanks which will have heated up (though try to get them in before everybody comes home from work). Edited January 1, 2015 by draftvader 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post trainman34014 Posted January 1, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 1, 2015 For stubborn stains there are stain removing agents available in Supermarkets. Took me a while to get used to top loaders again but one trick is not to overload them as most items will come out as dirty as they went in. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundrenched Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 (edited) Blan is a good product to get whites white again. I add it once in a while to a load. Another thing is, don't wait till your stuff is dirty before you wash it. I do my bed sheets once a week, towels after one day (I bought small ones so it's not too wasteful), shirts after one day, etc. If you wait till it smells or is stained, good luck getting it out. I agree those cold water machines are crap compared to frontloaders and sometimes you really want to wash at 60 or 90, but that's what most condos come with. Edited January 1, 2015 by sundrenched Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Less items in the wash. Try halving your load and seeing what the results are like. If that is better then increase the amounts slowly until you find a decent balance. Make sure you buy top loader detergent too. Personally I prefer washing liquid to powder as it leaves much less residue. Make sure the filters are clean, even with a shared machine. Wait until later in the day (when it is hot) as it is more likely the water coming into the machines will be hot as it is likely to be stored in storage tanks which will have heated up (though try to get them in before everybody comes home from work). Good advice here. Don't know if you have any control with a coin-op machine, but our top loader has a long-soak cycle that I use all the time. The clothes are agitated for just a minute or two, sit for a few minutes and then are given a little agitation about once every 30 seconds for about 10 - 15 minutes. Also, when I add fabric softener, I untangle the clothes so they'll get a proper rinse. I haven't been able to find a good stain remover, but it helps to pre-treat food stains with a paste made from the laundry detergent and water, about 15-20 minutes before I put the clothes into the washer. I do laundry every day. Just a small load or two. It's easy when the machine is in your condo and doing laundry becomes part of your daily routine. Yes, the trick is to keep the loads small. Never more than 4 or 5 major pieces of clothing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post malt25 Posted January 2, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 2, 2015 Nothing to do with only cold water. I worked in the Aussie mining industry for many years & camp washers were all top loaders & cold water. Also home, here & Aussie, are top loaders with only cold water... always clean as. Put your powder detergent in first as machine is filling with water & then put the clothes in. As said above don't overload it. If top loaders are all shit, as someone above suggested, why are they so popular & being produced & sold worldwide by the million. For stubborn stains, forget the commercial soaker stuff. Mix a small amount of detergent with water to make a paste & smear over the stain. Wash as normal. Works for me. Cheers..... Mal. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post KittenKong Posted January 2, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 2, 2015 I wonder if some of the problems that people seem to be having is because they use powder and not liquid detergent? For me a top-loader + cold water + liquid detergent (I use the one with a name that looks like "USA" in Thai script: apparently it's Breeze) works just fine. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdanielmcev Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 The machines may be in need of repair, or the water may be too hard. You could try hand washing with heated water from the stove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gsxrnz Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I wonder if some of the problems that people seem to be having is because they use powder and not liquid detergent? For me a top-loader + cold water + liquid detergent (I use the one with a name that looks like "USA" in Thai script: apparently it's Breeze) works just fine. Agreed with the detergent. I also use Vanish to pre-soak whites or anything that has a stain. My golf gear which is mainly white comes out so white you need sunglasses. Used toploaders in NZ for years with cold water and the trick is not to overload them, as said by others. In Thailand it also pays to check the water supply is clean and filtered. Let the machine run for a while and then collect a container of water as it fills the machine to see if its clear of impurities. Often if the supply tank is running low or has high usage, you can effectively be getting water straight from the mains supply which is usually a murky brown colour. If the water hasn't had a chance to self settle in the tank and/or you have a filter, the clothes will come out dirtier than they went in. Don't believe me - check the bottom of a water storage tank and you will find buckets of settled impurities. Or unscrew the supply line at the street and run the water into a bucket. It will be brown. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldragon Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 With top loaders, you gotta make sure you leave a little room over the middle of the bin. In other words, arrange the clothes along the edges of the bin and leave the middle as open as possible. That might help a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A1Str8 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Smile while washing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Soak them first, rubbing any stains with wash powder. I agree, top-loaders are shiite, the wash procedure is incorrect, needs to be done with gravity not just movement of water and twist. Have an HE front loader here, 95 degrees, and it's the dog's doodahs even on a low temp setting. Towels and bedding come out absolutely crisp. With the top loader, they are still cruddy. Thanks for the tip, although I'm too lazy to do that, and probably I'll get used to the stains. Or maybe look for a special stain remover or something. You're right, those top loaders are really shiite. I can't understand why they are the norm here. Just as I can't understand why they are not using hot water in Thailand. They have sun all the time, they can install solar panels instead of using those stupid electric heaters at bathrooms. They are much more economical. With these top loader WM. I think you wash the clothes first then put in the drying drum. ?, do you put the water on while its spinning to get rid of the soap. My thai mates said NO.the soap will go by the spinning action. Well, the machines are coin operated and everything is automated. I insert coins, put the clothes and the detergant and then come back 50 minutes later, that's it really. Are you sure someone isn't removing your laundry as soon as bugger off ? They pop their dirty smalls in for 45mins, then swap loads just before you come back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Soak them first, rubbing any stains with wash powder. I agree, top-loaders are shiite, the wash procedure is incorrect, needs to be done with gravity not just movement of water and twist. Have an HE front loader here, 95 degrees, and it's the dog's doodahs even on a low temp setting. Towels and bedding come out absolutely crisp. With the top loader, they are still cruddy. Thanks for the tip, although I'm too lazy to do that, and probably I'll get used to the stains. Or maybe look for a special stain remover or something. You're right, those top loaders are really shiite. I can't understand why they are the norm here. Just as I can't understand why they are not using hot water in Thailand. They have sun all the time, they can install solar panels instead of using those stupid electric heaters at bathrooms. They are much more economical. With these top loader WM. I think you wash the clothes first then put in the drying drum. ?, do you put the water on while its spinning to get rid of the soap. My thai mates said NO.the soap will go by the spinning action. Well, the machines are coin operated and everything is automated. I insert coins, put the clothes and the detergant and then come back 50 minutes later, that's it really. Are you sure someone isn't removing your laundry as soon as bugger off ? They pop their dirty smalls in for 45mins, then swap loads just before you come back Wow, someone would have to be really cheap to be doing this. Or someone would have to be really paranoid to suggest this is what's happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePlant Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Blimey! I thought I had a quiet New Year..... Can't you employ a housekeeper to do it for you? Mine does the lot but relishes in showing the missus/anyone around/the neighbours every 'gusset mishap' I may have suffered that week...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Soak them first, rubbing any stains with wash powder.I agree, top-loaders are shiite, the wash procedure is incorrect, needs to be done with gravity not just movement of water and twist. Have an HE front loader here, 95 degrees, and it's the dog's doodahs even on a low temp setting. Towels and bedding come out absolutely crisp. With the top loader, they are still cruddy. Thanks for the tip, although I'm too lazy to do that, and probably I'll get used to the stains. Or maybe look for a special stain remover or something. You're right, those top loaders are really shiite. I can't understand why they are the norm here. Just as I can't understand why they are not using hot water in Thailand. They have sun all the time, they can install solar panels instead of using those stupid electric heaters at bathrooms. They are much more economical. With these top loader WM.I think you wash the clothes first then put in the drying drum. ?, do you put the water on while its spinning to get rid of the soap. My thai mates said NO.the soap will go by the spinning action. Well, the machines are coin operated and everything is automated. I insert coins, put the clothes and the detergant and then come back 50 minutes later, that's it really. Are you sure someone isn't removing your laundry as soon as bugger off ? They pop their dirty smalls in for 45mins, then swap loads just before you come back Wow, someone would have to be really cheap to be doing this. Or someone would have to be really paranoid to suggest this is what's happening. Oh dear, looks like 2015 is not gonna be a good year for sarcastic comments Please tell me you didn't take that seriously Nancy ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post WhamBam Posted January 2, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 2, 2015 Bi-carb of soda can work wonders in any wash. Salt for blood stains. i had a top loader here for 5 years. The only time I had a problem was when the water had been off and the water in the pipeline was dirty. Those stains are a bugger to clean. Use a stain remover in the wash as said above & less clothes. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2fishin2 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Its the shit water! For colors nothing you can do. For whites, bleach. And because clothes are so cheap here. When they get too grubby, just buy new and the process starts all over again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipi Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 We have a new twin tub. Sure it is old fashioned, but I can control the wash, soak, rinse, spin manually. Washing comes out fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexRRR Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Try buying your own detergent and do a spot wash of stains, normaly top loaders are just as good as a front loader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deli Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Buy a western style washing machine und use proper detergents and all is good. Have a LG for THB 18k and have perfect results 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chonburiram Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 ...If top loaders are all shit, as someone above suggested, why are they so popular & being produced & sold worldwide by the million...ALL industrial (cloth) washing machines work on the front loader principle. What's the best for the professional is good for me, top loaders are for the unwashed masses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyLew Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 easy ... get my GF do do the laundry ... problem solved 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.3b3332cc2256ad0edbc2fe9404feeef0.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now