Washing Machine Drain Clog [updated] Guide

But don't buy the name brand. Use Citric Acid (the stuff for canning tomatoes). Run an empty hot cycle with 2 tablespoons of citric acid. It dissolves detergent scum better than bleach.

But before you call the plumber (and pay weekend rates), let’s take a deep breath. This is one of the most common, and surprisingly fixable, plumbing emergencies in the home. Here is everything you need to know about why this happens, how to fix it, and how to ensure it never ruins your evening again. When water doesn’t drain, most people’s first instinct is to blame the machine. They assume the pump is dead. In 80% of cases, that is wrong.

There is a specific kind of dread that comes from standing in your laundry room, barefoot, watching a tide of grey, sudsy water seep out from under your machine. washing machine drain clog

It usually happens on a Sunday night. The hamper is empty, the last load is spinning, and suddenly, your washer beeps an error code: You open the door, and instead of damp, clean clothes, you are greeted by a standing pool of stagnant water.

You have a .

Think of a straw in a milkshake. If the straw is clear, you suck easily. If the bottom is clogged with a chunk of strawberry, you get nothing. Your washer pump is the same. It’s trying, but the pipe is blocked. If you were to look inside your clogged drain pipe, you wouldn’t just see water. You would see something plumbers call "P-trap sludge."

The sludge is winning because you wash your gym clothes, your muddy towels, and your dog beds in cold water with too much soap. Cold water doesn't melt grease. Too much soap creates sludge. But don't buy the name brand

No, not literally. But you have to remove the washing machine standpipe trap. Usually, there is a cleanout plug just above the trap. Remove that plug (have a bucket ready). Go in with the auger downstream toward the main line, not upstream toward the washer.