Can I wash it with shampoo?

You shouldn't wash your clothes with hair shampoo. It works on a completely different principle than regular powders and gels. Pouring this product into the washing machine's tray is strictly prohibited. It can damage both your appliance and your clothes. If you're talking about special shampoo for jackets and other down-filled items (such products are available in stores today), you can use it. Of course, they're not suitable for washing your hair. Let's take a closer look at this issue.

What happens if you wash with shampoo?

Why can't you pour shampoo into the SMA tray? How does it differ from regular gels and powders? There are differences, and they are significant.

If you pour shampoo into a washing machine, the outcome will depend on three factors:

• The amount of shampoo used. The more shampoo that gets into the drum, the more foam it will produce, which means the risk of machine failure increases;
• Foaming intensity. Ingredients added to shampoo promote the formation of a dense lather. This is necessary to degrease the hair and remove any debris stuck to it. This amount of foam is harmful to the hair dryer—it can accumulate so much that it gets on the control board and disrupts its operation.
• The washing machine's load. The more clothes in the drum, the less space there is for the foam itself. Therefore, it begins to leak through the pipes into the detergent drawer, drain system, etc.

Hair shampoos foam heavily, and excessive foaming can cause your washing machine to malfunction.

When the foam level in the drum reaches the maximum, it will begin to be pushed out through the openings, such as the detergent drawer. Inexpensive automatic machines don't have a perfectly sealed drawer, so the bubbles will escape through it.

If you don't notice the machine bubbling in time, the foam will spread further, reaching the areas where the motor and various sensors are located. It would be good if the safety system was activated and the cycle was interrupted. If not, there's a high risk of a short circuit.

Don't think that soap bubbles can't damage your equipment. Foam can cause a short circuit, damaging the control module, motor, heating element, and other components of the washing machine. It is not for nothing that modern machines are equipped with sensors that monitor the level of foam formation.

Repairing a washing machine damaged by foam will cost a pretty penny. It's impossible to continue using the machine without a specialist's diagnosis—it could be life-threatening. Therefore, it's best to avoid pouring shampoo into the detergent dispenser and instead use products specifically designed for automatic washing machines.

We washed it with shampoo and foam started to appear.

Not everyone considers how shampoo can damage their washing machine, and they simply pour it into the dispenser when their regular shampoo runs out. The realization that something is wrong comes when things become invisible due to the foam, and soap bubbles leak through the detergent drawer, the door, and other openings. What should you do in this case?

• Stop washing by pressing the Stop button.
• Remove water from the system by running the "Drain" mode.

If the control panel doesn't respond, unplug the power cord from the outlet and turn off the power. Next, drain the water from the system. This can be accomplished in three ways:

• using the emergency drain hose;
• by unscrewing the "plug" of the garbage filter;
• through the hatch (in this case, the machine should be tilted back, the door should be opened and the water should be scooped out of the drum).

Be sure to unplug the washing machine before draining the water yourself.

Once the water has been removed and the items have been removed from the drum, inspect the machine. Remove the back wall of the housing and check that no foam has come into contact with the motor, heating element, or sensor contacts. Make sure the soap bubbles haven't seeped into the control board. If you notice any moisture on any components, wipe them with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol. Then, call a specialist to perform a comprehensive diagnostic of the equipment.

Why is shampoo dangerous for clothes?

Besides damaging your washing machine, shampoo can also ruin your laundry. Shampoo contains not only surfactants but also various caring ingredients: natural oils, silicones, and other polymers. These substances, designed to protect your hair, don't rinse out of the fabric fibers, but rather literally "stick" to every thread.

This causes items to lose their original appearance and become unwearable. Furthermore, shampoo is unable to remove heavy stains, making this type of washing simply useless.

   

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