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li_ry83

New Miele Washing Machine- WXR860- Need Help

li_ry83
21 days ago
last modified: 20 days ago

Hi everyone,

I took delivery of Miele's WXR860 washing machine this past week and although I'm generally happy with it, there are a few loose ends I'm trying to tie up, but that I just can't seem to get resolution on. This lack of closure is really killing my buzz. I figured I'd throw it out to all of you to see if anyone can answer my questions.

1. The manual says to clean the machine about once a month using the Clean Machine setting and a multi-purpose detergent. I reached out to Miele directly asking if something like Affresh would work and they said no, because it's a multi-purpose cleaner and not a multi-purpose detergent. This detergent should be formulated for machine use and not to clean clothes.

They also said that "the difference between the two is that the cleaner might have some abrasive components, and it is mostly for maintenance, but it is not essential for the washer, and the detergent is more meant for loads, so the best course of action is to use a multi-purpose detergent to avoid damaging the load or leaving residues inside the drum."

So....what multi-purpose detergent are you all using? Miele won't recommend any brand to me and I cannot find anything that matches this description. Everything I find is a cleaner. Affresh, Powerize, Lemi Shine, etc..., but per Miele, those shouldn't be used.

2. The Quick Start guide says the pull-down menu shows the "% of max load" for each program. This point is also written on p. 30 of the instruction manual, yet my pull-down menu does not show this info, it only shows the estimated water and electricity consumption. How do I get this information to show up? I can't find any setting that seems to affect it.

3. How do I find out how much water and electricity I've actually consumed? The manual states that there's an EcoFeedback button and a Consumption button under Settings, yet neither of them are showing up on my display.

I appreciate any help you can give me this first-time Miele owner. Thanks!

Ryan

Comments (12)

  • luna123456
    19 days ago
    last modified: 19 days ago

    Eco Feedback on most machines is a button on the machine or a soft button on the display after a cycle is selected. It shows the estimated amount of water/electricty the cycle will use. It is neat for about a week and then you wont ever look at it again.

    There is no actual tracking of the amount of water/energy used on machines sold in North America.

    That WAS available in the app, but it was not 100% accurate and someone made it an issue and it disappeared witn an update. For a while the app didnt even show the amount left in a TwinDos cartridge for the same reason. There was a large out cry and that feature returned, but named ESTIMATED amount remaining. Its pretty darn accurate, but some twit obviously made it an issue.

    We use LemiShine for washing machines during the clean machine cycle. It is just citric acid and lemon scent. It is designed to remove mineral scale buildup and dissolve detergent deposits that build up when too many cold/warm cycles are used.

    Tide makes the same thing, but the scent is nauseating. Miele has their own as well, but it is pricy as most local resellers do not stock it. It is also just citric acid and fragrance.

    If you do a decent amount of 60C/140F washes mold will never be an issue. Clean machine is then mostly about lime scale/mineral deposit removal.

    https://www.mieleusa.com/e/rescaled-60-lbs-gp-dc-wg-0252-p-10130990-p

    https://lemishine.com/products/washing-machine-cleaner


    ohh, Affresh is just oxiclean, washing soda, fragrance and a binder to make it into a tablet. It will sanitize, but wont remove limescale and detergent buildup.

    li_ry83 thanked luna123456
  • dadoes
    19 days ago
    last modified: 19 days ago

    Tide Washer Cleaner generates bunches of suds. I used it on a friend's frontloader on two occasions, both times the machine went into an oversuds routine. Affresh and LemiShine don't generate suds.

    li_ry83 thanked dadoes
  • li_ry83
    Original Author
    17 days ago

    Thanks guys.


    The Miele de-scaler says it's only to be used 1-3x/yr but the Clean Machine cycle should be used about once a month. I have very soft water, so scaling isn't a concern. Lemi Shine is a multi-purpose cleaner, not multi-purpose detergent, which is what Miele recommends. Still not sure which products qualify because nothing seems to pop up online.


    And while the topic of suds has come up, that's been an issue for me for every load so far. I originally used the amont Miele recommends in the manual (46 mL for Phase 1) for soft water, but that proved to be waaaaaaay too much. It's been a lot of trial and error since, but I *think* 12 mL for Phase 1 and 9 mL for Phase 2 is what I've settled on. It still seems like a lot for the towels though because the rinse cycle is still sudsy.


    How much Phase 1 and 2 do you use per load, assuming you use the TwinDos system.



  • littlegreeny
    15 days ago

    I have the same washer. Dosage is really dependent on residual suds and whether your laundry is clean. I don't use TwinDos for towels, I use a tablespoon of Tide powder instead.


    I have used Affresh and Lemi Shine and haven't noticed a difference. As long as you're not washing in cold all the time, your washer will remain clean and odor free. You only need to run a cleaning cycle when it tells you to. I recommend you use a microfiber cloth to dry the boot and remove the detergent drawer and dry out the cavity after each wash day.

    li_ry83 thanked littlegreeny
  • li_ry83
    Original Author
    14 days ago

    Thanks! I threw out all my towels yesterday because I just couldn't get rid of all the suds that remained in them. I ran countless cycles to no avail before I decided to "throw in the towel" - no pun intended- and buy new ones. I used two level teaspoons of scent-free powdered detergent just to be safe but there were still some suds in the rinse cycle. Is the rinse cycle meant to be free of all suds or is it OK to have some? Sorry for all the questions but this is the first front loader I've ever had. I didn't realize what an adjustment it would be.

  • littlegreeny
    14 days ago

    A few suds is okay. I turned on the maximum rinse level and allergy setting which provides at least three deep rinses for thorough rinsing.

  • dadoes
    14 days ago

    I read somewhere several years ago that detergent manufacturers may formulate surfactants (which is what generates suds and helps entice soils to from release fabric fibers) with an affinity for fabric as a way of helping avoid future soils and stains from adhering as strongly, and facilitate the next washing.

    A potential method to insure zero suds in the rinse is via adding liquid fabric softener. The oils and waxes in the softener effectively kills suds ... but then you're adding those oils and waxes to the clothes. Adding a bit of liquid softener to the wash period if oversudsing occurs is a method to kill the excess suds.

  • li_ry83
    Original Author
    14 days ago

    Oh yeah, I'm aware of the fabric softener trick (I've used it a number of times as I try to figure out the correct dosage of detergent for my machine), but it isn't advised to use on towels, as it reduces their absorbency, which is why I ran so many detergent-free cycles in an attempt to remove the remaining detergent. It didn't work. For my own sanity, it was just better to buy new towels.

  • littlegreeny
    14 days ago

    I use fabric softener on my towels and have zero issues with absorbancy.

  • luna123456
    13 days ago
    last modified: 13 days ago

    We don’t use any fabric softener. Never have. A few suds is fine at the very end. If the last rinse looks like a main wash then its too much.

    Commercial laubdromats add a souring agent near the end. It alters the PH (lowers it) and helps rinse away any remaining detergent and minerals that cause rust stains. It is essentially an acid. Most detergents are alkaline.

    Sometimes people use vinegar (acetic acid) for the same purpose in the final rinse.

  • li_ry83
    Original Author
    13 days ago

    I've heard of using vinegar, but I get nervous to add that to the machine. I have vivid visions of the acid eating away at the internal parts and breaking the washer. I have been accused of being dramatic before though.