Washing machine cleaning at your home: can it really be done on site, and what do you need to prepare?

The first question customers ask almost every time is whether the machine has to go to the shop. The answer is no. A strip-down clean can be done entirely at your home. I lift the drum out and clean it right where the machine stands, then reassemble it in the same place before I leave.

What people often do not know is that there are three conditions on site. If you know them in advance, the booking goes right and nobody makes a wasted trip. I will explain how the work goes from the moment I arrive until I pack up.

The steps from arrival to packing up

1. 1

   Test run before touching anything

   I run the machine once to listen to it and watch how it works before taking it apart. If there is a fault that calls for repair work rather than cleaning, I tell you at this point, before I start dismantling anything.

2. 2

   Pull the machine away from the wall and lay out the work area

   About an arm's length of clear space around the machine is needed, so the top can be opened, screws undone and parts set down without bumping into things in the house.

3. 3

   Remove and lift out the inner drum

   On a top loader the drum comes out directly from the top. On a front loader the front panel and the door seal assembly have to come off first. This is when you get to see the outside of the drum, which you have never seen before.

4. 4

   Scrub every part and rinse with clean water

   This covers the outside of the drum, the bottom of the outer tub, the base under the wash plate, the detergent drawer and the lint filter. This step uses the most water, so a working water point and drain are needed.

5. 5

   Reassemble and level the machine

   Everything goes back in the original order, and the feet are adjusted so the machine is level. A machine that is not level shakes and moves out of position during the spin, which is a problem that shows up later.

6. 6

   Another test run in front of you

   We check there are no leaks at the joints and the machine does not shake abnormally. Then I pack up and clean the area back to how it was.

The whole process takes about three hours per machine. If there are several machines in the same place, the second one is usually quicker because the work area does not need setting up again.

Three things the site needs

Which homes are harder than usual

I can work in most places, but a few cases are worth mentioning in advance so enough time and people can be allowed for.

• The machine is on the second floor or higher and the stairs are narrow. The machine itself does not need to be carried down, but there must be space on that floor to set the drum down and work.
• The machine is built in or sits in a tight-fitting space. It has to be pulled out before it can be taken apart, and in some cases surrounding shelves have to be removed first.
• The machine stands in a bathroom with no free space. It has to be moved somewhere else temporarily for the work and then moved back.
• A front loader whose feet are fixed firmly to a concrete base. Whether it can be removed has to be assessed on site.

You can send a wide-angle photo showing the machine and the area around it on LINE first. From the photo I can tell you whether the job can be done or what else needs preparing.

Price and what is already included

• Top loaders from 999 THB depending on capacity, front loaders from 1,299 THB.
• Travel is included for every sub-district in my service area, with no fuel charge or charge for going upstairs.
• Cleaning the detergent drawer, the lint filter and the bottom of the outer tub is included, not charged per item.
• 30-day warranty on the work. Payment after the job is finished and you have checked it, with no deposit.