Washing machine doorseals and paraffin based skin creams (Epiderm and 50/50)

a Bosch machine after a couple of months.

 

If you are unlucky enough to be, or care for, someone who has a skin condition requiring the daily use of Epiderm, or what is called 50/50 (50% paraffin, 50% paraffin grease) you will know about the problems with washing machines.

 You will also know there is next to no information or knowledge available. The nearest I have found is message posts from people who work in garages and have to wash oily clothes. Whether it is oil or Epiderm, you will know that your washing machine doorseal starts to rot very quickly.

I care for someone with a form of Lymphoma called Mycosis Fungoides or Sjogren's syndrome. It's rare and causes the protective layer of the skin to be compromised. She uses a lot of 50/50 so has a lot of old duvet covers on the chair she uses and on her bed, and so has a collossal amount of washing to do. The 50/50 clogs up the drains so she has to do a daily boil wash, as that is the only thing that will clear it through. It also means her son's clothes aren't covered in grease when they are washed. Clothes and sheets have to be clean to prevent skin infection.

a Beko machine after a few weeks

In the past I think we have been sort of lucky in a way. She has had this condition for over 8 years. The first washing machine was a Bosch Lumixx 8, a lovely machine. The door seal started going and leaking after her using 50/50 for about 6 months. I replaced it, with a lot of swearing, having accidently bought a black doorseal meant for a  black of Silver machine by accident. It lasted the rest of the life of the machine.

The next two machines were Bosch Serie 6 machines. I must admit I never liked them, they seemed to leap around a lot. On both machines the doorseals failed within 6 months, a Bosch engineer duly came and replaced them with .... a black door seal, which lasted the life of the machine. I don't beleive there was an extra charge.

The second of these was beginning to fall apart (they get a lot of use) so I suggested we try a Beko. I and others had good experience with them. We bought one from John Lewis, the doorseal lasted about two weeks. After a lot of negociations we got our money back and they took it away. This took about a month.

Did you know if a washing machine fails in the first month, the manufacturer will not fix it, and the person who sold it to you has to refund you or give you a replacement? Don't expect it to be easy.

So then I went to a local independent seller of white goods in Southampton. I explained my problem and that paraffin products were being used. He put on a display showing that he could tell the machines with a superior doorseal - he could tell by feel. He also said my theory about black doorseals was wrong. So I bought a Bosch Serie 4  9Kg from him.

A little unrelated to this thread but a week later this machine filled the kitchen with smoke and my friend had to call the firebrigade, who removed the machine from the flat. After some negotiation we got a replacement machine.

Two months later the doorseal had signs of going wobbly (see the above photo). I contacted the shop where we bought it and he said that you could fit a Serie 8 door seal to it, as they were better quality (this wasn't, it turned out, true) and we had to contact Bosch.

I did some investigating and from visiting a car maintenance forum I learned that Bosch do two types of doorseal. A normal one at about £50 and a grease resistant one for £120. no mention of colour sadly. 

The Bosch engineer turned up today and said the purveyor of washing machines in Shirley Road Southampton should not have said what they did when they sold us the machine. He would return with a grease resistant doorseal next week but we would have to pay £120 for it, labour would be free.

So the moral of this story is:

1. do not trust anyone who sells washing machines to know how to help you. You'd be better off going into your local garage and ask them what they do. If someone promises you something - get it in writing.

2. Do not buy a machine, expensive or cheap, unless you have physical proof that there is a grease resistant doorseal available for it. Get one fitted when the first one fails and hopefully you won't have to pay for the labour. Bosch have a good part system for looking at parts

https://www.bosch-home.co.uk/supportdetail/product/WAV28MH4GB/01#/Tabs=section-spareparts/Togglebox=tb0221/Togglebox=tb0313/

If you look down the page at item 0313 you will find there are two boot gaskets listed, one more expensive one is described as grease resistant. (this is for one type of machine - you will have to start a new search for the one you are buying).

3. Don't expect any customer service from anyone.

I will update this page when it's fitted and run for a while. In the meantime if you have to deal with this as a sufferer or a carer, I wish you like and hope that this potted history helps you.