Hanging your washing made easy

Simple washing machine maintenance can help South African households avoid bad smells, poor washing performance, mould, and expensive repairs. This guide covers everything South African homeowners need to know to maintain both front loaders and top loaders, including brand-specific tips for Samsung, LG, Bosch, Defy, Hisense, Speed Queen, and Whirlpool.

We've all done it. You pull a favourite shirt out of the wash and it's three sizes smaller, or your white linen looks like it went through a spin cycle in a coffee cup. The culprit? Those tiny icons on the care label you've been ignoring or just guessing at. Once you know how to read them, you'll save money, clothes, and a whole lot of frustration. Let's break them down.

Not all South African water is created equal. Depending on where you live, you could be dealing with soft, mineral-light water or extremely hard water that's wreaking havoc on your appliances, plumbing, and laundry. Cape Town enjoys relatively soft water from mountain dams, while the Northern Cape has some of the country's hardest groundwater. Borehole users almost anywhere face hard to very hard water. Understanding your local water hardness can save you thousands of rands i