It’s the first big snow of the 2015 season in Cincinnati Ohio, many of the local schools are one delay and the sounds of the salt trucks are humming on the streets of Mason.  It’s the time of year, for many Cincy residents to start Winterizing their appliances.  We’ve already written about what to do when a frozen pipe burst, so in  this post, we’re focusing on how to keep your Washing Machine from freezing.

Whether you keep an extra washer in an unheated portion of your home, or you leave Cincinnati and head south to the holidays, you may need to to consider winterizing your washing machine. Water remains in the pipes of your washing machine after you run a cycle. In freezing temperatures this water can freeze and expand causing the pipes or hoses to burst or other damage to the washer.

How to Keep Your Washing Machine From Freezing While Traveling

1. Turn off the hot and cold water water faucets. They are likely located on the wall behind or just slight above your washer.
2. Disconnect and remove both water inlet hoses. These are the hoses that run from the water supply to the washing machine. After disconnecting the hoses, gently shake them to release any water still in the hoses.
3. Remove the drain hose from the wall, and allow any water left standing the hose to drain into a pan on the floor.  Hold the hose in an upright position and pour 1 cup of nontoxic recreational vehicle-type antifreeze down the hose. Keep the hose raised in the upright position for at least one minute to allow the antifreeze to reach the drum of your washing machine pump.
4. Pour 1 quart of the same nontoxic recreational vehicle type antifreeze into the washing machine.
5. Run the machine on the normal cycle for around two minutes to release any water remaining in the machine. The water will mix with the antifreeze to coat the interior of you washer.  Turn off the cycle after the two minutes.
6. Unplug the washing machine from the power. Place the two inlet hoses into the washing machine tub.
7. When you return home to Cincinnati and ready to use your washing machine again, reconnect the disconnected hoses and power supply, and run a full cycle with detergent to clean any remaining residue of the antifreeze.

There you have it! Winterizing your washing machine can be done in 10 minutes or less and can save you the serious headache of a washing machine freezing.  If you need help winterizing your appliances, call today for our assistance. We’ll continue to talk about appliance maintenance during the winter months in the next few posts so stay tuned!