The filter at the bottom of the washing machine.....

The filter is in the drum in my Zanussi. I eventually found the manual, persuaded the filter cover to come off and identfied the filter which had practically no gunge and - amazingly - no coins in it. I've even managed to put it back in and close the cover. That's that, for another two years. [smug emoticon]

lol well done- must be the no man, no pet smug emoticon ;)

merlotgran's OH obviously doesn't leave coins in his pockets, either. I quite miss doing the filter cleaning, for the coins alone. I considered them part payment for doing the job.

Bras must have got better, I did lose at least one bra wire a year, which was why I always ended up having to clean the filter in the first place.

...just realised I've done it before because I took the cover off and it's never gone back on again. Nothing in the filter at all. I think most things end up in the rubber seal. Now to clean out the powder dispenser bit [that's always yucky]. I did that with the S.O.s powder dispenser once at his holiday flat and couldn't work out how to put it back in [did eventually after half an hour of panic] note to self; when dismantling things make a note of how you did it so you can put it back together again and [and this is something I NEVER do] read the instructions before you start.

I too now have an image of a row of gransnetter bottoms in the air!

Oh, and be aware of slight leakage when you do it*

*from the machine....

If there are coins in the filter they come out sparkling!

Any connection to the thread about f**ting is purely co-incidental

Bottom in the air and - in my case - head in the drum...

Damn, no coins in mine either, just the gloopy, grey slimy fluff stuff. I clean it every couple of months or so. I always think it looks like a mediaeval male instrument of torture.... (it's a Zanussi, is that relevant?)

If you google

youtube clean filter pump (your make of washing machine)

you'll usually find a short video explaining how to do it. If you can't find your particular brand of machine you'll find the process is pretty similar in most cases.

Apart from music, film or TV clips, Youtube has a wonderful selection of 'How to' videos on subjects like maintaining cars and appliances, decorating, gardening etc.. They have all been vetted so there won't be any unsafe methods shown.

Give it a go, you'll find the clips will give give you the confidence to tackle loads of smaller jobs yourself and save you the cost of 'getting a man in'.

Well, feeling inspired by you handy grans, I googled the manual for our specific machine and trotted down to the cellar armed with my old towels to soak up the flood and screwdrivers to unscrew the three screws that hold the bottom panel which hides the filter. To find there aren't any screws and the panel is completely flush with no obvious access. Came back up, puzzled, having resisted the overwhelming impulse to start hacking away and levering said panel off with the biggest screwdriver. Handy DH's observation? "They must have forgotten to put the screws on".

I was just inspired to check my filter and it was clean just a bit of grit to wipe out and that was it, thanks for the nudge ladies.

Anna, you made me laugh out loud!
I can get down no problem but getting back up is another matter. I also did not know about filters ours was bunged up with horrible, stinky slime, screws, coins and wire from bra. Engineer says 'blessed things' cause more trouble than anything else so now always place bras in laundry net.

I didn't know my washing machine had a filter either.I know about the vacuum one and clean it regularly-looks like I've got another one to do now!Funnily enough,I'd been thinking it wasn't washing too well lately,so thanks everyone for saving me from buying a new one.Off to find it and clean it now-like Tegan,I may be some time....

My washer doesn't have a filter, only an emergency drain pipe, so don't worry Maggymaybe. Maybe yours doesn't either!

Now for the filter in the tumble dryer ( oh yes, they do have them!)

I think you're meant to clean the fluff filter in a tumble dryer after every load, at least that's what I do. Someone told me ages ago that if you don't, it can become a fire hazard.

My filter in the tumble dryer needs emptying every week in the winter and it always reminds me of one of the characters in Dinner ladies who, when asked if she had any regrets, said she wished she had kept all the fluff she had collected in her tumble dryer, but I can't remember why.

We recently found that tumble dryers have 2 filters (from our local Sonsumer Magazine)- the 'obvious easy to reach one' you have to clear after each or every few wash/es- and an internal one- which are easier to reach in some machines than others. Apparently the major cause of failure and replacement is the internal filter not being cleared- so if you have a DH (lucky you) who is handy, get him to have a look at the instruction manual.

The fluff in the tumble dryer can be put out in a sting bag in Spring for the birds to help themselves for their nest.

The time has come. I am about to don rubber gloves, face mask etc and kneel before this long neglected machine and clean the filter. Since I have never done this before, I may be some time.

youtu.be/3L7ZB0bGs4o

re cleaning the condenser dryer filter - many dryers are replaced because they don't dry very well or at all- and this is just due to clogged up filter- takes a few minutes to solve.

OMG! All these years & I never knew there was a filter that needed cleaning out. Just did it & I'm 55p richer! Not much else but it did smell nasty. I'll make it a regular event now.
It was behind a rectangular flap thing & it took about 3 minutes to do.
Thank you very much.