Indesit washing machines dispense detergents from compartments inside a drawer located at the top left side of the Indesit machine. This drawer contains three distinct compartments that serve a unique purpose, and if you don’t have your Indesit instruction manual handy, you may be left scratching your head trying to figure out what goes where.
We all know that before starting your wash cycle, you at least put detergent in one of these drawer compartments. But, are you sure it’s going in the right place?
What the Symbols Mean on Indesit Washing Machine Drawer
When you open the detergent drawer on a Indesit washing machine, you’ll see three compartments marked with a symbol. Here’s what each of them is used for.
- Symbol (Ⅰ) or 1 is where you put a pre-wash or stain remover product.
- Symbol (Ⅱ) or 2 is the main detergent bin which you fill with washing powder or liquid detergent.
- The flower petals symbol (usually made of blue plastic) is where the fabric softener, starch, or water softener goes.
This layout is typically the same across all Indesit washing machines, whether it’s a top-of-the-line INDESIT BWE 101685X W UK N 10 kg, a mid-range Indesit BWA81485XSUKN 8kg, or budget Indesit My Time EWD71453WUKN, the symbols inside the drawer all mean the same thing. The only differences between these Indesit models are weight capacity and features, but the detergent drawers all have the same function, with the expedition of some models that have a washing pod compartment or Indesit specialised detergent dispensing system.
How Each Indesit machine compartment works
Indesit Pre Wash
The Indesit pre-wash tank (marked with I or 1) is used to help clean fabrics that are heavily soiled or stained. By placing a small amount of soup powder or detergent in the pre-wash slot, the Indesit washing machine will run some of this detergent at the beginning of the wash cycle, before the main wash phase. This pre-washing helps to loosen dirt and stains so that the main wash is more effective.
It’s a common mistake for people to fill this compartment on their Indesit washing machine. If you have gotten into the habit of putting detergent in this compartment, you may have noticed the appearance of soupy residues and inefficient washing performance.
To avoid these deposits in your Indesit pre-wash drawer, you can clean this out with a cloth, limescale remover, or a mix of white vinegar and baking soda, and thoroughly rinse with warm water.
Indesit detergent compartment
The main wash compartment in the drawer of your Indesit machine – labelled with a II or 2 – is where you fill the detergent for the main wash. Do not overfill this compartment as this can cause detergent to remain in clothing and cause blockages on your Indesit washing machine.
It is not recommended to use washing tablets, capsules, or pods in the main detergent compartment, only the drum – unless your Indesit washing machine model has a specified compartment for such.
Indesit fabric softener compartment
The smaller compartment for fabric softener on a Indesit washing machine will be embossed with a symbol that looks like a flower and is sometimes made of blue plastic.
Never put washing powder in this compartment or overfill it. Overfilling can cause some of the fabric softener to spill into the main compartment, causing the soup powder to clump and not dissolve properly.
To soften and smooth out clothes, many people use a fabric softener or conditioner in the rinse cycle of this Indesit washing machine. Fabric softeners, unlike detergents, can be thought of as a post-washing benefit.
The abrasive nature of machine washing – even with the most advanced Indesit BIWMIL71252UKN Integrated can be hard on fabrics made of natural fibres like cotton and wool. Laundry after air or tumble drying can feel harsh and stiffened due to the condition of the fibres. Liquid fabric softener added to the last Indesit rinse cycle makes for softer, fresher-smelling clothing.
Certain laundry detergents and fabric softeners contain electrically charged chemical compounds that coat the fabric’s surface, making the threads “stand up” from the material and giving it a softer, fluffier feel.
Clean detergent drawers of the Indesit machine
An unclean Indesit washing machine drawer can not only look and smell bad, but can become a hotbed for mould and bacteria. From time to time, open the Indesit detergent drawer and pour in boiling water. Then, wipe with a cloth soaked in white vinegar to remove any dirt, limescale, mould, or detergent residue.
One of the features to look for in a Indesit washing machine is Push&Go. With the simple push of a button, Push&Go technology can remove over 20 different types of stains without any pre-treatment in about 45 minutes.
How to Remove Indesit Washing Machine Drawer
Sometimes Indesit washing machine drawers can become extremely dirty from mould, water stains from hard water, and incrusted detergent buildup. You may need to remove the drawer from your Indesit machine to put the drawer in the dishwasher or thoroughly scrub by hand in the sink.
It’s should be easy to remove your Indesit washing machine drawer. Some models of machines open differently, but it should be done in one of these ways.
With the drawer fully opened, you’ll see a small catch at the back centre point of the drawer. Simply push down on the clip and the drawer will remove completely from the machine. Alternatively, your Indesit drawer may slide straight out by simply tilting the drawer upwards slightly when the drawer is fully opening.
Of course, don’t use too much force and check your Indesit washing machine manual to find the exact process for your model of machine.
This is a useful feature for cleaning your Indesit drawer compartments, checking for blockages, and replacing a damaged drawer as you’ll be able to order a new drawer from Indesit should you ever need one.
What will happen if you put the detergent in the prewash compartment?
If you mistakenly put your main detergent in the prewash compartment of a Indesit washing machine, instead of in the detergent compartment, it will release during the filling stage and you won’t have any detergent running through your clothes during the main cycle.
Putting a deterrent in the wrong drawer compartment will not damage the Indesit machine, but will result in poor cleaning performance.