I use these even though I live in a 'soft' water area (Tesco Limescale Prevention Tablets)

Member Name: HonestBob

Product:	Tesco Limescale Prevention Tablets
Date:	30/08/09 (81 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Extends the life of your washing machine, helps keep clothes soft.

Disadvantages: Additional cost per wash can work out expensive if you do as much washing as I do.

I have had my new washing machine for almost a month and I decided from the start that I would take greater care of this one than I have of previous models. Admittedly I do not live in a hard water area, but my kettle, baby bottle warmer and iron do scale up over a period of time (particularly annoying in my iron) so there is room for improvement even with my supposedy 'soft' water.

With prevention rather than cure in mind I made sure I purchased some limescale prevention tablets before my first wash in the new machine and have endeavoured to use them every wash since (My partner is not as diligent however). I initially looked for these tablets among the washing detergents in Tesco and was surprised not to find them there, instead they were located in the cleaning aisle. I had several brands and types of limescale prevention products to choose from, gels, powders, expressball tabs and tablets. I am familiar and comfortable with the tablets so decided to follow my mother's lead and use an easily dispensed tablet. Comparison of prices made Tesco's Limescale Prevention tablets preferable to Calgon tablets with prices coming in at £3.43 for 40 Tesco tablets (currently on offer 2 for £6) and £4.22 for 15 Calgon Expressball Tabs. As I live in a soft water area I was prepared to use the cheaper version on a regular basis, perhaps if I lived in a very hard water area I might use Calgon occasionally as extra insurance against limescale.


Why use limescale prevention tablets?
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These tablets prevent the build up of limescale in the mechanism of the washing machine therefore extending the life of the machine, making it more energy efficient, preventing limescale marks on clothes that have been washed in the machine and reducing the amount of detergent required to clean your clothes. Limescale prevention tablets also help keep clothes soft and I have not used any fabric softener in my new machine at all.

How to use the tablets
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One tablet should be used per washload. Simply unwrap the tablet and place on top of your usual detergent (powder, liquid or gel) in the detergent drawer. Programme machine as usual and walk away.

My experience of using the tablets
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My new washing machine has only been in use for 25 days but has done over 40 washes in that time. The inside of the machine is still gleaming and I have had no problems with limescale residue on any of our clothes. One thing I have noticed is that the detergent draw has not required cleaning yet. The drawer of my previous machines required regular cleaning due to detergent build up, the fact that this one remains so clean may be due to the machine design or it may be due to using the limescale tablets. I don't know, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Summary: Worth the extra cost if it means my machine will last longer