The brochure for your Neff washing machine, for example the Neff W5440X0, shows spotless laundry being effortlessly removed from its shiny stainless steel drum. Yours is probably spotless but you can't tell because you can't open the door.

Or perhaps you can't stem the flow of water coming from underneath the appliance. It's time to do some troubleshooting.

  • The brochure for your Neff washing machine, for example the Neff W5440X0, shows spotless laundry being effortlessly removed from its shiny stainless steel drum.
  • Or perhaps you can't stem the flow of water coming from underneath the appliance.

Check the washing machine door is closed properly. The wash program will not begin until this is the case.

Examine the machine's controls. Have you selected the pause function or inadvertently used the timer? Is so, deselect pause or switch the timer off.

Ensure the power supply to your home has not been interrupted. On a day when no other appliances are being used you may not realise a power cut has taken place.

Ensure the drainage hose is correctly attached. If it is not properly attached to the waste pipe, reattach it making sure it is inserted far enough for all waste water to flow away.

  • Ensure the power supply to your home has not been interrupted.
  • Ensure the drainage hose is correctly attached.

Check the supply hose. If the connection has loosened water may be leaking around it. Make sure the connection is tight. Use a wrench from your toolkit if necessary.

Remove water from the floor with your wet and dry vacuum cleaner. Alternatively, use a mop to soak it up and squeeze the mop out into a bucket.

  • Remove water from the floor with your wet and dry vacuum cleaner.
  • Alternatively, use a mop to soak it up and squeeze the mop out into a bucket.

Look inside the drum to see if the washed items are still sitting in rinsing water. If so, you may have programmed a rinse hold cycle. All you have to do is turn the control to "drain" and select a spin cycle if you wish. Once this finishes the door will open.

If you can find no reason for the failure of the door to open you can remove the washing. Set the program selector to off and unplug the machine.

Drain the detergent solution. This is done by taking the drainage hose out of its retainer on the machine. Position a bucket to catch the solution and remove the sealing cap.

Pull the emergency release control on the machine with a gripping tool such as pliers. Once it activates, the door can be opened.

  • Drain the detergent solution.
  • Pull the emergency release control on the machine with a gripping tool such as pliers.

Put some detergent in the dispenser drawer and push it back into position.

Select the white cotton program, which runs at 90 degrees, and turn the machine on. Do not put any washing in the drum.

Once the program has finished open the door. The smell should be gone.

TIP

Always check for simple solutions to problems with your Neff washing machine first. For example, there's no point in pressing the "on" button if the power switch on the wall is off.

WARNING

If you have to drain the machine and remove washing wear rubber gloves. Some of the wash programs are very hot and touching the load could cause a scald.