What Does The Flashing Key Symbol On A Bosch Washing Machine Mean?
When doing the laundry, the last thing anyone wants to face is a malfunctioning machine. It's enough work as it is just trying to get all your washing and drying done and put away. But when your Bosch washing machine won't let you do anything and starts flashing a key symbol at you, what are you supposed to do? Fortunately, of all the possible problems with this major washing machine brand, this flashing key symbol is one of the easier ones to resolve. And no, it's not one of the signs your washer's about to break. This icon simply means the child lock is active.
When this setting's turned on, the machine's control panel will go unresponsive. It's a safety feature that stops anyone (children, more specifically) from making any changes to your wash cycle. While it's active, you won't be able to start, stop, or adjust the washing machine with any of the usual buttons. That is, not until you turn the child lock setting off again.
How to turn off child lock on a Bosch washing machine
Front-load washing machines certainly have their disadvantages, but this child lock feature isn't one of them. It's nice to have, but it's even nicer when you know how to turn it off. That said, deactivating the child lock setting on your Bosch washer ultimately depends on which washing machine model you're working with. If you have your manual handy, you'll find the proper instructions for your machine in there. If you don't, run through each one of these possible solves until you find the one that works for you.
On some Bosch machines, holding the start button for three to five seconds will switch off the lock. For others, you'll have to press both the spin speed and finish-in buttons at the same time. If your model has touch-screen controls, you might have a dedicated lock button marked with a key symbol. Press and hold that for three seconds to turn the setting off. No matter which solution matches your machine, you'll hear an audible beep and see the key symbol disappear when the setting has officially been deactivated.