Symptom: Unable to put fabric conditioner in due to the compartment being full of water.

The 'syphon device' within the fabric conditioner compartment is likely to be blocked and will need removing and cleaning fully in the sink. It is always best to remove the complete soap drawer to do this to ensure all detergent residue is removed from all the nooks and crannies. You can test if the fabric condition device works once it's been cleaned by holding the soap drawer level and pouring water into the fabric conditioner channel until it overflows. At that point then all the water should completely drain away!

Symptom: The fabric conditioner channel is clear but the machine still won't take it in.

The water channel that directs water into the fabric conditioner section maybe blocked? Remove the soap drawer and then with a stiff bristle type brush clear the holes in the 'roof' of the soap dispenser cavity. Making special attention toward the small holes directly above where the fabric conditioner compartment is located. Often that water channel can get a build-up of black/brown bacteria or even clear 'jelly' looking substance that blocks the outlet holes preventing water flowing down that channel. A good scrub with a stiff brush will often suffice to clear the channel but a before you refit the soap drawer a good tip is to spray the cavity with an antibacterial spray (for example 'Dettol Surface Cleanser'). Black/brown bacteria thrives on warm damp conditions and a washing machine soap drawer is the perfect host therefore regular cleaning is advisable.

Finally, a good tip to help prevent bacteria from forming so readily is to leave the soap drawer open slightly when the machine is not in use. That way it allows for better ventilation as bacteria will not form in cool and dry environments as a rule.