Always turn the rods clockwise, even while pushing them along, Goosey, as they stay nice and tight that way! It's a remarkably satisfying job really, as the result is usually imminent, and the flow just melts everything...
On an aside, we have one of the naughty Hotpoint machines, and while it was a no-go website to start with, after a swift registration online, they happily informed me that our washing machine wasn't affected!
Blast - it's over three years old and we like replacements...