The holiday season is typically filled with wearing ugly sweaters, party clothes, or simply your coziest winter pyjamas. After the rush of gift giving and, in some cases, gift wearing is over, you’ll probably be relying on your washing machine to wash everything and get organized again. It can be tempting to dump massive loads of laundry in your home appliances and let machines take care of the dirty work, but did you know doing that can lead to some serious issues? Here are some more tips on how to avoid overloading your washing machine.
Problems caused by an overloaded washing machine
There’s a number of potential negative outcomes to an overloaded washing machine, including:
- Damage to the drum and drum bearings, causing your machine to stop working properly
- Decreased efficiency, which increases washing times and money spent on electricity and water
- No space for detergent to circulate, so clothes won’t get as clean
- Clothes could get jammed in the door, damaging them
None of these are ideal scenarios, and in the case of damaged garments or malfunctioned appliances, these problems can be very costly and time-consuming to fix. In short, an overloaded washing machine is simply not recommended. With that in mind, how do you go about ensuring you’re treating your washing machine right?
Tips on loading your washing machine properly
Sometimes overloading feels like the only option. Maybe you need to get your tablecloth and matching napkins clean and ready for a holiday feast, or maybe you’re looking to wash everyone’s towels once the Polar Bear Swim’s over. Whatever the case, overloading your washing machine doesn’t always feel like a huge deal. However, it’s important to know that every time you do this, you’re putting undue stress on your appliance and essentially taking time off its lifespan.
Every washing machine is rated for different sizes of laundry loads, usually measured in weight. On average, a typical washing machine should be able to comfortably handle seven kilograms of laundry, but this varies depending on the make and model of your unit. Some people will say the only way to ensure you’re getting the optimal laundry experience is by weighing your dirty laundry, but this isn’t necessary.
You can usually tell visually if a washing machine is under or overloaded. The drum should be filled, but not too tightly packed. Because the water and detergent need to be able to circulate freely, clothes should be able to move around inside the drum a bit to allow every surface to get clean. This will also help in the washing machine’s spin cycle, drying everything out equally to make drying an easier task later on. When in doubt about your machine’s maximum load capacity, always refer to the owner’s manual of your particular brand of clothes washer. If you’ve misplaced the hard copy, you can usually find a version of the manual online as well.
Although none of your clothes will get properly cleaned in an overloaded washing machine, it will be especially noticeable for anything being washed that has stains or unpleasant smells. Leave enough room for the machine to properly do its job, and you’ll not only notice everything getting equally clean, but stains and smells will be removed more easily as well.
Let’s keep your washer in great shape
With the holidays coming up, your washing machine is likely going to be seeing more use than normal. Assuming you’ve been taking proper care of it, and not overloading the appliance at every possible opportunity, it should be up to the task.
There are a number of ways you can maintain your clothes washer, but the number one way to ensure it lasts as long as possible is by treating it right. Your washing machine was built for one job: cleaning your clothes. Like anything else, the more work you pile on the washing machine, the more stress it’s put under, potentially leading to major problems down the line. So let the washing machine do its job right, and ensure you’re doing a handful of smaller loads versus one massive one. It might take you a bit of extra time now, but you’ll be glad you did it when you’re not dealing with a broken down appliance.
Still have questions about washing machine maintenance? Dealing with a washing machine problem that’s putting a damper on your hamper? Contact Starfix today!
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