Since you have been using the washing machine, you have been hearing that you should avoid overloading it. Have you asked yourself what happens if you overload a washing machine?
Well, plenty of things happen. One of the things is the extra load puts extra strain on the appliance and the bearings, which causes the machine to keep on breaking down, so you have to keep on hiring washer repair professionals to repair it.
As a result of overloading, the clothes aren’t free to move around and get evenly clean, so you have to repeat the cleaning a few times.
Sometimes the overloading leads to the water failing to drain properly, and at the same time, you have high chances of leaks resulting during a spin cycle.
In extreme cases, the clothes get lodged between the door seal and the machine’s inner drum, which puts your clothes at the risk of getting damaged.
How do you know you have overloaded the washing machine?
Since most people are in a hurry to get things clean, they sometimes mistakenly overload the machine. How can you tell you have overloaded the machine?
One simple way is by placing your hand on the machine’s drum and see the amount of space left. If you can’t fit your hand in the left space, you have overloaded the machine.
All washing machine drums have a loading limit, and when you surpass it, you stand damaging your appliance. Generally, average washing machines have a weight limit of 3kg. If you feel you have loaded the machine more than this, don’t run the machine instead of removing the extra clothes.
Tips on how to properly load the washing machine
To avoid the repercussions that come with overloading the machine, you should load your washer properly.
Start with adding your clothes evenly around the agitator. Some people will tell you to twist sheets and towels around the agitator, but don’t do this. Instead, put them on each side of the agitator to maintain a balanced load.
Instead of piling the clothes in the center of the washer, place them around the edges of the wash plate. By doing this, you ensure the jeans and T-shirts easily move around and get clean.
If stuffing your clothes in the machine, the load is too big, and it’s only a matter of time before you overload the machine. For an optimally functioning machine, leave at least 6 inches from the top of the machine.
If you have a front-loader, put in your clothes one at a time. This way, you ensure you aren’t tangling them up.
If you have heavily soiled clothes, load them first as this way, they will be in contact with the water and detergent the longest.
Regardless of the type of machine you have, mix large and small items with helping your load stay balanced.
You shouldn’t under load your washer either.
In the same way, you shouldn’t overload the washer, you shouldn’t under load it either as it will be a source of problems. You’ll waste energy, time, and energy when you don’t load your machine to capacity.
Under loaded machines also tend to thump a lot, which might drive you crazy as you are doing the cleaning. A small load also puts the appliance off-balance, so it keeps moving around. It also doesn’t clean the clothes as well as you would want them to.
To ensure you perfectly load your machine, appliance repair Springfield experts recommend you regularly refer to the owner’s manual to guide you on properly loading the machine and even how to take care of it properly.