Don’t make this common mistake again, you risk damaging your washing machine, but also your clothes.
Machine washing is an essential routine in our daily lives. However, despite the apparent simplicity of this task, many mistakes can harm the lifespan of our clothes. Choosing the wrong wash cycle, the wrong temperature, or even the wrong spin… These errors are common. The result: clothes that are too small or damaged.
But these are not the only mistakes, one of the most common is overloading your washing machine. This bad habit can cause irreversible damage to textiles, but also compromise the effectiveness of washing. However, in all user guides, the marks warn that you should not overload your washing machine. Unfortunately, this advice is frequently ignored by users.
The desire to save time or energy often leads to filling the machine to its maximum capacity. While this seems practical and economical in theory, in reality this overload can cause several problems:
- Ineffective cleaning: When the machine is too loaded, water and detergent have difficulty circulating between the clothes. Result: stains are not properly removed, and persistent odors can become embedded.
- Damaged clothing: Excessive friction between fabrics, caused by lack of space, can wear down fibers and cause tears or pilling. Delicate clothing is particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon.
- A machine in danger: overloading the machine not only harms the clothes. The motor and drum may be subjected to unusual stresses, increasing the risk of breakdowns. In the long run, this can lead to costly repairs or shorten the lifespan of your device.
But how do you know if the machine is too loaded? To avoid falling into this trap, here are some simple guidelines. You can use the hand rule. Once your clothes are placed in the drum, try sliding one hand vertically over your laundry. If this is impossible, it is a sign that the machine is too full. The machine should be approximately 4/5 full.
You can also consult your washing machine manual to find out the maximum load and recommended weight. Please note, this varies depending on the program (for example, a delicate cycle often carries a lesser load than a cotton cycle). Finally, remember that the clothes must be able to move freely in the drum. If you notice that they are sticking together, reduce the quantity.