overloaded-dishwasher

Why Overloading Your Washer can Drain Your Wallet

Let’s face it – your washer is awesome! The convenience it provides and the thorough cleaning it accomplishes on even the dirtiest clothes is impressive. Washing machines are thankfully built to provide years of service, but you might be cutting those years short by doing some bad laundry habits you might not even be aware of.

  • Overloading the Washer

One of the biggest offenses many people commit against washers is overloading them. While a “if it fits” mentality works just fine for many things in life, it doesn’t cut it when it comes to putting clothes in your washing machine. When you overload your appliance, it limits the agitation and movement that clothes have – and it’s this agitation that “shakes” the dirt and grime out of clothes. Stuffing as much in the machine as you can will really only get the clothes wet.

Not only that, but clothes in an over-filled machine won’t get the amount of laundry detergent they need. Detergent is a surfactant, which means that it works by making dirt, grime, and germs slippery enough to “slide off” of fabric. If soap isn’t able to get around to all the clothing, those dirty spots aren’t going to go anywhere. All this means that you’re going to end up doing the laundry again to get it all clean, costing you more money than if you would’ve separated the load into smaller groups to begin with.

In addition, an overloaded washer is going to work harder than it should to perform its duty, and the motor and tub bearings are going to endure extra stress. This could throw your spinning drum out of alignment, and all this will cause your washing machine to fail before it should, costing you money for appliances repair in San Francisco you otherwise wouldn’t have had to pay.

To make sure you don’t overload your washer, our experts of appliance repair in San Rafael suggest aiming to fill the tub about ¾ of the way full. Never fill it past the top of the tub, and don’t smash down the clothes to make room for more.

  • Additional Tips to Care for Your Washer in San Rafael and Surrounding Areas

Here are some things you can do in addition to not overloading your washer to prolong its life and keep it in top condition for many years:

  1. Keep an eye on your washer hose. If you’ve been using the current hose for more than five years, you risk facing major water damage and a flooded laundry room. The hose can loosen and kink from the vibration of your machine and over time, normal wear and tear can loosen it, too. If you think you might need a new hose, contact us for washer repair in Larkspur, Novato, and other areas around San Francisco.
  2. Use the right type of detergent. If you have an older machine, you can pretty much use just about any detergent designed for washers. However, if your machine is a newer high efficiency model, make sure the soap you pick up has a symbol on the bottle or box that is an oval with the letters “He” on it. The “He” stands for “high efficiency”. This is important because new He detergents don’t require as much water to clean clothes. You don’t want to use non-He detergent in a new efficient washer!

If you ever have any trouble with your washer, or with your dryer or any other appliance in your home, don’t hesitate to contact Absolute Appliances Repair. Our professionals will help you with everything from choosing a great new machine to performing regular maintenance to coming out for emergency appliance repairs in Marin County. Contact us today and let us know how we can help you!