Clean, soft laundry is likely something you enjoy in your home, but unfortunately, washing machines are not immune to damage. As your machine continuously delivers freshly washed and rinsed laundry, you might start to notice issues like squeaky tumblers, washing machines that will not drain, or systems that impart a bad smell onto your clean laundry.
Here are two ways you might inadvertently cause these problems, and learn how to protect your system.
1. Overloading the Tumbler
While you think that the faster way to wash laundry is when you fit more into the washing machine, overloading your system is a great way to cause irreversible damage. Washing machines, especially frontloading washing machines, are prone to ball-bearing damage when they have too much material placed into them.
In addition to weighing down your washing machine’s tumbler and making it more difficult for your system to spin the laundry, overloading your washing machine can also lead to other problems, such as laundry that does not agitate enough to become clean during the wash.
Since your system works by agitating laundry to cause pieces to rub against one another and wash away stains, a tightly packed washing machine chamber could result in laundry that needs washing again, which can burn through your time and shorten the lifespan of your clothing.
To avoid all of these problems, experts recommend loading laundry into your washing machine drum loosely, leaving space at the front or top of the unit. Laundry can now travel around inside your washing machine drum if the laundry were wet. If you can tell that your machine has too much bulk for items to go with the flow, consider removing an item or two and saving it for the next load.
2. Not Using Garment Bags
If you thought garment bags were just for lingerie, think again. Since laundry bags can hold several small objects, like socks, in one place during the washing experience, they can actually help you to prevent problems with your washing machine.
One common problem with front-loader washing machines is socks sucked down the front of the system and into the pump. While most people do not notice a single missing sock in a load, eventually, your washing machine may fail to drain, leaving you with either an error message on the front of your washing machine or a large load of sopping wet laundry that is difficult to dry.
Garment bags are also important because they help to provide a small amount of cushioning between your items and the glass or acrylic panels that can make up the lid or window of your washing machine. Since hard objects like zippers or pull ties can crack or break this panel when they are tossed around in the wash, garment bags can help you to prevent damage.
Keep one or two mesh garment bags in your laundry area, and tell your family members to use them for any object with hard surfaces, including shoe eyelets, jackets with zippers, hoodies, or jeans with large buttons. Check the glass lid or door of your washing machine regularly for chips or cracks, and turn to an appliance repair specialist as soon as possible to repair damage.
While you can be frustrated dealing with washing machine problems, repairs do not have to be stressful. At Capital City Appliance Service, we specialize in helping our customers to tackle home appliance issues quickly and efficiently. Reach out to our team today to let us know how we can help you to make your home even better. We look forward to speaking with you and answering your questions.
