Overloading your washing machine is something you should avoid.

It reduces the life of the washing machine and leads to frequent breakdowns which increase the overall maintenance cost.

Overloading also reduces the washing machine’s efficiency. As a result, you might end up with clothes that are not washed properly and a machine which is not working properly.

An overloaded washing machine may also consume more electricity as overloading causes the machine to work twice as hard. In order to clean the extra clothes, the washing machine derives much more power than it usually requires.


How to Understand if the Machine is Overloaded?

The most widely used practice to understand whether you have overloaded your washing machine or not is the one hand rule.

All you have to do is place your hand inside the washing machine’s drum to see how much space is left inside. It is ideal if you are not being able to put any more clothes inside apart from your hand.

If you find that you cannot place your hand inside the drum, then you should unload some of the clothes. It denotes that you have overloaded your washing machine.

An Overloaded Washing Machine

This is not the only way of checking whether you have overloaded your washing machine or not.

Washing machines usually have a load capacity in kilos, which you should strictly follow while putting your clothes. You can refer to the user manual which has detailed information regarding the maximum capacity of your washing machine.


Effects of Overloading the Washing Machine

If you overload your washing machine, then it will directly affect the efficiency. Stuffing clothes inside the drum won’t allow the clothes to move freely. And as a result, your clothes won’t be properly washed.

Some issues that you might face are –

  • Detergent marks on your clothes – As the clothes are not being able to move freely, the detergent used cannot get washed off properly, leaving marks on your clothes.
  • Clothes not clean – Overloading results in clothes that are not properly cleaned. The machine fails to accommodate the total load and deliver proper moving space for the clothes to get washed adequately.
  • Detergent residue in the machine – Inadequate space inside the drum results in detergent residue as the required space for full cleaning is not given. As a result, the detergent cannot wash away properly and remains inside the machine.
  • Washing machine damage – All washing machines are designed to take a specific amount of load. Overloading damages the internal parts, resulting in loss of efficiency and longevity. When you overload your washing machine, the washer puts extra stress on the motor and the drum bearings, which results in damage.
  • Water Leakage – Sometimes when a front-load washing machine is overloaded, the water does not drain properly and leaks out usually during the spin cycle.

Useful Read: Common washing machine problems and easy solutions.


How can you Prevent Overloading?

To avoid overloading, you should always check the number of clothes you’re putting in. Keep it under the weight-bearing capability of the machine. Try not to exceed it. If you see that it is over the recommended standard, then you should reduce the number of clothes. This will not only increase the life of the washing machine but will also improve your user experience.

Watch the video given below to understand how you can avoid overloading your washing machine.


Is Under-loading Good?

You just how bad overloading your washing machine can be.

Does that mean that you should always run your washing machine with minimum load?

No, definitely not.

While under-loading does not have any impact on the wash quality and the longevity of the washing machine, but it results in a lot of wastage. India is a resource-starved country and wastage of vital resources like water and electricity is definitely not recommended.

You may also like to read more about some tips to save water & electricity when using a washing machine.

An Under-loaded Washing Machine

You should not under-load your washing machine as this leads to wastage of the detergent, time, water, and electricity.

If you under-load your washing machine, the clothes gather on one side of the drum and bang against the frame when the machine spins at its top speed. This results in excessive vibrations and abnormal noises. This problem is quite common in semi-automatic washing machines and top-load washing machines.

You should always try to put in the recommended amount of clothes.


Conclusion

Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer and abide by the suggested load capacity as it will benefit you in every way possible. Check the number of clothes that you are putting it.

Try not to exceed the maximum limit to ensure efficiency and unnecessary breakdowns. The right working conditions will keep your washing machine working perfectly for a longer period.

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MR10

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