When a person buys a washing machine, one of the things they are interested in is its capacity. Although it is always well marked on the product, once people have the washing machine at home, few people consider this figure anymore. Yet overfilling its drum is very dangerous. A friend recently asked me if I was happy with the capsules I was using. According to him, they did not dissolve well, so he switched to liquid detergents. But when he described how he was washing, it was immediately clear to me that the capsules were not the problem.

If someone tells me he washes about once a week, I’ll believe it. But if I’m told that by a guy who goes to the gym every day and sweats, a guy who has two kids, a wife and a dog at home, so he’s constantly getting all hairy and dirty, then that information doesn’t quite add up. I’m amazed he manages to cram that much laundry into the washing machine once a week at all.

But like I said, he really likes working out, maybe he takes it as part of his training. So I tried to explain to him that maybe cramming laundry into the washing machine might be good for his muscles, but not for the appliance itself and the clothes he’s trying to wash.

When the drum overflows

If you overfill the washing machine drum, there’s nowhere for things to move. They definitely won’t be clean when you take them out. On the contrary, there will be little bits of capsules stuck all over them because they simply had no way or place to dissolve. If you use liquid powder, it won’t be as noticeable that it’s not working, but that doesn’t change the fact that it has no chance of getting to the dirt.

The laundry remains dirty, smelly and grey after such a wash. I gave my friend a little lesson on how to properly load a washing machine, and he assured me that the problem is not how much he sweats, but how little he washes. With his interests and the number of members in the household, what he normally crams into one washing machine needs to be divided into at least three. I explained to him that maybe this will solve the mysterious allergy to laundry detergent that his daughter struggles with. You can buy any mild detergent, if it doesn’t dissolve, it will always make trouble on a baby’s body.

Some people ignore the maximum volume of laundry they can put in the washing machine. Then it's no wonder they get into trouble. ━━ Some people ignore the maximum volume of laundry they can put in the washing machine. Then it's no wonder they get into trouble. ( Source: Zendure Power Station /  Unsplash+ )

How to fill the washing machine correctly?

The washing machine drum should always be about 70-80% full. If you put more clothes in, in addition to the problems mentioned above, the appliance can also risk making a trip to the middle of the room. A bouncing, vibrating washing machine may be a once-in-a-lifetime funny phenomenon, but if it dances and makes excessive noise with every wash, it starts to get annoying. And yet so little is enough. Anyone who ignores this clear indicator of an overcrowded drum deserves to have their washing machine eat one sock from every pair.

Plus, overfilling your washing machine for long periods of time can also affect its lifespan. A constant load not only destroys the drum, but also the seals. In addition, the motor has to work harder than it was actually designed for. The washing machine overheats and the machine is destroyed. On the other hand, you also have to consider that if you wash too little laundry in the washing machine, you will lose out on consumption. You will use the same amount of water and electricity if you put one T-shirt in the machine as if you fill it optimally.