When your laundry baskets are overflowing with dirty laundry, you might be tempted to load your washer as full as possible to tackle the job quickly. On the other hand, you might only have a few things to wash, raising the question of how much you should be putting in your washer and dryer. Here are a few reasons to pay attention to laundry size. 

Benefits of Regulating Laundry Load Size

1. Agitation Matters

When your clothes are inside your washing machine, they are moved around to shake out dirt and rub away grime. But if the washer is too packed, clothing won’t be able to move freely throughout the space. On the other hand, under-filled washing machines don’t give clothing enough to rub against, which can also reduce the cleaning power of your system. To improve agitation, wait to do laundry until you have enough for an entire load, and fill your washer and dryer to capacity without packing clothing inside. 

2. Large Loads Are Hard on Equipment 

The larger the load of laundry, the more energy your washer and dryer have to use to complete the job. Eventually, overfilling your washer can cause bearings to fail and put extra pressure on the frame, which can actually shorten the life expectancy of your equipment. Never fill top loading washers more than ¾ of the way full, and make sure to fill front loaders to 90% of their capacity to keep the system even, level, and operating properly. 

3. Too Much Detergent Harms Clothing

When you under-fill washing machines, you are also increasing the detergent-to-clothing ratio, which can cause problems like damaged fabrics. Using too much detergent can result in residue being left behind on clothes, making your fabrics appear dingy. Extra detergent also causes suds to form higher in the washer, sticking to areas that can be difficult to clean later. To prevent problems, read the instructions on detergent packaging carefully, and follow them to the letter of the law. 

Clean laundry is essential for your personal hygiene and happiness, so turn to City Laundry in Lincoln, NE, the next time you need to do a few loads. With washers and dryers designed to handle regular and large capacity loads, they make it easy to wash all of your laundry at once. To learn more about this laundromat, visit them online or call (402) 483-2113.