4 Ways You Are Hurting Your Washer

A washer seems like a pretty straightforward appliance. You put dirty clothes in, it washes them, and then clean clothes come out. However, your washer, like every appliance, needs to be cared for and used correctly. If you are doing any of the following, you could be causing the need for premature washer repair and replacement.

Overloading

It sucks having to do multiple loads of laundry, but wedging that last few pairs of jeans in your washing machine is definitely doing harm. Not only is the extra weight of those wet clothes hard on the machine, but they won’t be washed very well either if they cannot properly rotate.

Using Too Much Detergent

Pouring tons of detergent in doesn’t mean cleaner clothes. In fact, it will likely make your clothes feel pretty gross if it isn’t properly rinsed out. The real issue, however, is that excess laundry detergent builds up inside the washer and causes issues.

Not Cleaning Your Actual Machine

Over time, you may notice a funky smell, mold in the detergent dispensers, and a general stickiness. This is particularly true if you use too much detergent. This is because your washer needs to be cleaned too. It doesn’t need to be cleaned a lot, really every six months is enough. Running a long, hot wash with white vinegar in the detergent and fabric softener dispenser is a great way to keep it running smoothly and smelling fresh.

Washing Odd Items

You hopefully already know that throwing odd items like shoes or lingerie with a ton of hooks is not the best for your washer. You need to take special precautions to wash these sorts of odd items to protect your appliance from clogs or impact damage. Essentially, you want to keep that spin cycle off if you are washing anything other than standard clothing.