Overstuffing can stress the machine, damage the bearings, and break the motor. The keys to your washer's longevity are balance and proper loading.
If you're using too much laundry detergent, your clothes will carry an odor and wear down the machine. The laundry detergent you use can affect your clothes in many ways. For instance, if too much is used it could stain or mark up the clothing which may have an effect on how they look and smell.
Your over-sized laundry will absorb all the water, leaving no space for your detergent to dissolve, which can result in horrible detergent marks on your garments. Even worse, you can even damage your machine while washing your clothes, not to mention you can also end up with detergent residue in your machine.
So here's the palm trick you could try every time to check if you're machine is overloaded: Just place your hand into the drum—it's easy as that. If your hand fits between your clothes and the wall of the drum, then you have the perfect load size. If not, it's best to take something out.
Overloading
Overstuffing your washer with clothes or bulky bedding is the most common reason for a leaking washer. If you spot leaking, run the machine with no clothes and no detergent in it on the quickest wash cycle. If it doesn't leak, it's because the machine was simply overloaded.
However, this isn't the case. Washing machines clean clothes in part by allowing clothes to rub against each other; this friction helps work dirt and stains out of fabric. Using too much soap can reduce this friction, which means that your clothes may not get as clean as they would otherwise.
Low-capacity top-loaders may accommodate only 6 pounds of clothing to be full. Medium-capacity top-loading washing machines can usually tolerate 7–8 pounds. The highest capacity top-loaders might do well with as much as 12–15 pounds. Front-loading washing machines often can hold as much as 18 pounds of clothing.
Liquid detergent requires the highest amount – usually two tablespoons, give or take, per load, or two teaspoons if you have a high-efficiency washing machine. With many powder formulas, the recommended amount is about a quarter of a cup.
Some of the signs that you've used too much detergent in a load of laundry include: When the laundry comes out of the washer, it feels slimy or sticky. “Clean” and dried laundry feels crunchy or scratchy and is uncomfortable to wear. Colored clothes or linens are dull or faded.
If you've ever reached into your dryer expecting to pull out a load of downy-soft laundry only to find a pile of stiff, starchy garments, there's a good chance you're using too much laundry detergent.
5 ounces of laundry detergent for high-efficiency machines and 1 ounce for traditional machines. If you're using a pre-measured detergent pod or pack, these are already optimized to standard laundry loads, so just use one per load and follow the instructions on the product label.
Using too much laundry detergent can cost you more money and may make it more difficult to get your clothes clean. It could even damage your washing machine. When it comes to how much laundry detergent to use, less is more.
For the best washing results, there has to be enough water for the detergent to dissolve in and enough space for your clothes to move around. If you overload the drum, there will be less water available for the detergent to dissolve in as the clothes will soak this up.
How much HE detergent should you use? When using HE detergent in a regular washer, you'll need about 1/4 cup for a normal-sized load. There might be fewer suds, but you'll still get a good clean. For a normal-sized load in a high-efficiency washing machine, the recommended HE detergent amount is usually 2 tablespoons.
Over time, use may cause a machine's drum support and bearing seal to break. Excess soap may accumulate and cause hoses and water sensors to become affected as well. Besides soap, fabric softeners may cause problems. These products build in the internal parts of the washing machine and lead to trouble.
One of the most common causes for a washer that leaks from the bottom is a leak in the fill and drain hoses. These hoses can become blocked, kinked, damaged or disconnected, resulting in a leak while your washing machine is in use.
It can damage the tub, motor and baskets of the washer as internal collisions may produce excessive wear and tear within the machine. The most common cause of an unbalanced washer or undetermined turbulence is an uneven surface, and overloading the laundry above the capacity of the washer.
Underloading your washing machine isn't ideal, either. Clothing in an undersized load tends to accumulate on one side of the drum, putting your washing machine off balance during the spin cycle. Not only is the resulting thumping sound annoying, but being ff balance can also be damaging to the appliance.
Seeing little or no suds should be considered normal. This is due to the amount of water the machine uses.