Will I kill my washing machine if I wash a rug in it?

[YelloCar]

I have a washable (but quite large rug) that I’ve never washed before and an 8kg washing machine. I’m really tempted to chuck it in the machine. BUT it’s new (the washing machine, not the rug) and I’m worried that, even though it says it’s washable, the bulky weight will damage it.

I’m leaning towards not doing it and hiring a carpet cleaner instead, but wanted to ask in case anyone has any thoughts (or rug washing experience).

Personally - I wouldn’t. You could weigh the rug and see how much it is dry, and then decide if you want ti go ahead.
I would either soak and scrub the rug in the bath or hire a carpet cleaner. In the past I have just hosed rugs down outside, having hung them over our five bar gate. They are very heavy when wet, even small ones for in front of doors.

I don't think I would risk it as it's a brand new machine. Do you have a launderette local to you? If so you could wash the rug in one of their larger machines.

I would go for it but make sure the rug is evenly placed in the drum. You could fill an empty space with a towel if needs be

I washed my rug in the bath and hung it outside. I was worried that it would be too heavy once it got wet & didn’t want to risk killing my washing machine!

You probably won't kill it Yello but it might protest by having a noisy dance around the kitchen. Could you spray it with a mild mixture of soapy water and then gently rinse it? Pop it out on the lawn or over the top of a rotary drier. In this heat it shouldn't take too long to dry as long as it's not saturated.

Have you got a patio cleaner?

We hang ours over the line and beat it, as in ye olden days, then we hose it down with the patio pressure washer.
Takes ages to dry though you should have done it back when it was 40 deg outside.

I wouldn't. I washed a rug in the last washing machine and, while it didn't kill it, I think it hastened its decline.

Washable doesn't mean machine washable, IYSWIM. I would expect the weight of the rug once wet would be substantial, and may well be outside the capability of a domestic washing machine. I have a bedlinen set that is brushed cotton, and it absorbs so much water that I have to do it in two loads now. When I first washed it as just one load the machine had to take several attempts to spin it, because it was struggling to balance the load, and I was frankly worried that I'd buggered my machine. I'd expect your rug to do the same.

Hiring a carpet cleaner seems like a good idea. Or if you have a launderette nearby, commercial machines can take bigger loads - I have used them for duvets in the past. Maybe ask them if they can handle your rug?

You lot are so clever! I should definitely have washed it out in the garden during the heatwave. There’s rain forecast for a week now so I haven’t timed this well.

I’ll hire a carpet cleaner instead and clean all the carpets at once while it’s here to make up for the cost.