Please sort out an argument between me and DH - how full do you load your washing machine?

[ziptoes]

DH loads the machine right to the top, sometimes jamming stuff in. I try to leave some space for the clothes to jumble about. Who's right?

2/3 - 3/4

This used to be a perennial argument between me and DH. Apparently they used to need quite a lot of space left in them to wash effectively, so our parents were right to say that you shouldn't overfill them. However, now washers are more efficient, they can deal with a much fuller drum. I think you used to fill them 2/3rds full - I fill our Miele about 5/6th full, and don't have a problem.

4 towels is overloading? Seriously??? I usually put in all 5 towels and the bathmat and the toilet mat. Today I put in a king size duvet, single duvet, 3 pillowcases, one king size sheet and one single sheet, 3 kids' T shirts, 2 kids' trousers (2yo), various socks/pants and a muslin square. Hmm....no wonder I had to use both hands and one foot to shut the door!!

And as for wearing out - it is about 13 years old and I have always put this much in....my neighbours used to comment on it!

I put detergent inside the drum so i always make sure i can fit my hand in the top......just lol. I cant cope with not enough washing in id just be thinking what a waste.

i have enough space for my fist (ie the ball thing with detergent in)

once its all been wetted and spun it doesnt seem nearly so full. its all stuck to the sides and there is a massive gap in the middle

When i wash nappies i dont fill it quite so full

9/10 full here.

just to dd another fraction to the mix.

I put in 4 bath towels on there own....ooops

I fill the machine 3/4's full otherwise the clothes won't come out clean imo

You need to be able to easily put your hand in on the top of the clothes once in the drum.

I put smaller loads in as they come out less creased - couldn't care less about the environmental issues!

If I fill the machine too full (eg king sized linen duvet cover) it makes horrible groaning noises when attempting to start spinning. Ergo, I do not overfill because I want my machine to last. There is nothing ecological about disposing of washing machines!

i went through our manual a while ago to work out how to give it a proper clean (2 kids in cotton nappies, lots of poo going through our machine!) and i have a chart somewhere that says how full it can be to wash properly for each program, and not to put in too many towels in one go because they are very absorbant and heavy when wet. it's all in kg though so a try to underfill a little each time or at least get my hand in the space at the top.

i also read put a dry towel in the wet load to be tumble dried because it will help absorb the water out the wet things and they will dry quicker.

when i was clearing out the airing cupboard, so basicaly wanted to wash EVERYTHING in it, i weighed the washing.
at the time we had a 7kg machine.

So i weighed the sheets / towels etc into 7kg piles to do as few loads as possible. (nothing was really dirty, just needed freshening after being in there for maybe a few years)

anyway there was NO WAY that i could get 7kg of cotton sheets / towels whatever etc into the washing machine.... It was just NOT going to happen.!
Since then i havent worried about overloading a washing machine, as i couldnt physically squash a "full load" into the drum in the 1st place!

Most washing machines only allow it to be half full for an "easy care" (the one with one line under) wash, and max of 1 or 2kg on a wool or quick wash. The full amount is normally only for the cotton setting

I'm with Grendelsmum - I'm sure I read ....ermmmmm .... somewhere that the rules about not stuffing it through only apply to older machines, and modern ones can now cope.
I aim for 9/10 full.

you need to leave at least a hand's width space at the top so that the soap can swish between the clothes and also be rinsed off properly during the rinse cycles.
also, if you overload (as in mashine making funny noises when washing) you will reduce the life of you mashine as it will break down earlier.

Is it 7kg dry weight or wet weight of washing?

Dry weight.

And I agree with what nannyL said, but it just came down to what got my clothes clean. I could stuff the old machine & get everything clean because it wasn't a low water usage one, I reckon. But with the new machine I absolutely can't stuff it or I get greasy streaks on clothes (insufficient rinse water, I imagine).

Never heard funny noises out of the laundry machines, though, no matter how stuffed, lol. My dishwasher, on the other hand....