There are many mistakes made by Britons which can ruin clothing, from using too much detergent to mixing colours with whites.
However, not many people realise that stuffing the household appliance to the brim can prevent the laundry from properly cleaning in the first place.
Alex Lucas of Bosch said: “It may be tempting to pack your washing machine drum with as many laundry items as possible, but overloading your machine will reduce its washing performance and could even cause damage to your appliance.
“Overloading the washing machine causes the laundry to move around in one large mass, preventing clothing items from moving freely within the drum and preventing detergent from effectively circulating to remove dirt and stains.
“It can also increase pressure within the drum, especially when spinning at high velocity, which can cause damage.”
Sometimes, overloading the machine can even make laundry garments smell worse than before, according to Ariel.
They noted: “That’s because those clothes absorb all the water, leaving no space for your detergent to dissolve. That also means that you can get horrible detergent marks on your garments too.”
To clean clothes efficiently, make sure there is enough room at the top to help the clothes spin properly.
The pro added: “For the best washing results, there must be enough water for the detergent to dissolve in and enough space for your clothes to move around.
“Overloading the drum leads to less water available for the detergent to dissolve as the clothes soak it up.
“We recommend leaving a hand’s width gap at the top of the washing machine drum when loading, which is roughly filling three-quarters of the drum.”
Ariel calls this the “one hand rule” which is a “simple tip” many people can incorporate into their washing routines.
If you can’t get your hand into the drum, then it’s overloaded and some clothes will need to be removed for an effective wash.
How much dirty laundry you can fit into the drum will depend on the size of your appliance, but it is important not to go over the weight limit recommended.
Alex continued: “It is also important to separate clothes according to fabric type and colour to avoid potential damage.
“Sort your laundry into these groups, and always read the care labels for your clothing items.”
