Drum Size Basics: Not all washers are created equal. One of the biggest differences between washers is the size of their drums. This is defined by the load weight the machine can handle, and will determine the size of your load. For example, a large drum can hold 11lbs of laundry, as opposed to 6lbs in a medium drum.
If your washer has a large drum, you can get more washing done at once. This means lower energy costs and time spent per wash. But with more dirty clothes in the drum comes more dirt, so you’re going to need more detergent in the wash.
If the drum is too big, you’ll find it tricky to fill it up, so you’ll be wasting water and energy in every load. So how can you get the best results, regardless of your drum size?
Use the Right Dose of Detergent for Your Load
It’s simple washing machine 101 that a bigger drum requires more detergent. Not only do more clothes in the wash mean there is more dirt, but the machine also needs to use more water to do its job. So, finding the right amount of detergent to use can be tricky. Use too much detergent, and you’re not only wasting it, but also you may need to wash your clothes again. Use too little, and you’ll probably take out clothes that are just as dirty as when you put them in. Check out our dosing tips for liquids, laundry pacs and powder in this article.
How Do You Know When Your Washer Is Too Full?
Well, there’s a simple trick to test if you’ve overloaded your washer: the palm trick.
The Palm Trick
Just place your hand into the drum- it’s as 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, then take something out. If you find you’ve got even more space in there, you can add more clothes to avoid wasting water.
If you have no more clothes to wash, and you really just need to do one load, then check to see if your machine has a half-load setting on your machine. This will use less water than a full load.
The Future of Washers
The good news is that the future of washers is already here. High-efficiency washers, HE for short, were introduced to North America in 1998, and today, it’s expected that 50% of US homes now own an HE machine. By 2017, 90% of new washer sales will be HE models.
HE washers are up to four times bigger than traditional machines, so with more washer drum space, you can wash bigger loads without worrying about overloading.