When is washer too full?

Dear Heloise: I'm hoping you can settle a disagreement. My husband is retired, and I work. He insists that you can wash a California-king-size set of sheets (fitted, flat and two pillowcases) along with a full-size set of sheets (same pieces) and four other pieces of clothing. I say it's not good for the clothes or the washer — i.e., the clothes aren't getting as clean as they should be when you jam so much in, and it's not good for the life of the washer, since it wasn't meant to have so many pieces jammed in. Please advise, and thanks for such a great column. — To Wash or Not to Wash in California

Hmmm ... he's retired and is now doing the laundry? All of that stuffed into one washer and dryer? Well, this is an interesting question, and one that took some research. First, what size washer? Top loader or front? Most washing-machine manufacturers have load information in their owner's manuals. Depending on variables, the consensus seems to be that a normal load is around 6 to 20 pounds of dry clothing, sheets, etc.

A double sheet weighs 1 to 2 pounds, according to the Soap and Detergent Association, so you need to have your husband do the math or simply weigh the load. However, a better "measurement" is space, not just weight. Sheets (especially large ones) need more room in the washer than a piece of clothing to be able to move around and get clean and rinsed. So, if your machine states 6 pounds a load, then that might be a large flat and fitted sheet, pillowcases and a few other items.

It's better to wash items of different sizes rather than all sheets or towels.

Also, when you put clothes in the washer, they should not be stuffed in! They should be loosely piled, so things can move around freely. To get the best results from your washer, loads should have items of different sizes and weights included. Hope that this helps out on laundry day!

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