Here are five tips designed to help you get the most out of your washing machines while also preventing your washing machine from breaking down.

Make Heavy Loads Smaller

Some loads of laundry are heavier than others. For example, if you fill your washing machine up with beach towels verses a load of t-shirts, the beach towels are considerably heavier when dry and when wet.

When you have to wash loads that are particularly heavy, such as loads of beach towels or blankets, wash smaller loads so that you don't strain your washing machine under all the additional weight that those types of loads present.

Wash Carpets At The Laundry Mat

If you have carpets or rubber mats, such as the ones that you use in your bathroom, to wash, don't put them in your home dryer. Those types of items are not only heavy, they are also very awkwardly shaped.

Take any carpet, rugs or rubber mats to your local laundry mat to wash. The commercial grade machines at the local laundry mat will be able to better handle the job of washing those items and you'll reduce the stress and wear on the motor in your washing machine.

Separate Your Clothing

Don't throw all of your clothing in together and use the highest settings on your washing machine. Overloading your washing machine on a regular basis will cause the motor to break down more quickly. Additionally, washing all of your clothes together can damage your clothing.

Instead, sort your clothes according to the wash settings on your washing machine. For example, if your washing machine has different settings for heavily soiled fabric, delicates and cottons, sort your laundry according to those settings. It is okay to run multiple smaller loads instead of one big load; it is easier on your washing machine and on your clothes.

Don't Overdo The Soap

Putting extra soap into your washing machine will not make your clothes extra clean; actually, putting too much soap into a load can damage your clothes. When you use too much soap, the soap gets stuck to the fabric of your clothes and doesn't wash out, causing damage to your clothing.

Use the amount suggested on the soap based on your load size. When in doubt, it is better to use less soap than more.

Using too much soap when you wash your clothes can also put additional wear and tear on your washing machine's motor and pipes.

Be Gentle With Your Door Or Lid

It can be easy to forget that the door or lid to your washing machine is part of a much bigger piece of complex equipment. Your washing machine door or lid is not designed to be handled like your car door; do not slam your door shut or just let the lid drop and close in a free-fall.

Both of these actions put a lot of stress on your washing machine's door or lid and could damage or break the switch that tells your washing machine that a load is done. If that switch breaks, you will need to replace it in order to continue to use your washing machine. You can prevent this repair by being gentle when you close the door or lid on your washing machine. 

For more information, contact Cape Cod Appliance Service or a similar company.