\nA decent washing machine and dryer should last at least 10 years. If you’re committing these mistakes, however, you could be cutting their lifespan short.\n
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\u201cThe life of a laundry machine is completely dependent on how often it\u2019s run,\u201d said the tax experts at H&R Block. Try to stick to eight loads a week or less, which they say will \u201cyield an average of a (low) double-digit life,\u201d regardless of the type of machine (front-loading or top-loading, for example). Running only full loads will help to keep your energy bill down.\n
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Proper installation is critical for all laundry machines. For one, they must be installed \u201clevel.\u201d Depending on the peculiarities of your floor, that can be more or less complicated. As for dryers, proper venting is critical, and proper venting means selecting the appropriate size and material for your venting tube as well as proper placement of the tube to permit optimal airflow. If you installed your own machines, consider having a professional eyeball your work.\n
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Neither washers nor dryers work optimally when overstuffed, and worse, they have to work harder than they should when they\u2019re too full. That increases wear and tear on the machine\u2019s mechanisms such as the washing machine\u2019s central agitator. Plus, if you pack too many clothes into the machine, some detergent residue could be left behind \u2013 which will attract more dirt next time you wear the clothes.\n
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Using more detergent than the manufacturer recommends is bad for your washing machine, according to Angie\u2019s List. Using too much soap leads to more suds, which could cause your washer to overflow. Have a high-efficiency washer? They require even less soap to wash clothing properly, so be sure to skimp on the detergent and only use soaps marked safe for HE washers.\n
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Hand washing certain items is not just for the sake of said item, but also better for your washing machine, too. Hooks and underwires from lingerie can damage your washing machine\u2019s drum, while zippers can scratch the door of your front-loading machine.\n
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\u201cWhen you\u2019re done washing a load of laundry, wipe down the detergent and fabric softener dispensers,\u201d Angie\u2019s List advises. \u201cIf you don\u2019t, the build-up could cause a clog.\u201d You should also be washing your washing machine monthly if your owner\u2019s manual recommends it.\n
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You should be cleaning the lint out of your lint-catcher every time you run the dryer. Leaving lint in the dryer filter lowers the efficiency of the machine by slowing down the drying process. It can also cause the dryer to overheat and possibly catch fire.\n
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Maintaining your dryer vent (the tube that directs moisture and lint out of the dryer drum and out of the house) is crucial to keeping your dryer in good working order. A good rule-of-thumb is to have your dryer vent inspected and cleaned out once per year, according to Ivey Engineering.\n
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\u201cDryer sheets might make your clothing soft, static-free, and smell fresh, but they have a waxy layer that melts in the dryer,\u201d advises Angie\u2019s List. Using too many can gum up the appliance. But no matter how many dryer sheets you use, you need to be cleaning your lint trap on a regular basis \u2013 not just cleaning out the lint but actually removing the lint trap and soaking it in sudsy water every couple of months (or more often if you\u2019re also using fabric softener in the washing machine, which also leaves a residue in the dryer).\n
Gum, tissues, even coins, and paper money can clog your washer drain, and if they don\u2019t fall out of your pockets during the wash cycle, you\u2019ll probably hear and\/or see them spinning around the dryer, which isn\u2019t good for your dryer\u2019s inner workings. So empty your pockets before throwing your clothes in the wash for the sake of your laundry machines running smoothly, efficiently, and over many years.\n
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A big problem with washing machines is mould. Mould can lead to a foul-smelling machine, which is definitely going to shorten its life. To avoid mould, take your clean clothes out right away. Bonus points if you also leave the washer door open to allow the machine to air-dry between loads.\n
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If you\u2019re planning on drying anything besides clothing, bedding, and towels, check the manufacturer\u2019s instructions to see if you\u2019re actually going to be harming your dryer in doing so. For example, some dryers are not meant to dry rubber, so if you\u2019ve washed your bathroom rug (with a rubber back), don\u2019t dry it in the dryer unless the instructions say it\u2019s OK.\n
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When Consumer Reports asked laundry machine manufacturers what consumers can do to extend the life of their laundry machines, the same answer kept coming up: follow the manufacturer\u2019s instructions for maintaining the machine. With washing machines, that almost inevitably involves cleaning the washer itself. Many modern washing machines have self-cleaning cycles.\n
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Sorting laundry isn\u2019t just for the sake of keeping your whites white. An appliance salesperson Reader\u2019s Digest spoke to told us never to dry \u201ctowels with t-shirts.\u201d When we asked him to elaborate, he explained that your dryer works best when it\u2019s drying items of similar weight and that mixing items of significantly different weight can throw off the balance of the machine.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A decent washing machine and dryer should last at least 10 years. If you’re committing these mistakes, however, you could be cutting their lifespan short. 1. You run the washer\/dryer more than you need to \u201cThe life of a laundry machine is completely dependent on how often it\u2019s run,\u201d said the tax experts at H&R\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13420,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"A decent washing machine and dryer should last at least 10 years. If you're committing these mistakes, however, you could be cutting their lifespan short.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[176,130,30,149,153,125],"class_list":{"0":"post-13419","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tie-life-style","8":"tag-home-tips","9":"tag-house-keeping","10":"tag-household-hacks","11":"tag-household-problems","12":"tag-laundry-mistakes","13":"tag-mistake"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/mistakes.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13419\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}