The Unexpected Reason Your Clothes Are Still Soaked After A Laundry Cycle

When you take the laundry out at the end of the cycle and find that the clothing is still soaking wet, you may worry that the machine needs to be repaired. Before calling to schedule repair service, consider a simpler solution to your problem. An unbalanced load in the spin cycle is one unexpected reason your clothes may still be soaked at the end of the laundry cycle — and that doesn't require a professional to fix.

Not making sure the laundry is balanced is among the ways you're destroying your washer and dryer without noticing. In addition to leaving the laundry too wet at the end of the cycle, an unbalanced load may cause damage to your washing machine. When the tub spins unevenly, it can knock against the inside of the machine. This can cause damage, leaks, and problems with drainage.

A load of laundry can become unbalanced when items are placed unevenly on opposite sides of the agitator. Putting large, heavy items in the machine on one side or unevenly distributing clothing around the agitator can cause the drum to spin in an unbalanced way. Loading too many things into the machine can also cause an unbalanced spin cycle. An unbalanced load that comes out overly wet is one of the dangers of overloading your washing machine.

When filling the washing machine, make an effort to evenly distribute clothing or towels around each side of the agitator, so it is equally full on all sides. If you notice an out-of-balance spin cycle, you can pause the load to adjust what's inside. Wait for the machine to unlock, and then manually redistribute the laundry before restarting the machine.

Laundry can feel like an endless chore, so it can make sense to maximize each load by putting in as many items as possible. However, overloading the washing machine can result in wet clothing at the end of the cycle. Underloading the machine can cause a similar problem — the few items in the machine might all end up on one side. To ensure proper balance, you want to fill the drum adequately while leaving room at the top for efficient washing and draining. Fill the drum until it is about ¾ full, and distribute the items evenly around the agitator to prevent overloading and unbalanced loads.

You can avoid problems by following some laundry tips and tricks to prevent overloading your washer. Check the owner's manual for your washer to determine its capacity, and then weigh your laundry to make sure you are within the limits. Use visual cues to make sure you aren't filling the drum beyond 75%, or group laundry by type of fabric to wash the right size load on the right settings. If you have a huge load, break it up into two smaller loads to avoid the troubles of overloading the drum.