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Does anybody else let their washing machine fill up with water before adding clothes?

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If you have size of the load set to its highest and wait until the washer is completely filled with water before adding the clothes you've got a real good chance of having the washer overflow.
 
My machine doesn't even start spinning until the full level is reached... whether the clothes are in or out makes no difference for me.
 
lxskllr said:
I start the washer, add detergent, then add clothes as the washer's filling. The argument about letting the washer fill first is for using powder detergent. by letting it fill first, the detergent dissolves better, and doesn't get left on the clothes, but otherwise it doesn't matter.
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That's what I do. Just enough water to start dissolving the detergent.
 
I never do laundry. mom did it, a $1.50 a pound place did it when I was single, and now my wife does it. 😉 I do plenty cook clean mow fix but laundry has always been a disaster with mildew, wrinkled, bleached clothes etc so I'm not allowed.
 
I always fill it half with water and mix detergent before putting clothes in. Not because I'm worried about breaking the machine (your girlfriend sounds extremely stupid) but because it prevents the soap powder from accumulating in white spots on your clothes.
 
Yep - back when my parents lived on the farm - of course they'd fill the [manual hand] washer with water/soap before throwing the clothes in - DUH. 😀
 
I blame this lack of knowledge on the set it and forget it generation. They don't even know how to do their own laundry.
 
If you have ever seen your clothes under a blacklight you would see it leaves a mark where you poured the detergent on the clothes if you didn't let the detergent mix into the water and instead poured it right on your dry clothes.
 
I didn't know anyone added detergent to a top loading washing machine AFTER they put in the clothes...that's stupid. It's common for much of the detergent to never dissolve...and becomes a white paste that sticks to the clothing.

Always start the water, add detergent and laundry booster, non-chlorine bleach, whatever...EXCEPT chlorine bleach...then add your clothes. (properly sorted of course)

Chlorine bleach should be added after about 5 minutes into the wash cycle for maximum effectiveness.

If you have a nice "automatic washer" that dispenses soap and bleach on a timer...then disregard the above.


Ksyder said:
If you have ever seen your clothes under a blacklight you would see it leaves a mark where you poured the detergent on the clothes if you didn't let the detergent mix into the water and instead poured it right on your dry clothes.
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I suspect those "glowing spots" you see under a black light aren't detergent spots...
 
I currently have an automatic washer, so it's a non-factor... the lid locks once I hit the "go" button.

prior to that, yeah... I just tossed my clothes in, dumped liquid detergent on top of it, and started up the machine. never had a problem with white spots or dirty clothes or whatever.
 
pepperbegs said:
I let the machine fill up at least partially because when I add bleach and soap you can damage dark colors if undiluted bleach gets poured onto them.
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Umm, why are you adding bleach to dark colored clothes?

Also, isn't "color-safe bleach" and oxymoron? Though some use it to disinfect, the purpose in laundry is to remove color.
 
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We have a front loader now, but I have done laundry from birth and have never had white paste or clumps when adding clothes first, then power detergent and closing the lid and turning on the machine.
 
Ksyder said:
If you have ever seen your clothes under a blacklight you would see it leaves a mark where you poured the detergent on the clothes if you didn't let the detergent mix into the water and instead poured it right on your dry clothes.
Click to expand...

Good thing I don't spend much of my day under a black light then.
 
Ksyder said:
If you have ever seen your clothes under a blacklight you would see it leaves a mark where you poured the detergent on the clothes if you didn't let the detergent mix into the water and instead poured it right on your dry clothes.
Click to expand...

THIS.

When I was younger I would occasionally have the problem that there would be a gross looking stain on clothes when under blacklight. My girlfriend at the time suggested that I start the washer, add the detergent and then add the clothes. Been doing it ever since. Currently, I usually start the water, add detergent and go grab the laundry basket. By the time I start loading the clothes, there is ~2 inches of water in the bottom of the washer. Haven't had the problem since I switched up my routine.

EDIT: This is always with liquid Tide of various types. But always liquid.
 
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Leros said:
Hmm...

My Tide detergent says to put water and detergent first before adding clothes.

My washing machines disagrees. Step 1 is add clothes. Step 2 is add detergent. Step 3-4 are settings and step 5 is turn on the machine.
Click to expand...

My All detergent has no instructions and my washing machine says
Step 1: add detergent
Step 2: add clothes
Then add water

I've been doing laundry for a very long time and this is the first I've ever heard of putting the water in first. Learn something new every day.
 
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