Comments on: Washing machine won’t spin just one item or very small loads

By: Sandy

Sandy — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:46:28 +0000

I am so glad I found this thread instead of phoning the suppliers about my apparently useless brand new machine ! I was disconcerted because I had done several smaller loads (wool, darks etc ) and they had gone fine but the hot white cotton wash had come out wet and then the bath sheet took ages to spin when I tried to do it by itself (the rest of the sheets on their own spun ok) I somehow had thought that this larger drum would deal with our large bath sheets better but now realise that my logic or grasp of physics was completely upside down. Another, larger load of sheets and towels (colour) was absolutely fine.

I’m now looking at a black bath mat wondering what to do with it – I didn’t trust its colourfastness to put it in with the rest of the cotton coloured wash – seems barmy that I might have a new machine and be handwashing and wringing. As someone commented before, bring back the mangle !

By: tracey clarke

tracey clarke — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:03:13 +0000

Thanks Washerhelp – let’s hope that technology improves and this probem is eradicated as there must be a multitude of frustrated customers out there!

By: Washerhelp

Washerhelp — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:29:47 +0000

tracey, I agree it’s frustrating, and for many people, but many people also find wearing a seat-belt in a car frustrating. I saw a programme last night about motorway police frustrated at continuously finding people who refuse to wear seat-belts because it annoys them. To me it’s a similar principle, finding a safety feature designed to prevent serious issues annoying or inconvenient.

Removing it would give you the convenience of spinning your small item only at the cost of the inconvenience of the washing machine shaking itself into a premature skip, or flooding your kitchen when sooner or later the load fell so bad it caused the tub to jump so violently that it ripped out a hose. At the end of the day washing machine manufacturers could no longer allow the ridiculous and dangerous situation where their washing machines would go into a fast spin no matter what you put inside it (bath mats and dog blankets were the worst offenders).

They cannot get around the laws of physics, a cylindrical drum with a heavy item only on one side is badly out of balance and if you let it spin it will sooner or later destroy the machine or result in a breakdown at the very least.

The only thing they could possibly do is make their detection systems much better and the quality of their washing machines much higher to take more hits. If you had a Miele washing machine for example you may find it lets your awkward load spin occasionally but chances are even the most robust and sophisticated washing machine would still refuse to spin a bad load enough times to make it impossible to wash regularly without adding more items. It’s inconvenient, but it’s the less of two evils.

It would be nice for them to have an override button that you could press to force it to spin. Such a button could be spring-loaded so it couldn’t be left on. That way you’d need to be present at spin and hold it in and keep holding it in whilst it went into spin. Then if it jumped around violently you could let go and it would stop spinning. However, I can’t see manufacturers doing it because even the short time that a load could go out of control in that situation can still seriously damage a washing machine.

By: tracey clarke

tracey clarke — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:19:53 +0000

Hi washerhelp, you have to look at this from the customer point of view. If the customer experience has deteriorated rather than improved, then I don’t call that progress. If you cannot dictate to the machine but the machine dictates to you, I don’t call that progress. If I have to add washing to the load (either at the beginning of the cycle or at the spin stage) that I don’t want to, which ends up with additional wet washing that then needs drying, I don’t call that progress as I never had any problems with my old machine. This is what I am experiencing as a customer. To my mind, progress would be if the engineering wizards sort this out so this problem is eradicated. We have put a man on the moon so one does live in hope! Good website by the way.

By: Washerhelp

Washerhelp — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:24:09 +0000

But it is progress tracey. Your load won’t spin because the laws of physics dictate it has a high chance of destroying your washing machine if it was allowed to. The bottom line is you cannot spin one, or a few items inside a drum, which only has laundry at one side – especially if the items are heavy when wet. It will go so violently out of balance it could cause the washer to jump up and smash the worktop, or smash the washing machine itself to bits.

Believe me I’ve repaired washing machines since 1976 when no one had out of balance control and have seen many destroyed or extensively damaged washing machines caused by a single heavy item or very small load going into spin. When it happens it’s terrifying, and sounds like the police are battering their way in though the back door. :-)

The only criticism I would have is that they are probably a bit too sensitive and disallow some loads that may well be OK. All you need to do its to put other items inside to balance it out. Just use old towels or laundry.