Hi, my name is Renae and I'm an appliance repair tech. Do you or someone you know, fill your washing machine a little too full? And have you ever wondered how that might affect the way your machine works? Well, I'm here to give you the answer. Whether you have a top load washing machine or a front load washing machine, ideally you want to fill the tub about halfway to three-quarters of the way full. And for a front load washing machine, you're better off filling it more towards the halfway mark. If you under-fill your machine, there's a really good chance that a lot of the clothes could wind up on one side of the drum rather than the other, when it goes into a spin cycle, which means it's going to shake all over the place. A lot of times this will cost your machine to shut down mid-cycle, and it might even break some parts over time.

If you overfill your machine, there's not going to be enough room for your clothes to move around and they won't actually get clean. There's just not enough space for them to move the way that they need to move, to be able to clean all that dirt off. Overfilling your washing machine is like putting a bunch of dirty dishes in a tub full of soap and water, shaking it, and hoping they're actually going to get clean. It might get some of the dirt off, but it's not really going to clean them. Overfilling your washing machine can also cause it to overflow. And if a top load washing machine overflows, sometimes that's how you lose your socks. Overall if you want your clothes to get clean and you don't want your machine to break, just try to fill it between halfway and three-quarters of the way full. And you'll be good to go.