Brutal washing machine destroying my clothes: please help

December 22, 2014 3:29 PM

I moved into a new building a few months ago, and since then the washing machine (new GE top loader, stacked with dryer) has been busily destroying everything I own. Towels and sheets come out frayed, sweaters and t-shirts sprout holes, a cuff has just gotten half-ripped from its sleeve. Please help me figure out how to protect my stuff before it's all destroyed.

Things that haven't changed: I am still using the same detergent and occasionally a small amount of bleach on things that can handle it; I'm living a half-mile from my old place so the water's probably not different; I always use the "hand wash" cycle (cold water, low agitation). I now put everything that's even remotely fragile into zippered mesh bags, but this does not help -- the stuff still gets holes. The water temperature seems fine and I don't feel anything obviously rough or jagged on the interior of the machine. The washer itself seems generally okay: it's not rocking or seeming to struggle or making weird noises. And the problem is not related to the drying phase: stuff is damaged coming out of the washer.

I am fussy and enraged. Please help! What's the root problem here: is it definitely abrasion, or could there be multiple issues? I haven't used a top-loader in 15 years -- are they are really this hard on clothes? Most importantly, is there something else I can do to protect things, or am I doomed to forever hand-washing everything in the sink?

posted by Susan PG to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

A friend had a problem with their clothes shredding. Turns out the inside edges of some of the drainage holes in the stainless steel drum were sharp, so when clothes were spun dry at high speeds, the fabric was sucked into the holes and snagged on the rough edges. She successfully got the store to replace the drum. You could give lower spin settings if you have that option in the meantime.
posted by cecic at 3:36 PM on December 22, 2014 [2 favorites]

It sounds like the washing machine is defective - it should not be consistently ripping your clothing. I'd ask if the landlord can have someone come look at it. If the landlord is resistant, you could talk to other tenants and see if they're having the same problem.
posted by insectosaurus at 3:47 PM on December 22, 2014 [11 favorites]

I would find a subtle way to sabotage the machine if the landlord refused to be helpful in this situation. It absolutely needs to be replaced. Those stacked combo units are super shittily made, cheap, and screw up badly all the time.

Seriously, just from anecdotal evidence from talking to people and family members who manage property those things are nightmares. They work for a certain arbitrary amount of time much lower than the average washer/dryer then just go completely batshit.
posted by emptythought at 4:03 PM on December 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

Are you overloading the machine? Find the model number, Google the user manual, and check.

It could also be broken, but overloading might be exacerbating the problem.
posted by postel's law at 4:06 PM on December 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

I lived in a place that had a machine like this, finally decided to take my clothes to the laundromat. There is no solution other than a new machine or some kind of new parts for the machine.It's not because it's a top-loader, I've always had that kind and only once had that one that ate my clothes.
posted by mareli at 4:45 PM on December 22, 2014

I once moved from a place with a front load machine to a place with a top load machine with an agitator, and I had the same problem. I came to the conclusion that the unit was not defective; the agitator just worked too well. Also, as noted above, you have to be really careful not to overload these machines.

If you can't get a new machine, one option is to manually shorten the washing cycle. Of course, this is a royal pain, but it might save some of your clothes.
posted by girl flaneur at 5:23 PM on December 22, 2014

It's not because it's a top loader, I've had those all my life and they've never ripped my clothes, even when old. I would suspect sharp edges on the drum holes, as someone mentioned above. If it came with the unit, it is definitely a see-the-landlord problem. BUT, with many landlords, it's not a bad idea to point them towards a solution, so I woulddo some research. Look up the make/model on Google if you haven't already; there are probably other users who have mentioned this issue and hopefully the solution (if any).
posted by emjaybee at 6:06 PM on December 22, 2014 [2 favorites]