Here’s how to properly load your washing machine:
- 1. Separate clothes by fabric and color
- 2. Check care tags and prep clothes
- 3. Choose the right amount of laundry detergent
- 4. Add your laundry pods
- 5. Add fabric softener or scent booster (optional)
- 6. Load clothes loosely around the agitator or drum
- 7. Choose your wash settings
Laundry isn’t rocket science, but it is science. And if your usual routine involves cramming clothes into the machine, tossing in a pod somewhere in the chaos, and hoping for the best, it’s time to change things up.
How you load your washer directly affects how clean your clothes get, how long they last, and even how much you pay in utility bills.
In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to load your washing machine the right way. From what goes in first (spoiler: it’s laundry pods) to why your socks keep disappearing. You’ll also learn a few pro tips on fabric care, washing machine settings, and how to make your laundry smell like your favorite fine fragrance, not a lab experiment gone wrong.
How to Load a Washing Machine
Here’s how to properly load your washing machine, step by step.
1. Separate Clothes by Fabric and Color
Unless you want your crisp white tee to turn blush pink or your delicates to get snagged by your hoodie’s zipper, separating your laundry is non-negotiable.
Sort your laundry into a few key categories:
- Lights and whites
- Darks
- Delicates
- Towels and heavier fabrics
Mixing fabrics and colors leads to color transfer, pilling, and snags. Keep like with like, and your stuff stays fresh, soft, and wearable.
2. Check Care Tags and Prep Clothes
This is the part where you find all the receipts, AirPods, and mystery chapsticks hiding in your pockets. Do this before every wash:
- Empty pockets (no exceptions)
- Zip up zippers to avoid snags
- Unroll socks so they actually get clean
- Look at care labels for special instructions like “cold wash only” or “hand wash”
Next, turn your garments inside out before washing to help reduce pilling and color fading on the fabric's outer surface.
3. Choose the Right Amount of Detergent
Liquid detergent is messy, wasteful, and easy to over-pour. That’s why we rock with laundry pods around here: pre-measured, ultra-concentrated, and built for maximum clean with zero guesswork.
Here’s how many pods to use depending on your load:
- Small load (<6 lbs) – 1 pod
- Standard load (6–10 lbs) – 2 pods
- Large or heavy-duty load (11+ lbs) – 3 pods
4. Add Your Laundry Detergent Pods
Here’s the golden rule: Laundry pods go in first. Always.
- For front-loading machines: Place your pod at the back bottom of the drum, not in the detergent drawer.
- For top-loading machines: Let the water fill a bit first, then drop your pod into the drum before the clothes.
Laundry pods are designed to dissolve evenly. If you bury them under a pile of jeans, you risk ending up with a half-melted pod stuck to your favorite hoodie. In case that happens, here’s how to remove laundry detergent stains from clothes.
Bonus tip: Don’t overload your machine. Your pods need space to work their magic.
5. Add Fabric Softener and/or Scent Booster (Optional)
Not a requirement, but definitely an upgrade.
Fabric Softener: If you’re using liquid fabric softener, pour a capful into the designated dispenser in your washer (usually marked with a flower icon). The machine will automatically release it during the rinse cycle. Do not pour it directly onto your clothes.
Scent Booster Beads: Toss these directly into the drum before you add clothes. Scent boosters dissolve slowly during the wash to infuse your laundry with long-lasting fragrance—especially useful for towels, gym clothes, or anything that lives in a drawer for a while.
6. Load Clothes Loosely Around the Agitator or Drum
How you physically load your clothes affects how well they get washed.
- Front-loaders: Load clothes in a loose pile without packing them tight.
- Top-loaders with an agitator: Lay clothes loosely around the central post in a balanced, even way.
In either case, your washer should never be more than ¾ full. That’s how you know your machine has enough room to do its job without suffocating your clothes.
7. Choose Your Wash Settings
A few pointers to help you pick the right settings:
- Cold water: Great for dark colors, delicates, and preventing shrinkage
- Warm water: Ideal for towels and bedsheets
- Hot water: Best for heavily soiled items (but harsh on fabrics)
Choose the cycle based on the fabric:
- Normal: Everyday tees, jeans, etc.
- Delicate: Lingerie, silk, and pure synthetic fabrics
- Bulky: Towels, blankets, or hoodies
4 Common Mistakes When Loading a Washing Machine
Here are some common mishaps on laundry day:
- Overstuffing the drum: Nothing gets clean, and your washer gets moody.
- Ignoring fabric types: Lace does not want to wrestle denim.
- Using too much detergent or fabric softener: More doesn’t make it cleaner. It just builds up on clothes and your machine.
- Failing to balance the load: Especially in top-loaders, where uneven weight can throw the whole cycle off.
Smell Like You Know What You’re Doing
Whether you're washing a week's worth of gym gear or just trying to refresh your swimsuit after a beach day, how you load your washing machine is the difference between kinda-clean and next-level clean.
And if you really want to win at laundry? Use Laundry Sauce. Our pods are crafted with elevated fragrances like Australian Sandalwood and Mojave Peach—AKA the exact opposite of that generic stuff that smells like “Fresh Rain” and sadness.
