After a long week of camping and hiking, you come home and throw your clothes in the washing machine: pants speckled with mud, shirts that reek of BO, sweat-stained socks with a layer of dirt at the ankle, and a hoodie with a splotch of dry peanut butter on the arm. An hour later, at the end of the laundry cycle, your clothes are miraculously clean, fresh, and looking like new. Where is the mud that was on your pants? Where is the dirt from your socks? What happened to the peanut butter?!? Although most modern families take their washing machines for granted, it’s pretty amazing how efficiently they work. With a little detergent and the push of a button, they transform dirty laundry. But, you might wonder, where does the dirt go in a washing machine?
Where Does the Dirt Go in a Washing Machine?
The answer is quite simple. When your clothes are soaked in water in the washing machine, the dirt dissolves into the water with the help of detergent. When the water is drained away, the dirt drains away with it. It is transported through the pipes and into the sewers.
Why Is There Dirt in My Washing Machine?
Perhaps you’ve never wondered, “Where does the dirt go in a washing machine?” Perhaps instead you’re wondering, “Why is there dirt in my washing machine?”
If your laundry is very heavily soiled, the washing machine may not succeed in fully rinsing it and draining away all the dirt. In this case, you need to presoak and rinse the items before putting them in the washing machine. Some washers make this easy by offering a “presoak” cycle. Other washers go a step further, allowing you to select a soil level (light, normal, or heavy) so that the machine will automatically adjust its cycle time and agitation to fully clean the items. This eliminates the need to presoak prior to washing. But even if your washer doesn’t have these handy features, you can always presoak and rinse your items in your kitchen sink (or even outside using a hose, if the situation calls for it).
In addition, keep in mind that if your laundry contains a chunkier substance that won’t dissolve into water and drain away through the holes in your washer, you need to rinse it out beforehand. For example, if you spill a bowl of chili on a blanket, rinse off the blanket before you toss it in the washer. If you don’t, you may come back to a washer drum filled with smashed beans, diced onions, and chunks of beef and tomato. Yuck!
Finally, don’t forget that washing machines need to be cleaned periodically as well.
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As a laundromat owner, you’re likely quite thankful that washing machines carry away dirt so efficiently. But if you often have trouble with patrons attempting to wash heavily soiled items, consider putting up an informative sign in your laundromat.
And if you own or manage a laundromat, be sure to check out Laundry Solutions Company, a full-service provider of premium vended, on-premises, and multi-housing commercial laundry equipment. Our leasing program provides no mileage fees, no service fees, and no parts fees. You will be able to use high-quality Speed Queen equipment while enjoying a flexible lease and predictable payments. To learn more about our products and services, please give us a call at 800-383-9274 or contact us online. We look forward to hearing from you!