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‘A repair man said you MUST use that option’: Man issues warning to people who wash heavy-duty items like blankets

‘It won’t stop.’

Photo of Stace Fernandez

Stace Fernandez

WAshing Blankets(l) Man sharing how to properly wash blanket(r)

If your washing machine starts thunking every time you wash a heavy item, then this viral hack is for you. Here comes episode No. 892 of being today years old when learning an important life skill or hack.

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Depending on how you grew up, you likely learned how to wash your own clothes sometime in your childhood or, at the latest, in early adulthood when you no longer had a trusted adult to do it for you.

While most people know why it’s important to separate lights, darks, and colors (even if they don’t always do it), and maybe even when to use a delicate cycle, it seems how to wash heavy items properly is an oft-overlooked lesson that even your own parents or grandparents may not know.

How to wash heavy-duty items properly

In a viral video with more than 560,000 views, TikToker Pete (@estheticianpete) shared his recent laundry-related discovery.

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“How to wash your big blankets without making your washer stop,” Pete said in the text overlay.

In the video, Pete recounted that he used to hate washing things like rugs, blankets, and towels because each time, the machine would start clanking around and making loud noises.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Pete said.

Plus, by the time he’d pull it out of the machine, the time would be a tangled mess.

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It turns out the solution is simple and hiding in plain sight.

“There’s an option called bulky items … and it’ll take literally anything, and it won’t stop,” Pete said. “You’re welcome.”

What can’t you put in the washing machine?

While there are safe ways of washing heavy items, not everything is meant to be thrown in there, even if the label technically says it’s fineGood Housekeeping reported.

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Here are a few items you should keep out of your machine to avoid damage to the appliance or your item:

  • Super dirty items: While this sounds like the antithesis of what to do with your laundry, items that are really dirty—like if they’re covered in sand, dirt, or pet hair—should first be shaken out or lint rolled to avoid clogging up the machine.
  • Memory foam: Items like foam pillows can be damaged by a machine’s spin. “They probably shouldn’t even be hand-washed, as the foam can tear from the weight of the water,”  said Carolyn Forté, executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab.
  • Weighted blankets: Even extra-large home washers can only handle about 22 to 24 pounds, so one 20-pound item is difficult to handle. At most, put in a weighted blanket that’s 15 pounds or lighter.
  • Delicate and intricate items: Things like jeweled clothing, leather, or items with sequins and other detailing should be hand-washed or taken to the cleaner to avoid snags and disfigurement.
  • Brights: Especially reds and oranges are known to bleed in water, so be careful when mixing them with items that you don’t want to get stained.

When in doubt, handwash your time or take it to a dry cleaner.

Commenters react

“I just let my [stuff] rock my entire house,” a top comment read.

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“A repair man said you MUST use that option for towels, rugs, bedding etc. Otherwise you wear the drums out and then say goodbye to your machine,” a person said.

“Not all washing machine has the BULKY option,” a commenter wrote.

The Daily Dot reached out to Pete for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message.

@estheticianpete

♬ original sound – Pete | LE, LMT, LCN
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