Why Bathroom Mats Shouldn’t Go in Your Washer

Bathroom mats should never, ever go in your washing machine. Here’s why, and what you can do when your bathroom mats and other bulky items need cleaning.

As an appliance technician with over 30 years of experience, I’ve seen countless front-load washing machines damaged by customers using them to wash bathroom mats. I’ve even seen a brand-new front-loader destroyed beyond repair when someone tried to wash two bathroom mats at the same time.

Bottom line: Never wash bathroom mats in your washing machine. Here’s why:

Why Can’t I Put My Bathroom Mat in the Washer?
Most front-load washers have large spin baskets that seem to accommodate big items like blankets and bathroom mats. That leads people to believe that these machines can handle items of any size and weight.

The issue is, bathroom mats absorb so much water that they end up weighing much more than the washer was designed to handle. Modern washers spin at incredibly high speeds—up to 1,200 revolutions per minute during the spin cycle! These fast speeds generate large amounts of force, and the increased weight of heavy, waterlogged mats can tear your washer apart.

By washing bathroom mats in your machine, you risk two major problems:

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