How To Wash Small Loads With No Problems

HE Washer Small Load Trick - collage: woman holding a small rug over an open washing machine looking slightly puzzled; open washing machine looking unbalanced with just a small rug in it.

How To Do A Small Load Of Laundry Without Issues

I’m a big fan of simple solutions, because life is complicated enough as it is! But what I like even more are the rare occasions when you uncover a simple solution that solves multiple problems.

And that’s exactly what I have to share with you in today’s post! I was experiencing two different problems when washing small loads of laundry in my HE washing machine. Then recently, I found a simple solution that fixed both at once!

And for more useful laundry solutions, be sure to check out my e-book How To Wash Everything! You can find it in my shop, or download it for free if you’re an OGT Plus member!

HE Washer Small Load Trick - woman holding small rug over open washing machine, looking quizzical

2 Common Problems With Washing Small Loads Of Laundry

Like I said, I was frequently encountering two different problems when attempting to wash small loads of laundry in my HE washing machine.

The first issue was that my small loads weren’t getting rinsed well enough, usually when the items were particularly dirty. Which rather defeats the purpose of washing dirty items separately, don’t you think? ;-)

HE Washer Small Load Trick - washer looking unbalanced with just a rug in it.

The second issue was that my clothes would come out soaking wet, because the washer would sense an uneven load and stop the spin cycle before it had been completed. Ultimately, both of these issues made it plain to me that HE washers (or at least my own) just don’t handle small loads of laundry very effectively!

But luckily, I recently came across a simple solution to both of these problems! It’s a simple way to “trick” your HE washer into washing and spinning small loads much more effectively.

HE Washer Small Load Trick - woman putting a white towel in a washing machine

How Adding Old Towels To Small Loads Solves Both Problems

The solution is to add one or two old towels to your washer whenever you’re doing a small load. The added bulk and weight from the towels will tell your washer to use more water, ensuring that they come out properly rinsed.

HE Washer Small Load Trick - washing machine with a rug and a towel in it

The additional bulk from the towels also helps distribute the weight more evenly across the drum. A balanced drum spins more easily, which corrects the spin cycle issue.

HE Washer Small Load Trick - woman holding a stack of white towels

Why Old Towels?

Using old bath towels is an ideal way to add bulk to small loads for a few different reasons. Having already been through the wash dozens of times, old towels won’t bleed color or produce lint like newer fabrics can.

And since bath towels don’t last forever, old towels are usually easy to come by! Your current bath towels will eventually wear out, and once you replace them, you can retire the old ones to the laundry room to serve another useful purpose.

HE Washer Small Load Trick - collage: HE washer with rug in it, HE washer with rug and towel in it

If you’ve been frustrated with the way your HE washer handles small loads, I hope you’ll give this simple fix a try! :-)

The “Problem Solved!” Series

To refresh your memory of other solutions or check out other posts in this series you might have missed, check out my complete archive of posts from the “Problem Solved!” series!
Click here to explore the “Problem Solved!” series archive.

Do you have a favorite simple fix for laundry-related problems?