Washing sheets

[bud]

Not sure if this belongs in the newer or vintage forum, but here goes anyway.
I have an electronic panel KA washer which is still going strong. The only complaint I have is that the sheets come out in knots. Is there anyway to avoid this? I usually do a set of queens on the low water setting,turn over is great and they are coming out clean. I've actually packed it with three sets of queen sheets, and everything came out clean and no tangles. Do I need to wash larger loads?

 

[cleanteamofny]

Do not rap sheets around the agitator, but drop them in quarters like loading this washer.
Nothing can be done if problem happens in the dryer but to dry fitted and flat sheets separately.
 

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[DADoES]

 
Along with not wrapping the sheets around the agitator, fill in the spaces with smaller items of similar fabric weight (NOT heavy items such as towels).

 

[bud]

I'll try loading it in quarters, makes sense as the KA's turnover had always reminded me an old thumper's turnover.
Thanks for the input guys!

 

[appnut]

KA's turnover had always reminded me an old thumper&#39

But, that's exactly what I thought when I saw the new DD Lady Kenmore at Sears in October 1986. 

 

[frigilux]

On sheets: I bitched about this in another thread, so pardon the repeat. I recently bought a set of linens in which the fitted sheet has elastic all the way around it. Seems like a good idea, but I'll never buy another one. I wash the two queen-sized sheets and six pillowcases in a load, and invariably everything winds up inside the fitted sheet in a big ball. I'll hear it thumping away in the washer---although since it reverses, that usually works itself out. The dryer is where it gets brutal. When I hear the inevitable THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, I open the dryer, pull everything from the ball and start it up again.

The sensible thing to do would be to dry the fitted sheet separately, but I'm apparently too stubborn to give in. This is why I love hanging sheets out in the summer. Well, that and the wonderful scent of line-dried bedding.

 

[alr2903]

Sears Kenmore instruction manuals mid 1970's rec. the sheet should be in the the shape of an  "N", when you lift it high, and lower it straight down into the tub.  This was in the days of the Pentavane.  alr

 

[tomturbomatic]

The low water level will encourage tangling of sheets because, as you noted, the turnover is so rapid. Not wrapping them around the agitator and increasing the water level will most likely put an end of the problem.

 

[mrb627]

Challenge

Funny this thread came up. I was gonna request a video challenge to show whether loading a top loader in a hap-hazzard method opposed to loading as vertically as possible had any visible effects on load turnover and end results.

Malcolm

 

[launderess]

One Reason To Be Thankful About My Front Loader

Less problems when laundring sheets, especially contour versions fitted with elastic all way round.

Have always found doing sheets in most top loaders rather tricky. If they aren't loaded properly (or sometimes even if they are) you get the dreaded air ballons and the darn thing won't get dragged under. Instead just twists about the top.

Even if they are properly moved usually a wash and one rinse is all that can be had before things start getting tangled. Tangles will equal poor rinsing and fabric wear if one resets the machine for a second rinse; which one often does.

 

[DirectDriveDave]

I have found that those air bubbles seem to happen more if you rinse in warm water. I'm guessing that's because of the warm air trying to rise?

 

[laundromat]

Lay the sheets down flat and grab the center. Pull it up and feed it in open end last as the washer is agitating.Do 1 at a time letting the "Cruel action agitator" take it in. This way, any air pockets are iliminated.and each piece stays seperate because it was fed in seperately.

 

[whirlcool]

I have found that too high a water level will result in tangling. I use Laundromat's method of sheet washing with a correct water level and don't often have any problems with twisting. I set the water level so the sheets are just
immersed but you still have good turnover.

It seems if an air bubble forms it stays on the surface stationary while the rest of the sheet underwater is twisting and tangling with the other laundry items.

Heavier sheets, like 600 TC seem to tangle even worse.

BTW, as long as we are talking about sheets, anyone remember those 300TC Egyptian Cotton sheets we bought at JCPenny that were like sandpaper? We forced ourselves to use those a lot and now, 18 months later they are starting to get comfortably soft. Finally. We washed them in hot water on the regular cycle of our WP DD machine.

 

[laundromat]

no sheet--- I mean no s@#t! LOL

 

[qsd-dan]

Lay the sheets down flat and grab the center. Pull it up and feed it in open end last as the washer is agitating. Do 1 at a time letting the "powerfin" take it in. This way, any air pockets are eliminated.and each piece stays separate because it was fed in separately.

Interesting!

I very rarely have issues with sheets tangling in the Maytags, even with very full loads. I'll have to give this a try just for fun though.

Thanks!

 

[mrb627]

Gentle

Most sheets recommend the Gentle cycle nowadays. Perhaps limiting the rollover virtually eliminates the tangling problem altogether?

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Lay the sheets down flat and grab the center. Pull it up and feed it in open end last as the washer is agitating.Do 1 at a time letting the "Cruel action agitator" take it in. This way, any air pockets are iliminated.and each piece stays seperate because it was fed in seperately.

I suppose if you have the time and your machine operates with the lid raised.

Malcolm

 

[bud]

Hey Guys and Gals,
thanks for the advice. Here's what I'm doing: two sets of queen sheets, one sheet per quadrant, pillow cases on top, dropped the water level to just where the sheets are turning over and no more tangled sheets. Worked like a charm.
Bud

 

[autowasherfreak]

I wash 2 queen sheets and 4 regular size pillows cases in my Maytag 806 on medium water level, don't notice too much tangling. I only have one set of sheets at the moment so I can't experiment by washing more :-(