Big stuff
Yes, it fits.
This is the question we get more than any other, usually from someone standing in the doorway holding a comforter. The short answer is almost always yes — here’s the long one.
Meet W1
80 lbs
Our biggest washer, and the reason people drive up Highway 9 to get here. A king comforter goes in with room to actually tumble — which is the part that gets it clean. A home machine just packs it into a wet brick.
$19.00 a load.
Will it fit?
Item by item
Match what you’re holding to a machine. When in doubt, size up — things need room to move to get clean.
| What you’ve got | Use | How to do it right |
|---|---|---|
| King or California king comforter | W1 (80 lb) | Wash alone so it can tumble. Cold water, low heat to dry. |
| Queen or full comforter | W2–W5 (60 lb) | Fits comfortably with room to move. Two at once? Use W1. |
| Sleeping bag (synthetic) | W2–W5 (60 lb) | Cold, gentle, no fabric softener. Dry low with a couple of tennis balls. |
| Sleeping bag (down) | W1 (80 lb) | Give it the big drum. Down needs space or it clumps. Dry low and slow. |
| Dog bed (large, removable cover) | W2–W5 (60 lb) | Shake the hair out first — your machine and the next person thank you. |
| Dog bed (giant, one piece) | W1 (80 lb) | The 80 swallows these whole. Dry thoroughly — foam holds water. |
| Moving blankets / packing quilts | W1 (80 lb) | Six to eight at a time. Great after a move or a gear haul. |
| Two weeks of camping clothes | W6–W9 (40 lb) | Everything in one go, including the towels. |
| Area rug (washable, no rubber backing) | W2–W5 (60 lb) | Check the label first. Rubber-backed rugs shed and can jam a drum. |
| Mattress pad or featherbed | W1 (80 lb) | Bulky more than heavy. Needs the room to move to actually get clean. |
| Curtains and drapes | W6–W9 (40 lb) | Cold and gentle. Hang or tumble low so they do not shrink. |
| Horse blanket / heavy canvas tarp | W1 (80 lb) | Knock the dirt off outside first. The 80 handles the rest. |
The honest no’s
What not to put in our machines
We would rather tell you now than have you open the drum and find out.
Wetsuits
Neoprene does not survive a commercial extractor. Rinse it in fresh water and hang it — that is genuinely the right answer, not us being cautious.
Anything greasy, oily, or fuel-soaked
Shop rags, chainsaw gear, mechanic's coveralls. It is a fire risk in a hot dryer and it transfers to the next person's load.
Rubber-backed rugs and bath mats
The backing cracks, sheds, and leaves crumbs in the drum. Small mats without rubber are fine.
Anything still caked in mud or sand
Shake it out in the lot first. Beach sand and creek silt sink into the machine, not out of it.
Pet bedding that has not been de-haired
Not a rule so much as a favour. Hair mats into a wet drum and comes out on somebody's black shirt.
Doing it right
Four rules for washing something huge
1
Give it room
A drum should be about two-thirds full. If you have to shove it, go up a size — cramming is why big things come out still dirty.
2
Cold water, less soap
Bulky items rinse badly. Half the detergent you think you need is usually right, and cold protects the fill in bags and comforters.
3
Dry low and long
High heat melts synthetic fill and bakes the loft out of down. Low heat and patience beats hot and fast every time.
4
Throw in a couple of tennis balls
Sounds like folklore, works like magic. They break up clumps in sleeping bags and comforters so they dry evenly.