Concrete in washing machine? (mystery solved)

A lot of homeowners don’t know this mystery and when they know that there’s a concrete block inside washing machine; they’re just amused about it.

Yes! The washing machine does have a concrete block inside and that’s the reason why washing machines are heavy to lift. The reason to put concrete inside the washing machine is to make it stable and balance the heavy electric motor during washing cycles. You can find this concrete block attached to the steel inner tub along with the heavy gearbox.

Table of Contents

• How much concrete is in a washing machine?
• Can you put clothes with cement in the washing machine?
• Is there concrete in the bottom of a washing machine?
• Can you take the concrete block out of a washing machine?

How much concrete is in a washing machine?

Washing machines are heavy appliances to lift. Most of their weight is because of the concrete blocks inside. But you know if you’d avoid that concrete block the washing machine will start to wobble violently from side to side. As a result it will burst up through the lid during spinning throwing out all of the soapy water.

Modern washing machines have got two heavy drum weights inside with one on the top of the drum while other underneath or around the front of the drum. The total weight of the concrete block is approximately 25 kg or under 4 stone.

Can you put clothes with cement in the washing machine?

No if you’ve got some cloths that have some cement or concrete particles attached, it is not recommended to put these cloths in the washing machine directly. The cement can become harder and can eventually damage the spinner. Similarly, the cement can get stuck in the machine’s filter causing blockages further.

So, it is best that first you remove the cement or concrete pieces from the cloth and then wash it in the machine afterwards. You can also soak the cloths in solution of water and vinegar. Laundry detergent will also do the trick to loosen the cement before washing.

Also Read: Can composite decking go over concrete? (Here’s how to do it)

Is there concrete in the bottom of a washing machine?

Washing machines do have concrete blocks but not in the bottom rather inside the machine to counter balance the weight of the tub during the spin cycle. This counterweight is located inside the bottom and helps prevent the machine from shaking or vibrating excessively. The concrete being heavy material is ideal for use as a counterweight but some manufacturing companies also introduced heavy metal brackets as an alternate.

Also Read: Can you paint concrete pavers? (Including Staining)

Can you take the concrete block out of a washing machine?

Now there’s a new concept that you can actually get rid of the concrete block out of the machine. The idea is to replace these blocks of weight with some plastic containers filled with water. Now this concept is to make washing machine light weight and easy to transport. The consumer can refill these bottles to return the washing machine to the require weight.

This concept believes to make washing machines upto a third lighter. This entire concept once seen on a large scale reveals that it can potentially save around 44,625 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

Anyways, I don’t have any idea that whether this concept will eventually work or not. But still I love the idea and the concept that people are looking to improve things from outside an industry.

Yes! You can take the concrete block out of the washing machine and replace them with plastic filled with water. A washing machine drum is approximately 25 kg of weight and so, you need 25 liters of water adding to the drum in order to get rid of the concrete block. 1 liter of water weighs approximately 1kg.

Also Read: How to stop concrete from sweating? (Reasons & Tips to avoid)