What Can You Wash in a Washing Machine?

Clothes are easy, but what about shoes, pillows, a prayer mat or a school bag? Most household items can go in a washing machine if you choose the right program and load it the right way. Here is a simple item by item guide for Pakistani homes.

Updated 14 November 2026

Start with the care label

Every piece of clothing and most home textiles have a small care label. A tub symbol means machine wash is fine, and the dots or number inside show the highest water temperature. A tub with a hand means hand wash only, and a crossed tub means do not wash in water at all. Our settings and symbols guide explains every sign.

If there is no label, use cold water, a gentle program and a short spin. That is the safest choice for almost anything.

Shoes and sneakers

Canvas and fabric sneakers wash well in a machine. Take out the laces and insoles, knock off loose mud and put the shoes in a mesh laundry bag or a pillow cover. Add two old towels so the shoes do not bang against the drum, then use a cold, gentle program with a slow spin.

Do not machine wash leather, suede or shoes with glued soles that are already coming loose. Never put shoes in a tumble dryer; let them air dry away from direct sun. A front loader with a delicate program, such as the LG F4R3VYG6P 9 KG Inverter Front Load Washing Machine, is gentler on shoes than a twin tub pulsator.

Pillows, comforters and blankets

Most polyester and fibre pillows can be machine washed. Wash two at a time to keep the drum balanced, use a gentle cycle with warm water and add an extra rinse so no soap stays inside. Memory foam and latex pillows should not go in a machine; spot clean them instead.

A comforter or razai needs a big drum. As a rough rule, a single comforter needs at least 9 to 10 kg of capacity and a double one 12 kg or more. Large top loaders like the Haier HWM120-826S6 12 KG Top Load Automatic Washing Machine or a big front loader handle bedding much better than a small machine. Dry bedding fully in the sun so it does not smell.

Rugs, door mats and prayer mats

Small cotton rugs, bath mats and door mats with no rubber backing can be machine washed on cold with a slow spin. Shake out the dust first. Rubber-backed mats can crack in hot water or a dryer, so wash them cold and dry them flat.

A prayer mat (jai namaz) is usually thin and washes easily on a gentle program. If it has heavy embroidery or a velvet finish, wash it inside a laundry bag and skip the high spin so the pile is not crushed. Big wool rugs and carpets should go to a carpet cleaner, not a home machine.

Stuffed toys, school bags and backpacks

Most soft toys can be washed in a laundry bag or pillow cover on a cold, gentle cycle. Remove batteries and sound boxes first. Toys with glued eyes or very old stuffing are better washed by hand.

Fabric school bags and backpacks also wash well. Empty every pocket, remove any metal frame, close the zips and turn the bag inside out. Use cold water and air dry it upside down so water drains out of the corners.

Jeans, coats, jackets and sweaters

Turn jeans inside out and wash them in cold water with similar dark colours. This keeps the colour from fading and stops blue dye from staining light clothes.

Most polyester and cotton coats and padded jackets can be washed on a gentle program; check the label first. Leather jackets should never be machine washed. Wool sweaters need a wool or hand wash program with cold water and a low spin, or they can shrink. Dry sweaters flat on a towel, not on a hanger.

For shalwar kameez with embroidery or lace, turn them inside out and use a delicate or Hijab program if your machine has one. Wash white cotton suits separately from coloured lawn, because new lawn often bleeds colour in the first few washes.

Curtains, bed sheets and baby clothes

Take hooks and rings off curtains, or put them in a laundry bag if the rings cannot be removed. Wash on a delicate program and hang them while still slightly damp so creases fall out.

Bed sheets wash best on a normal program at 40 C. Do not overload the drum; sheets wrap around other clothes and come out half washed. Wash baby clothes separately with a mild detergent and an extra rinse. Many front loaders and some top loaders have a hot or hygiene program for this, such as the Haier HW100-BP14929S6 10 KG Inverter Front Load Washing Machine.

What should never go in a washing machine

Some things can damage the machine or are unsafe:

• Items stained with petrol, oil or paint thinner. The fumes are a fire risk.
• Leather, suede and real fur.
• Very large rugs or anything heavier than the machine's kg rating when wet.
• Clothes with coins, keys, pins or lighters left in the pockets.
• Bras with loose underwire, unless they are inside a laundry bag.

Always check pockets before every wash. A single coin can jam a pump or scratch the drum.

Also keep the load within the kg rating of your machine. A wet comforter or rug weighs far more than it does dry, and an overloaded drum strains the motor, the belt and the suspension. If the machine shakes hard or stops on spin, take some items out and run the spin again.

Which machine handles bulky items best?

For blankets, comforters and rugs, capacity matters most. A 12 to 15 kg top load automatic or a large twin tub like the Super Asia SA-280G 10 KG Twin Tub Washing Machine has the room to move heavy items. Front loaders are the gentlest on shoes, sweaters and delicate fabric, and they rinse better.

If you wash bulky items often, see 12 KG Washing Machine Price in Pakistan and Front Load Automatic Washing Machine Price in Pakistan. For day to day steps, read how to use and clean a washing machine.

Related pages

• How to Use and Clean a Washing Machine
• Washing Machine Settings, Programs and Symbols Explained
• Washing Machine Size Guide: Dimensions and KG Capacity
• Front Load Automatic Washing Machine Price in Pakistan
• Top Load Automatic Washing Machine Price in Pakistan
• 12 KG Washing Machine Price in Pakistan
• Washer Dryer (Washing Machine with Dryer) Price in Pakistan