Nominal kilos describe the mass of dry laundry; liters and cubic feet describe volume. There is no exact conversion between these two ways of expressing washing capacity.
Read the figure together with its conditions
The European Commission defines nominal capacity with dry laundry and the manufacturer's conditions. Other markets may publish volume and use other tests. That is why the magnitude, program, and method must match before comparing two figures.
Two loads with the same weight can take up different volumes: a padded garment and several compact items do not behave the same way. Absorption also changes the weight during washing, but it does not turn the declared dry capacity into permission to load that same wet weight as a reference.
A machine can have several limits
- The maximum load for a program may be lower than the appliance's nominal capacity.
- A semi-automatic machine may declare different limits for washing and spinning.
- A washer-dryer may allow a smaller load in the full cycle than in wash only.
Illustrative example: if a machine declares 9 kg for washing and 6 kg for the full cycle, that does not mean it can handle 15 kg. For washing and drying without removing clothes, the limit corresponding to the full program applies.
Converted volume is still volume
Turning liters into cubic feet only changes the geometric unit; it does not provide kilos of fabric. To size household loads, weigh real loads dry and check bulky items. The load of a specific program also requires respecting its fabric and occupancy limits.
Compare figures that represent the same function and keep the program or test that accompanies each one.