Washing machine programm 27 February at 11:03AM in Techie Stuff 10 replies 227 views

jessacio

Hi 

So I have a family of 5 3 children 2 adults , on my machine a 30 wash is great takes 30 mins however I am finiding its not getting them clean enough . 
On my machine I have a synthetic wash @ 40 and its takes 1hr 20mins compared to the cotton 40 wash take 2.5hrs . 

is it okay to wash the clothes on the synthetic wash at the 40 as its less time that the 40 cotton wash? 

i dont have a mix load or the option to change temp for each cycle. 

Thanks 

Rodders53

You need to read the washer manual carefully.

It will likely include information on water and electricity consumption for the main programme washes.  It will also detail what weight (dry) of clothes are recommended for each.

The most economical in water and electric take longer due to soaking and agitating to get things clean.  Lower temperatures (30 C is oft suggested on clothing today) need longer slower soaking to allow the biological enzymes to do their thing.

Short/fast 20/30 minute washes are only meant for things that are very slightly grubby and need a 'freshen up'.

Cisco001

Mine have 'speed perfect' function which make my full load cotton to 1.30 hr
What brand of washing machine have you got?

carly

You can certainly wash your cothes on the 40 synthetic programme.    It would be worth checking the spin speed too, as my synthetic wash spins at a default 1200rpm whereas the cotton 40 spins at 1400rpm.  The synthetic programme uses more water and has a lower advised capacity   ( 5kg versus 8kg for the cotton load).  Only you can determine which is best for you, by experimentation.

EssexExile

As Carly says above, the main difference between a cotton wash and a synthetic wash is usually the spin speed. Some synthetics can be damaged by an over-vigorous spin cycle. You may be able to increase the spin speed in the options.

But if things aren't getting clean enough then you probably need to use a longer wash program. The 2.5 hour cotton program is there because it's the one used to get the machine its "A" rating for wash performance.

matelodave

Our machine has a 30 minute wash cycle at 30 degrees and 1200rpm spin but we can tweak it to 40 degrees and 1400rpm. Although it now takes around 45 minutes it does a much better job at both washing and spinning but takes a lot less time than the higher temperature washes..

TBH we aren't convinced that 30 degrees or even 40 is hot enough so every so often stuff gets the full monty just to ensure a proper wash. Howvever that said, some stuff needs to be washed at a lower temperature if you dont want to damage it. Read the care labels, machine instructions and wash accordingly

outtatune

Have you tried putting fewer things in for each load?

getmore4less

Cisco001 said:

Mine have 'speed perfect' function which make my full load cotton to 1.30 hr
What brand of washing machine have you got?

Mine(Bosch) has one of those buttons uses loads more energy over the eco option.

Heats the water hotter and for longer using speed

getmore4less

jessacio said:

Hi 

So I have a family of 5 3 children 2 adults , on my machine a 30 wash is great takes 30 mins however I am finiding its not getting them clean enough . 
On my machine I have a synthetic wash @ 40 and its takes 1hr 20mins compared to the cotton 40 wash take 2.5hrs . 

is it okay to wash the clothes on the synthetic wash at the 40 as its less time that the 40 cotton wash? 

i dont have a mix load or the option to change temp for each cycle. 

Thanks 

Model No?

poppellerant

The cottons cycle on most machines is usually the only one that allows you to fill the machine to it's maximum rated capacity.  For example my Bosch is rated for a 9kg capacity and the cottons cycle is specced for a max load of 9kg - however programs such as SuperQuick, Delicates/Silks, Wool, are rated for a max load of 2kg.  Other programs are rated for different load sizes.

So when you're choosing a program, don't be blinded by the seemingly low cycle times.  These times are for significantly smaller loads and using such cycles with a full load of laundry isn't going to give you the best washing performance - as you've already found out at your own expense, sadly.

Some machines, like my own, may detect a large load size and actually wash the laundry as per the normal cottons cycle - which is when the seemingly low cycle time will increase.

Finally, rinsing performance on low maximum load cycles can be poor.  The machine assumes it is rinsing a small load, therefore it may make all sorts of assumptions - such as low intermediate spin speeds, short intermediate spins, low rinse levels, short rinse durations.

Alderbank

What detergent do you use, and how much?
Makes a massive difference.