Riddle me this - washing machine programs.

WIAWSNB

My Bosch has a 'Cottons' setting and a 'Cottons Eco' setting. 

Both default to 40oC and 1400 rpm. 

The former is roughly twoandahalf hours in duration, the latter over 4 hours.

How the? What the? 

Ta muchly. 

Wyndham

I suspect that the Eco setting uses less power overall, meaning it will take the water longer to get up to 40 degrees. It is probably also 'joggling' the clothes with less intensity (prior to the spin), so while clothes will still get clean, it will take longer as they are not moving around as much.

Albermarle

The eco programmes use less water, and it is heating the water that is the energy guzzler.
The longer wash time is to make sure the clothes are still cleaned adequately.

WIAWSNB

Albermarle said:

The eco programmes use less water, and it is heating the water that is the energy guzzler.
The longer wash time is to make sure the clothes are still cleaned adequately.

B me with a bargepole! If that's the case, then it's no more Eco for me! 

Ta muchly. 

WIAWSNB

Wyndham said:

I suspect that the Eco setting uses less power overall, meaning it will take the water longer to get up to 40 degrees. It is probably also 'joggling' the clothes with less intensity (prior to the spin), so while clothes will still get clean, it will take longer as they are not moving around as much.

That's my quandary - how can getting to 40oC cost less one way than t'other? 

Section62

WIAWSNB said:

Albermarle said:

The eco programmes use less water, and it is heating the water that is the energy guzzler.
The longer wash time is to make sure the clothes are still cleaned adequately.

B me with a bargepole! If that's the case, then it's no more Eco for me! 

Ta muchly. 

Unless you are in a hurry, the eco programme uses less energy and water.  So save money.  MSE is a moneysaving site.

The energy saving is partly from using less water in the hot cycle, and doing less agitation.  Less water needs less energy to heat it to 40C.

More time = longer soak, and soaking for a longer time helps to clean clothes without using much energy. Great granny would have known this and soaked clothes to save energy (probably hers though, not electricity)

WIAWSNB

Section62 said:

Unless you are in a hurry, the eco programme uses less energy and water.  So save money.  MSE is a moneysaving site.

The energy saving is partly from using less water in the hot cycle, and doing less agitation.  Less water needs less energy to heat it to 40C.

More time = longer soak, and soaking for a longer time helps to clean clothes without using much energy. Great granny would have known this and soaked clothes to save energy (probably hers though, not electricity)

Ach, humbled.

That makes sense, and I have interestingly noticed that using 'eco' has produced fresher-smelling clothes than the usual, so I presume less rinsing too? 

So, cool - I'll keep using 'eco'. 

QrizB

Further to the previous replies, there should be a table in the user instructions for your washing machine that will tell you how much water and electricity a typical cycle will use, for every type of wash the machine offers.

If you refer to that table you'll be able to work out what the Eco cycle saves you vs. the normal one.

silvercar

When originally sold my machine, the sales guy said that eco programmes were only included to lower the energy usage of the machine to get a coveted A status. Manufacturers didn’t really expect people to run their machines for 4 hours to use less electricity.

Wind forward and electricity prices have increased enough that the difference is more significant, coupled with a lot of people using cheaper night time electricity, so don’t really care if the machine takes 4 hours rather than 2 and these programmes have proved more popular then ever envisaged.

silvercar

WIAWSNB said:

Section62 said:

Unless you are in a hurry, the eco programme uses less energy and water.  So save money.  MSE is a moneysaving site.

The energy saving is partly from using less water in the hot cycle, and doing less agitation.  Less water needs less energy to heat it to 40C.

More time = longer soak, and soaking for a longer time helps to clean clothes without using much energy. Great granny would have known this and soaked clothes to save energy (probably hers though, not electricity)

Ach, humbled.

That makes sense, and I have interestingly noticed that using 'eco' has produced fresher-smelling clothes than the usual, so I presume less rinsing too? 

So, cool - I'll keep using 'eco'. 

Baby grandchild has sensitive skin and his clothes need an extra rinse, for this reason. It does make you think whether these washes are cleaning sufficiently or just masking more effectively.

WIAWSNB

All I know is, when run on Cottons Eco, the conditioner - of which it consumes copious quants regardless of prog - is at least noticeable afterwards. So happy to keep Ecoing.