Generally speaking, cold wash cycles are best for delicates, colored, and normally soiled clothing; warm water is best for more soiled clothing and whites; and hot water is best for very soiled clothing or for loads, like underwear and towels, where you want to remove germs and allergens.
Heavily soiled clothing such as towels or bedding should be washed in warm or hot temperatures, but delicate fabrics such as lingerie wash better in lower temperatures. If you have stained whites with things such as blood or wine, a hot/warm wash could help the stain to set in, so a cold wash should do just the job.
Front-load washers are generally considered to clean better than top-load washers for several reasons: Agitation: Front-load washers use a tumbling action rather than an agitator, which can be gentler on clothes while still providing effective cleaning.
Use a Heavy-Duty Cycle & Wash Hot
Depending on the machine, the setting will either read bulky or heavy-duty for heavily soiled clothing. You will want to wash work clothes separately from other laundry. Generally, washing work clothes in hot water is ideal.
Generally, cold wash cycles are fine for all clothes including delicates and colored clothing. Warm water should be used for clothes that are more soiled and for whites, and hot water for very soiled clothing or items that need to be kept clean, like underwear and towels.
The Delicate cycle is great for washing lightweight, lightly soiled items like sheer fabrics, silk blouses and synthetic fabrics. It's also helpful for washing items prone to wrinkling.
Generally speaking, cold wash cycles are best for delicates, colored, and normally soiled clothing; warm water is best for more soiled clothing and whites; and hot water is best for very soiled clothing or for loads, like underwear and towels, where you want to remove germs and allergens.
Wash clothes on the shortest cycle (e.g. "quick wash") that's practical for your needs. This means less water, heated to a lower temperature and a shorter spin cycle to save water and energy. Bonus: a quick cycle will cause less damage to your clothes over time so help them last longer.
Use a combination of white vinegar and baking soda to naturally clean your washing machine; pour half a cup of baking soda into the drum followed by two cups of vinegar in the detergent dispenser, then run a hot wash cycle. For stubborn grime and odors, consider commercial washing machine cleaners.
Regular, normal, or cotton
The regular wash cycle (a.k.a. 'normal' or 'cotton') is the lengthiest and most intense cycle, with high agitation in both the spin and wash cycles.
A washing machine with an impeller uses less motion and water than a washer with an agitator. Designed so laundry has more room to move, it drives clothes from the outer rim of the wash basket to the center, using a small amount of water to optimize the friction. This is what helps deliver a gentle, yet thorough clean.
The Power Steam program is perfect for lightly soiled cotton, synthetic, and mixed fabrics items, effectively removing stains. The SpinDry/Rinse program rinses your load and spins it dry without detergent.
If your washing machine does not have a dedicated self-cleaning function, run your washing machine on an empty cycle at the hottest temperature, without using detergent. This will help to remove dirt and bacteria, keeping your appliance clean, hygienic, and ready for use.
Washes of 60°C or above are best for removing tough stains and high levels of bacteria. Warm washes of around 40°C are best for items that come into close contact with the body such as underwear. Cold washes, which range from 15°C to 30°C, should be used for more lightly to moderately soiled items.
The Delicates Cycle
A delicate wash or “hand wash” cycle is the machine equivalent to handwashing! This cycle uses warm or cold water with low or no spin. It's typically the shortest and most gentle cleaning cycle, and the low or no-spin allows for minimal fabric agitation.
The major difference between delicate and normal wash cycles is agitation or tumbling speed. Compared to normal wash cycles which use higher agitation or tumbling speeds for casual items, delicate wash cleans items using low agitation or tumbling speeds, along with cold water, for gentle cleaning and reduced wrinkling.
Set your washing machine to the highest and hottest water setting. Add in four cups of white vinegar, and start a cycle.
While it may be tempting to use the quick-wash cycle every time you need to clean a load of laundry, it should really only be used for freshening up garments. An example would be items such as a blouse and pants that are only lightly soiled and that you want to wear last-minute.
Choose the Right Wash Cycle
A regular cycle is best for sturdy and dirty clothes, while the permanent press setting is fine for the average load. Use the delicate cycle for lacy and loosely woven fabrics. Use hot water for white loads, warm water for the average load, and cold water for bright colors.
If your washer leaves clothes soaked, you may also need to check your cycle settings. Hand Wash or Delicate settings often use slower spin speeds to avoid harming fragile fabrics, leaving a standard wash load soaking wet.
Wash towels separately from the rest of your laundry. If your towels aren't cotton, avoid temperatures higher than 40°. *if you don't have a cotton program on your machine, use the 'White/Colors' cycle.