Washing machine spin speeds
Faster spin speeds do extract more water, but the real-world benefit diminishes significantly beyond around 1200 to 1400rpm. Many washing machines across a manufacturer’s range share the same motor – with speed electronically limited to create different price points. The premium charged for a faster spin rarely reflects the engineering difference involved.
Washing machine spin speeds have crept upward for decades, with each new generation offering a slightly higher rpm and a slightly higher price. But how much of this represents genuine engineering progress – and how much is marketing? The answer, based on decades of hands-on appliance engineering experience, is more complicated than manufacturers would have you believe.
A Brief History of Washing Machine Spin Speeds
When front-loading washing machines became common in the UK during the mid-1970s, most spun at around 700rpm or less. In the late 1970s, manufacturers began using spin speed as a key selling point, and the race upward began. By the early 1980s, 1100rpm machines were available. By the 2000s, 1600rpm had become a standard premium offering, and some machines now advertise 1800rpm or higher.
The introduction of intermediate speeds – 900, 1000, 1200rpm – followed a pattern that had less to do with engineering and more to do with pricing. There is no fabric type that specifically requires 1000rpm. But a 1000rpm machine can be priced between an 800 and an 1100 model, creating a convenient new price point with a perceived improvement in specification. This remains the primary commercial purpose of many intermediate spin speeds.
Are You Paying Extra for the Same Machine?
One of the less-discussed realities of washing machine manufacturing is that many machines across a range share exactly the same motor and speed control electronics. Unlike a car, where a larger engine is a physically different and more expensive component, a faster-spinning washing machine commonly uses the same motor as the slower model in the same range – just running at a higher speed.
In older machines, a common practice was to use the same control board throughout a range, with a physical link cut on the board to limit the maximum spin speed. A machine sold as a 1200rpm model had one link cut; the same board sold in a 1400rpm machine had a different link cut. The cost difference to manufacture was minimal. The price difference to the consumer could be £100 or more.
Modern machines with inverter motors use software rather than physical links to control maximum spin speed, but the principle is the same. The hardware is often identical across a range; the specification difference is a software setting. The manufacturing cost difference between speed tiers is typically far smaller than the retail price difference suggests.
There are also machines that only reach their advertised top spin speed for a very short time – in some cases as little as 30 seconds – or that only achieve maximum speed if the load happens to be perfectly balanced. A machine sold as a 1600rpm washer may spend the vast majority of every spin at a much lower speed.
Spin Speed Test: Does Faster Actually Make a Difference?
To cut through the claims, Whitegoods Help carried out a practical test using three identical towels, spun at 800rpm, 1100rpm, and 1400rpm, then assessed both by hand and by monitoring drying times on a washing line.
How the Test Was Done
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Three identical towels were sourced. Each was washed with a full load of mixed towels on a rinse and spin programme at a manually set final spin speed.
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The first towel was spun at 800rpm, then removed and set aside.
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The second towel was spun at 1100rpm, then removed and set aside.
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The third towel was spun at 1400rpm, then removed.
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All three were assessed immediately by hand, then hung on a washing line on a sunny, calm day and monitored until dry.
Results: Hand Assessment
| Spin Speed | Feel Immediately After Spinning |
|---|---|
| 800rpm | Wet and damp to the touch, though no further water could be wrung out by hand |
| 1100rpm | Slightly less cold to the face – marginally drier, but very similar to the 800rpm towel |
| 1400rpm | Noticeably less wet – a more perceptible difference over the 800 and 1100rpm towels |
Results: Drying on the Line
| Spin Speed | After One Hour on the Line |
|---|---|
| 800rpm | Almost dry but noticeably damper than the others – approximately 10 minutes behind |
| 1100rpm | Almost dry – very little difference compared to the 1400rpm towel |
| 1400rpm | Virtually bone dry after one hour |
What the Test Shows – and What It Means for Buyers
The test found a real but modest difference between spin speeds. The gap between 800rpm and 1400rpm was perceptible – the faster-spun towel dried noticeably quicker on the line. But the gap between 1100rpm and 1400rpm was much smaller, and in practice amounts to a matter of minutes of drying time.
For households that routinely dry clothes outside, the faster spin speed offers limited practical benefit – laundry at any reasonable spin speed will dry fully given enough time. For households using a tumble dryer, a higher spin speed does reduce the energy cost of drying, and the saving is worth factoring in. Our companion article on spin speed efficiency and tumble drying costs covers this in more detail.
Higher spin speeds mean more noise, more vibration, and more mechanical stress on bearings, suspension, and the cabinet. A budget machine spinning at 1600rpm is placing significant demands on components that may not be engineered to cope with them long-term. For most households, the practical benefit above 1400rpm is small relative to the noise, wear, and cost involved.
What Is the Optimum Spin Speed?
Based on engineering experience and the evidence from spin efficiency data, the optimum spin speed for most households sits between 1200 and 1400rpm. Above this, the returns diminish – more water is technically extracted, but the practical difference in drying time is small, and the cost in noise, vibration, and mechanical wear increases.
A well-built machine spinning at 1200 or 1400rpm will typically be quieter, more reliable, and longer-lived than a cheaper machine rated at 1600rpm. The headline rpm figure is not a reliable guide to overall quality.
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Related Guides
Spin Speed Efficiency and Tumble Drying CostsManufacturer data on residual moisture at different spin speeds, and what it means for tumble drying energy costs.
Spin Drying Performance on the Energy LabelWhat the spin efficiency rating on the energy label actually measures – and the limitations of using it to compare machines.
Washing Machine Noisy on Spin?Common causes of spin noise and what they indicate about the condition of the machine.
Choosing the Best Washing MachineWhat to look for beyond the headline spec – reliability, repairability, and the factors that matter most over the long term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a higher washing machine spin speed always better?
Not necessarily. A higher spin speed does extract more water, which reduces drying time. However, the benefit diminishes significantly above around 1200 to 1400rpm, and faster spins create more noise, vibration, and mechanical wear. A well-built machine at 1200rpm will often outperform a cheaper machine rated at 1600rpm in both reliability and noise over time.
Do washing machines across a range share the same motor?
Frequently, yes. Many manufacturers use the same motor and control electronics across multiple models in a range, with the maximum spin speed limited electronically rather than by a different or more powerful motor. The manufacturing cost difference between a 1200rpm and a 1400rpm version of the same machine is often very small relative to the retail price difference.
What is the optimum spin speed for a washing machine?
Based on engineering experience and spin efficiency data, most households will find that 1200 to 1400rpm offers the best balance of performance, noise, and longevity. Above this range, the reduction in drying time becomes increasingly marginal while the mechanical demands on the machine increase.
Does a faster spin speed save money on tumble drying?
Yes, to a degree. Laundry that has had more water extracted needs less time in the tumble dryer, which reduces energy costs. The saving is most meaningful for households that tumble dry regularly. For households that line dry, the practical difference between spin speeds is smaller – all loads will dry fully given enough time.
Why are there so many different spin speeds available?
Intermediate spin speeds – 900, 1000, 1200rpm and so on – serve a commercial purpose as much as a functional one. They allow manufacturers to create a tiered pricing structure with perceived specification differences at each level, even when the underlying hardware is similar or identical. Each new speed tier becomes a new price point rather than a new engineering achievement.
28 Comments
Grouped into 14 comment threads.
7 replies Great article as I am trying to determine the best specs for a new washing machine. I live in a household which relies on on spin drying before good old fashioned clothes horse near the radiator in the kitchen. The Zanussi/Electrolux Timeline 1400, 6kg present machine was excellent at expelling water from the wash when using the 10 minute 'Spin' after the 30 min quick wash cycle had finished. Clothes dried in several hours. I was asking myself the same question regarding drum size to rpm performance. Is it possible by going with a larger drum kg capacity the expelling of water is more laboured due to the a revolution taking longer on a bigger drum compared to the inertia of a smaller drum revolving faster? Although the same amount of clothes in a larger drum might help expel water for being less crowded in the drum in a 8kg instead of 6kg? It get's technical in the details. Interestingly I compared 'Water Remaining After Spin' specs between a 1200 and 1400 rpm Bosch and the results are the same at 53% water retained. Assuming that's what the spec means So I'm not sure which way to go for the best specs on spin to hand dry requirements. I'm not sure where the results are splitting hairs. Suggestions :-) Just to add the Zanussi sounds like the bearings are shot. Too much drum play and sounds like The Space Shuttle taking off in the kitchen. Another factor to consider is the need to spin again after each wash shortening the life of the machine?
2 replies Thanks for this article. I have two washing machines. One spins at 800 RPM and the other at 1600. I washed some towels in the slower-spinning machine and weighed them when the wash was done. It weighed 30 lbs. I put them in the second (faster) machine for a spin only. When done the towels weighed 20 lbs. (An extra 10 lbs of water was removed!) When the towels came out of the dryer they weighed 10 lbs. I tried to find out from my Gas and Electric company how much money I might save doing this on a regular basis. Unfortunately they wouldn't answer me. (Glad to see your drying time comparison.) Even though I didn't get an answer from the utility company I still follow this "wash in the slower and spin in the faster" machine process.
Thanks for this article. I have two washing machines. One spins at 800 RPM and the other at 1600. I washed some towels in the slower-spinning machine and weighed them when the wash was done. It weighed 30 lbs. I put them in the second (faster) machine for a spin only. When done the towels weighed 20 lbs. (An extra 10 lbs of water was removed!) When the towels came out of the dryer they weighed 10 lbs.
I tried to find out from my Gas and Electric company how much money I might save doing this on a regular basis. Unfortunately they wouldn’t answer me. (Glad to see your drying time comparison.)
Even though I didn’t get an answer from the utility company I still follow this “wash in the slower and spin in the faster” machine process.
Likely replying to michael
Hello Michael, thanks for your comment. It’s good to see people experimenting, but to be honest something seems not quite right with those figures. Removing an extra ten pounds weight of water from laundry already spun at 800 which would usually leave them relatively dry (it would be difficult to wring much water out of them for example) seems remarkably high. I wouldn’t expect that amount of water to be in them at all even before they were spun. I just did a quick experiment myself and found that 1 pint of water weighed roughly one pound, so that would mean you got an extra 10 pints of water from laundry which had already been spun at 800 which seems impossible.
I have another article you might be interested in about the difference in tumble drying costs after spinning laundry at different speeds, which shows that after 800 spin the laundry has normally around 70% residual dampness and after a 1400 spin it changes to 50% so there’s a 20% improvement (there are no figures for 1600). My article argues that in the big picture, it may work out better to spin laundry at more modest speeds :)
Washing machine spin speed efficiency figures and drying costs
Andy,
Thanks for the question. I believe the 800 rpm machine never got to full spin speed. You know how machines often try to spin but because of unbalanced loads it often fails. That might have happened in this case. (The machine in the basement so I didn’t get to watch or hear the spin cycle.)
I will attempt another experiment and post the results.
“you got an extra 10 pints of water from laundry which had already been spun at 800 which seems impossible.” I’ll try the experiment again and report back.
What might have happened is that because of the heavy weight of the towels (and possibly unbalanced load) they didn’t ever spin at 800 rpm. My washing machine is in the basement so I didn’t get to hear/watch the spin cycle.
1 reply Thank you for this. Weighing the towels when dry and then following each spin cycle may be a more accurate way of determining the amount of water left in each towel.
Thank you for this.
Weighing the towels when dry and then following each spin cycle may be a more accurate way of determining the amount of water left in each towel.
1 reply Thanks you Andy for the answer. Here in India, I observed lower cloth load/weight washing machines have lower RPMs, for e.g. LG 5.5 KG has max 800 RPM, LG 6 KG has 1000 RPM, and LG 6.5 KG has 1200 RPM. I guess they calibrate drum radius & depth based on its capacity to provide same drying results for every capacity. In the end, centripetal/centrifugal force & acceleration experienced by clothes is proportional to radius of the drum. I have observed in a showroom that higher capacity drums tend to be deeper. I guess lower rpm drums have bigger radius/diameter but have smaller depth i.e. they are narrow. Anyway, thanks again for clarifying that cleaning is not affected by spin speed.
Thanks you Andy for the answer.
Here in India, I observed lower cloth load/weight washing machines have lower RPMs, for e.g. LG 5.5 KG has max 800 RPM, LG 6 KG has 1000 RPM, and LG 6.5 KG has 1200 RPM. I guess they calibrate drum radius & depth based on its capacity to provide same drying results for every capacity.
In the end, centripetal/centrifugal force & acceleration experienced by clothes is proportional to radius of the drum. I have observed in a showroom that higher capacity drums tend to be deeper. I guess lower rpm drums have bigger radius/diameter but have smaller depth i.e. they are narrow.
Anyway, thanks again for clarifying that cleaning is not affected by spin speed.
Likely replying to Prakash
Hello Prakash. I think it’s more likely that cheaper washing machines have smaller drums and lower spin speeds. Fast spin speeds always cost more money. As my article discusses it costs very little extra, or potentially virtually nothing extra to make a washing machine spin faster but they use spin speeds as desirable features which we have to pay extra for. I think it’s as crude as that.
1 reply Have you tried the weighting method at different speeds for 3 the same items? It should be more accurate than what you did here.
Have you tried the weighting method at different speeds for 3 the same items? It should be more accurate than what you did here.
Likely replying to john walker
Hello John. I believe Which? use a weighing method but I’m assuming they use highly accurate and sensitive weighing equipment which I don’t have. The problem with overly accurate methods is that they can often imply stronger relevance than they deserve. For example it may be technically accurate to say that spinning at one speed removes 10% more water than spinning at another speed, but what if that 10% only equates to half a thimbleful? Sales pitches can say by this machine gets 10% more water out even if it’s virtually insignificant.
I wanted to try a real-world test to see if it felt any different and how much quicker they take to dry. To me, I’ve never been interested in statistics showing percentages that rarely give any proper context. It’s like when they say doing something doubles our risk of getting a serious disease when all it does is change it from 200 million to 1 to 100 million to 1, leaving it still incredibly unlikely but sounding really dangerous :-)
1 reply we previously had a hoover vision HD, which was 1400 spin and although working ok for washing when it spun it was making a heck of a noise (and getting on my nerves) which sounded terrible; so instead of getting it fixed we decided on purchasing a new machine. bought a bosch varioperfect 1200 spin last september. the spin seems to retain far more water than I expected since its only 200rpm less than the other and i end up doing the 'aqua plus' feature more frequently to extract more than I expected. not sure if its because I was used to the extraction on the previous machine or not that the bosch doesn't seem to extract enough but with the engineer comments that if he comes out we will have to pay a £75 fee if nothing wrong with the spin speed I was wondering if there was anyway I could check myself if it was working at its full 1200 spin speed. how do they test these things? is there a gadget to check it with? many thanks Lynn
we previously had a hoover vision HD, which was 1400 spin and although working ok for washing when it spun it was making a heck of a noise (and getting on my nerves) which sounded terrible; so instead of getting it fixed we decided on purchasing a new machine.
bought a bosch varioperfect 1200 spin last september. the spin seems to retain far more water than I expected since its only 200rpm less than the other and i end up doing the ‘aqua plus’ feature more frequently to extract more than I expected.
not sure if its because I was used to the extraction on the previous machine or not that the bosch doesn’t seem to extract enough but with the engineer comments that if he comes out we will have to pay a £75 fee if nothing wrong with the spin speed I was wondering if there was anyway I could check myself if it was working at its full 1200 spin speed. how do they test these things? is there a gadget to check it with?
many thanks Lynn
Likely replying to lynn
Hello Lynn: I would expect an aqua plus feature to add more water on rinses to help rinse things like towels and sheets. I can’t see how it could be related to spin.
There can be quite a difference between various washing machines in the exact way that they spin. For example, many cheaper brands boast really fast spin speeds but they only spin at that speed for a very short time. Some washing machines (especially budget brands, and sadly Bosch washing machines are pretty budget these days) have very sensitive out of balance protection and don’t even allow a full spin speed spin unless they detect the laundry is perfectly balanced.
For the reasons above it is possible that a washing machine with a lower spin speed could extract more water than one with a higher spin speed. Drum design can also play a part in water extraction. It may be possible that the inner drum is just designed better to allow more water to be extracted. Then there is also drum size which can affect the amount of water extracted on spin.
So for many reasons it is not always possible to compare spin speeds unless they are on the exact same brand and the same model range. Generally speaking if everything is equal there should not be a significant difference between a 1200 and 1400 spin but for the reasons mentioned above it is possible that other factors come into play to affect things which most people would assume are only down to the revolutions per minute.
1 reply There seems to be an emphasis on HIGH spin speeds. I am looking for a machine with a gentle, low and short spin speed for my delicates
There seems to be an emphasis on HIGH spin speeds. I am looking for a machine with a gentle, low and short spin speed for my delicates
0 replies I notice big difference from 1200 to 1800 even 1600 to 1800 is noticeable. But at higher rpm 1800 clothes gets wrinklier than 1600, so i usually use 1600. But if there is a thick fabric i use 1800 so it can hang dry faster. I always hang dry. with 1200 rpm it took ages to dry the clothes. Even sometimes leaving an un fresh smell.
I notice big difference from 1200 to 1800 even 1600 to 1800 is noticeable.
But at higher rpm 1800 clothes gets wrinklier than 1600, so i usually use 1600. But if there is a thick fabric i use 1800 so it can hang dry faster. I always hang dry. with 1200 rpm it took ages to dry the clothes. Even sometimes leaving an un fresh smell.
0 replies Where we live we use a spin dryer that goes to well over 2000rpm, during the wet winters. It saves a lot of drying time compared to spinning it in the washing machine, even at the claimed 1200rpm. Electricity is very expensive here so a tumble dryer, besides costing more to buy would also fairly rapidly use more than the cost of the spin dryer. In summer the washing machine's 800rpm is more than enough. So basically we won't even look at the claimed maximum spin speed of washing machines when we shop for one.
Where we live we use a spin dryer that goes to well over 2000rpm, during the wet winters. It saves a lot of drying time compared to spinning it in the washing machine, even at the claimed 1200rpm. Electricity is very expensive here so a tumble dryer, besides costing more to buy would also fairly rapidly use more than the cost of the spin dryer. In summer the washing machine’s 800rpm is more than enough. So basically we won’t even look at the claimed maximum spin speed of washing machines when we shop for one.
0 replies Keep in mind the spinning speed across different models doesn't result in the same relative centrifugal force (RCF, or G-force) due to differences in the diameter and the design of the rotor. As far as I know I've never seen any manufacturers list their RCF values for comparison. Perhaps certain washing machines are much better at extracting liquid than others at similar spinning velocities. A larger rotor will produce a higher RCF value at the same spinning speed. A typical washing machine spinning at 1400rpm can produce anywhere from 300 to 700 RCF. This is the reason why balancing and maximal load are so important. Putting 10kg of clothing inside your washing machine means there's over 10000kg (10 tonnes!) of force on your rotor due to the weight of the clothing and the water trapped inside. Also this is likely the reason why it's fairly difficult to increase the RPM of a machine; it takes a LOT of technology for a machine to automatically balance a complex load such as clothing and survive thousands of hours of >10 ton forces Keep that in mind next time you overload your machine :)
Keep in mind the spinning speed across different models doesn’t result in the same relative centrifugal force (RCF, or G-force) due to differences in the diameter and the design of the rotor. As far as I know I’ve never seen any manufacturers list their RCF values for comparison. Perhaps certain washing machines are much better at extracting liquid than others at similar spinning velocities.
A larger rotor will produce a higher RCF value at the same spinning speed. A typical washing machine spinning at 1400rpm can produce anywhere from 300 to 700 RCF. This is the reason why balancing and maximal load are so important. Putting 10kg of clothing inside your washing machine means there’s over 10000kg (10 tonnes!) of force on your rotor due to the weight of the clothing and the water trapped inside. Also this is likely the reason why it’s fairly difficult to increase the RPM of a machine; it takes a LOT of technology for a machine to automatically balance a complex load such as clothing and survive thousands of hours of >10 ton forces
Keep that in mind next time you overload your machine :)
0 replies Actually, manufacturers could and should be giving a figure in G's (gravities, or acceleration) for spin-drying, because that figure will be a product of the spin speed and (drum-roll) ....... THE DIAMETER OF THE DRUM. A large capacity machine will get stuff drier at a given RPM than a smaller capacity one with a smaller drum.
Actually, manufacturers could and should be giving a figure in G’s (gravities, or acceleration) for spin-drying, because that figure will be a product of the spin speed and (drum-roll) ……. THE DIAMETER OF THE DRUM.
A large capacity machine will get stuff drier at a given RPM than a smaller capacity one with a smaller drum.
0 replies I always prefer 1000 or less, makes ironing much easier, or no ironing at all.
I always prefer 1000 or less, makes ironing much easier, or no ironing at all.
0 replies Energy efficiency in washing machines comes from water usage and how much they cost to heat up the water. The motor hardly uses much energy in comparison so I don't think there's much room to save much energy with the motors. I would have thought the faster they spin the more power they use. Slower is better because it's quieter, and less wear and tear, but if too slow the laundry doesn't get dry enough.
Energy efficiency in washing machines comes from water usage and how much they cost to heat up the water. The motor hardly uses much energy in comparison so I don’t think there’s much room to save much energy with the motors. I would have thought the faster they spin the more power they use. Slower is better because it’s quieter, and less wear and tear, but if too slow the laundry doesn’t get dry enough.
0 replies My sister and I were discussing washing machines. She said in Europe (France), machines spun slower and were more energy efficient. I'm thinking that spinning faster is better for the motor because of inertia or some movement equation. Kinetic? An object in motion stays in motion? Which is better for the motor - faster or slower? Thanks!
My sister and I were discussing washing machines. She said in Europe (France), machines spun slower and were more energy efficient. I’m thinking that spinning faster is better for the motor because of inertia or some movement equation. Kinetic? An object in motion stays in motion? Which is better for the motor – faster or slower? Thanks!
Great article as I am trying to determine the best specs for a new washing machine.
I live in a household which relies on on spin drying before good old fashioned clothes horse near the radiator in the kitchen. The Zanussi/Electrolux Timeline 1400, 6kg present machine was excellent at expelling water from the wash when using the 10 minute ‘Spin’ after the 30 min quick wash cycle had finished. Clothes dried in several hours.
I was asking myself the same question regarding drum size to rpm performance. Is it possible by going with a larger drum kg capacity the expelling of water is more laboured due to the a revolution taking longer on a bigger drum compared to the inertia of a smaller drum revolving faster?
Although the same amount of clothes in a larger drum might help expel water for being less crowded in the drum in a 8kg instead of 6kg? It get’s technical in the details. Interestingly I compared ‘Water Remaining After Spin’ specs between a 1200 and 1400 rpm Bosch and the results are the same at 53% water retained. Assuming that’s what the spec means
So I’m not sure which way to go for the best specs on spin to hand dry requirements. I’m not sure where the results are splitting hairs.
Suggestions :-)
Just to add the Zanussi sounds like the bearings are shot. Too much drum play and sounds like The Space Shuttle taking off in the kitchen. Another factor to consider is the need to spin again after each wash shortening the life of the machine?
Likely replying to Vincent Palmer
Thanks Vincent. Yes an extra full spin is definitely adding wear and tear to everything. It would be better to find a wash cycle that does the full spin at the end, you shouldn’t need two spins. On the other hand if the quick wash has a short spin cycle it won’t do much harm to do the full spin after compared with doing a longer wash cycle such as 40 degree cottons which has a full spin at the end. The 40 degree cottons should wash them better though.
Washing machines with the same drum size and same spin speed can have different levels of dryness due to drum design and the fact that some don’t spin for very long on the fastest spin. It’s possible for 2 machines to spin at 1400 for example but one only achieves 1400 RPM for 30 seconds right at the end of a spin cycle and the other to spin at 1400 RPM right from the off.
Likely replying to Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp)
Thanks Andy, much appreciated. My mother was used to using the longer wash cycle that probably had the longer spin cycle. I thought using the quick 30 minute wash saved energy. I am amazed it’s not the case. I guess the quick wash is like a hundred metre dash up hill in the rain as far as the carbon footprint and drum agitation and water consumption.
The longer wash is a stroll through the woods in light mist that takes at least an hour but you feel refreshed. :-)
Likely replying to Vincent Palmer
Hi Vincent, yes the only thing that saves any real energy is wash temperature. It’s only the heating element that uses any significant electricity. Most quick wash cycles are useless gimmicks and useful only to freshen up laundry that’s not actually dirty such as a shirt worn once for a few hours at the pub (with no smoking ban).
Likely replying to Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp)
Hi Andy! It’s so good of you to respond to all of the comments on your posts. Thank you in advance!
Last night we pulled out an old Kenmore HE2 (3.6 cubic feet) washing machine from our basement, and replaced it with a new LG 3170 (5 cubic feet). So far, I am really unimpressed with the LG — in particular, I am finding it leaves my clothes significantly more wrinkled than the Kenmore. This is a big deal for me, because I always hang-dry clothes, and think it’s reasonable to expect promptly & well-hung knit cottons to dry wrinkle-free. I loved our Kenmore: it spun the clothes nicely dry (dryer, I think, than this LG), was really gentle on fabrics, and did a great job at cleaning. Hilariously, the old machine is sitting outside, and we are considering hauling it back in and trying to repair after all the trouble of getting the new one.
Two questions:
1) Does the fact that the LG is wrinkling the clothes more mean that it is most likely harder on the clothes as well? (one is very annoying, the other is a non-option for me)
2) If my cotton/normal cycle is wanting a “high” spin speed, but I always adjust it to “medium”, do you think I will be getting my clothes clean enough (ie. will the washing machine be designed to need it’s high spin speed, or, assuming it spins faster than is necessary, will “medium” be closer to what I want anyway).
Appreciate your time!
Summer
Likely replying to Summer
Hello summer, sorry for the delayed reply. Badly creased laundry is usually caused by being spun too fast or too long. There may be a difference in the top spin speed and even the length of time it spins from your new one to your old. In theory, if both machine spin at the same speed and for the same length of time you shouldn’t get one increase in the clothes but not the other.
Check out this article here just to discount all of the possible causes of creasing laid out there including the one about hot and cold hoses the wrong way round laundry comes out of washing machine badly creased
Adjusting the spin to medium should only affect the spin speed the washing should be exactly the same. Therefore if reducing the spin speed down solves the problem that is the way to go.
Likely replying to Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp)
Hi Andy,
Does the spin speed affect only how dry/wet the clothes will come out of the washer, or does it (spin speed) also affect how clean the clothes will come out? Essentially, my question is: Does spin-speed of washer affect cleaning as well?
I pan to buy an LG 6KG front-loading, direct-drive, 6-motion, max 1000 rpm washing machine. I wonder whether it is worth the extra money to buy a similar but a 6.5KG, max 1200 rpm washer instead.
I live in India, and as I get plenty of sun light I will be hang drying my clothes in sun. So, I don’t mind if clothes come out a bit wet out of the washer, but I want the clothes to come out clean.
Appreciate your response.
Thanks,
Prakash.
Likely replying to Prakash
Hello Prakash, spin speed is only relevant to how much water is spun out of laundry. Wash results should be identical. The 1000 RPM washing machine is considered very slow by today’s standards in the UK but if you hang them out to dry and it’s usually a good drying day it will be cheaper, quieter, and potentially a little more reliable due to less stresses and strains on the machine.