My attention was drawn to rinsing efficiency after noticing that out of dozens of washing machines reviewed by Which? most of them had a poor rating for rinsing. Even those singled out as Best Buys were “poor” at rinsing. Believe it or not, at least one Best Buy was “very poor”. I found that pretty shocking.
From studying the figures it is clear that if “good”, or “very good” rinsing was one of the prerequisites for a Best Buy there would be no Best Buy washing machines or washer dryers at all – not a single one. It appears that Which? have decided to allow the poor rinsing results to be a caveat instead of a best buy killer. Please note however that several Which? best buys are “satisfactory” at rinsing which is something at least.
Out of 125 washing machines and washer dryers tested, a remarkable 75 of them (60%) were rated either “poor” or “very poor” at rinsing with only 3 getting the rating we should expect for all washing machines which is “good”.
The rest were a mere “satisfactory”. To summarise, just less than 3 % of the 125 washers & dryers are “good” at rinsing according to Which?
Since writing this article I’ve discovered Which? no longer give the majority of washing machines 1 or 2 star ratings for rinsing ability, and the majority appear to get 3 or 4 stars. Which? tell me they’ve readjusted their rinse marks to more accurately reflect the degrees of abilities between even poor rinsing machines. However, they are still critical of many of their rinsing abilities in the comments and the pros and cons.
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What does this mean?
Well for a start it doesn’t mean that we can settle for one of the three washing machines that are “good” at rinsing because they unfortunately let themselves down in other areas such as with “noisy spin, and poor brand reliability”. However, if you really need a washing machine that rinses better than any other – maybe because of allergies – then at least Which? have identified three candidates out of the 125 they’ve tested so far. I have to advise though that you should go for them only if good rinsing is your most important requirement and are prepared to accept big compromises elsewhere – as long as it rinses well.
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Why aren’t they rinsing properly and does it really matter?
Surely all washing machines should rinse well? It’s surely quite simple, you just use enough water to rinse them properly. It’s astounding that we have reached the situation where the majority of washing machines and washer dryers on sale in the UK are apparently poor at rinsing.
This has probably come about because people have been focussing on other aspects, which has left rinsing as a low priority. Two explanations spring to mind. Firstly, the focus on using less and less water is clearly impacting on our washing machine’s ability to rinse effectively. Whereas modern detergents can facilitate efficient and effective washing results at lower temperatures and with less water, no such product is currently allowing effective rinsing with much less water.
Good rinsing needs plenty of water which is in direct opposition to the current environmental concerns and clamour to be the washing machine using the least amount of water.
Eco Labels
As such, manufacturers aren’t being judged on how well their washing machines rinse, only on how well they wash and how well they extract water on spin. I’m speculating at this stage, but I can’t see how so many washing machines could be awarded an “A” wash efficiency rating if the tests took into account how well the clothes were rinsed. Presumably, as long as all stains are removed and laundry looks “clean” no one bothers about how much soap detergent residue is left.
It might be a good idea to create a fourth category, “rinse efficiency” on the eco labels, or at least include the rinse efficiency as part of the wash efficiency test.
Ultimately if customers don’t notice an issue then it could be argued that it doesn’t really matter.
Maybe it doesn’t for most people, but it surely does to anyone sensitive to wash detergents and with allergies and a lot of people are. There were 581 comments added on this topic from such people before I had to close comments to prevent it being endless.
The current situation is that to anyone keen to buy a washing machine with good rinsing I have no washing machine to recommend because none of the companies producing the best, and the most reliable washing machines currently supply one that rinses above average according to Which? although this could easily change and you would need to check out the latest to be sure.
Are Which? being too critical? Are Which? applying too stringent a rinse test? I must admit I’ve not had many complaints from people saying their washing machine isn’t rinsing properly and my own Miele washing machine, which although a Which? Best Buy, didn’t receive a “good” rating for rinsing yet it appears to rinse perfectly well as far as we can see.
In fact I remarked to my wife that my clothes don’t smell of detergent like they used to in the old washing machine and deduced that it rinsed much better. However, neither of us have any reactions to washing machine detergent. The thing about Which? is that they are totally independent.
They work only for their subscribers interests and are actually a registered charity. They don’t make any money directly by recommending any product (even though they could) because they want to be seen as 100% unbiased. They are highly respected and I expect they test products fairly. However, my understanding is that the do charge for companies to display their “Best Buy” logo!
I suspect Which? are right and that modern washing machines don’t generally rinse very well because of the reasons I speculate about above. Whether it matters or whether it will change depends on whether enough of the public are bothered, or even notice. The 581 comments added to this article below show that many people do find this a big issue.
Which? research
NOTE: Which? do rate some washing machines as satisfactory for rinsing and even a couple are rated as good, although unfortunately the few rated good (so far) are not so good on reliability.
Which? are constantly reviewing washing machines so if rinsing is particularly important to you it makes sense to become a member and see all the buying advice. I can’t print their advice for copyright reasons.
Here’s how they describe their reviews –
We are of course well known for our traditional product testing. And when we test something like the proverbial washing machine, we will ask the laboratory not only to measure how clean the clothes get, but how much water and energy is used? How easy is it to work out the programmes? What is the machine like on specialist cycles? How long does it take? All these things feed into our best buy criteria.
We will devise the testing schedule by looking at things from the ordinary user’s point of view: and if standard industry methods are not good enough we will devise our own methods ”
Causes of poor rinsing
There are some common causes of poor rinsing even in washing machines that do rinse well that it might be useful to point out. Anyone experiencing poor rinsing problems where washing comes out with detergent residues or white powder streaks should read this – White streaks or residual washing powder after washing
Peter Kenyon says
Rinsing Capabilities of Washing Machines.
We heartily endorse these conclusions. For thirty years we had a succession of Hotpoint top loading machines which produced clean washing with little detectable powder residue using Persil . Towels were clean, soft and fluffy. Terry nappies could be washed and sterilised using the hot wash. These machines used full measures of washing powder and large quantites of water. When the last machine was beyond repair we purchased a Hotpoint Ultima WF 860. This has the energy and water economies now deemed necessary. However we immediately noticed that the towels were hard and the bedding activated breathing allergies.
Washing powder was reduced to the absolute usable minimum, about a table spoonful for a full load. Subsequent experiments, with care not to overload the machine, extra machine rinses, rinsing in the sink by hand and subsequent spinning in the machine have produced the following conclusions :
* Towels retain the most powder residue, the water in the sink becomes totally cloudy even after two extra machine rinses. The fluffy texture previously produced cannot be replicated, even using a good tumble drier. Towels hung out to dry without any tumbling dry like board.
* Heavy cottons like sheets retain large mounts of powder residue unless rinsed in the sink.
* Light cottons like underwear retain less, but can still irritate unless hand rinsed.
* Artificial fibres retain the least powder residue.
The problem can be diminished by using Ecover liquid wash, but this is not suitable for all washes.
Ecoballs, or the Lakeland equivalent do not leave residue, but the fabrics are often harsh, and stains are left despite the use of the stain removing cream supplied. The application of this is a fiddly extra job.
Through the good offices of John Lewis who supplied the machine two Hotpoint engineers visited us, and were both surprised by the amount of powder residue revealed in hand rinses. The machine was deemed to be working satisfactorily by the manufacturers.
It would seem to us that controlled experiments under laboratory conditions are necessary to measure the amount of powder residue left in fabrics by modern washing machines. Those with skin or respiratory allergies are at risk from the present generation of machines which may be energy efficient and use little water, but do not rinse clothes effectively.
P & E Kenyon.
Mark Hill says
I agree with the statement about not rinsing properly, I repair appliances for a living and have a 30 year old Hotpoint top loader myself, It is far more reliable than any new machines and far easier to repair. But the main thing is it washes and rinses better than any other machine I have tested, and I have tested them all. Also it will complete a 60 degree whites load in under an hour if the water going in is hot enough, and the towels are WHITE!! not shades of grey. My work jeans go in on a 40 degree wash covered in grease etc and cutting oil and come out clean after only 45 mins. The only down side to this is the water consumtion, but that is more than compensated for by the reliabity and longevity of the machine itself. I have many customers to
whom I have supplied reconditioned top loaders to replace new machines that just arent doing the job they are supposed to.
Mark.
Andy(A.R.T)Trigg says
Top loading washing machines do use a lot more water than front loaders although Which? don’t rate them very highly saying none of the ones they tested were good enough to be best buys.
They do tend to be more reliable too but they cost more to run. The extra water usage probably does make them rinse better. Each time a “problem” is addressed it causes another as in this case where the “problem” of using too much water is solved at the expense of reducing rinsing efficiency significantly.
* Trial Offer – Which? online 1 month trial and hard copy magazine available
paola ruocco says
Couldn’t agree more about the poor rinsing of modern washing machines. When my fifteen year old machine died, I bought another and had vague suspicions that it wasn’t rinsing properly. Quite by accident, my suspicions have been proved correct by a newly purchased set of Ecoballs, which require no detergent. The first time I used the balls on towels which had previously been washed tradionally, I was horrified to find that the machine was filled with foam and I had to do two extra rinses even though I had used NO DETERGENT. To think that we were using these ‘clean’ towels to dry ourselves, when all along we were smearing ourselves with chemicals. My daughter has mild eczema and I am interested to see if this clears up.
I have been using the Ecoballs for a fortnight now and so far find them to wash perfectly satisfactorily, except for my dishcloths which tend to pong a bit, although a quick soak in a mild bleach solution seems to have solved the problem. It is true that the Ecoballs aren’t perfect – it doesn’t remove stains and you must use a stain remover – but at least my washing isn’t chemical-ridden.
kevin tripp says
I have a 20 yr old Hotpoint 9520 which had no repairs appart from brushes in all that time. Whilst having to ultimately renew the drum bearings/spider etc I decided to get a new backup machine. I chose a Bosch WEA 24162 not thinking about rinsing efficiency. I am very unhappy with the rinsing of the Bosch. The washing smells stronly of detergent even after 1 or 2 additional rinses and using the extra water button. I completely agree with your opinions and am at a loss as how to pick a suitable machine. For me poor or inadequate rinsing is a major drawback which it seems all current machines suffer. I tend to wash all important things, towels etc in the old Hotpoint and socks, jeans etc in the bosch if I use the Bosch at all. By the way Bosch say its not a problem and I must use a certain powder to avoid undisolved powder which I noticed on the door seal. I’d rather have properly rinsed washing and forgo washing the car to be environmentally friendly.
Washerhelp says
Kevin, if rinsing is an important issue you should check out the Which? washing machine and washer dryer guides, each of which has a rinsing rating. These are affiliate links, which help Washerhelp and Whitegoodshelp if used (at no cost to the user) but I can honestly say that after being a member of Which? online for over a year now I would not buy any expensive product without checking them out first – Which? trial offer – what’s the catch?.
(access to full reports and all of the Which? online data available to subscribers only. Some useful information is still available to non-members though)
Ruth says
My son has eczema and therefore I need a washing machine that rinses well. I too have noticed that my aeg electrolux washing machine despite being a best buy still shows soap suds in the machine from a previous wash if I put a washing load in without detergent.
I usually have 2 washing machines due to having 3 children as it is easier to get through the laundry quickly. My new 9kg best buy Bosch washer despite only owning it for just over 3 weeks has now broken as the rubber door seal pulled away and got tangled in a pair of trousers! The company I bought this from have agreed to replace the machine but this model has now been replaced or discontinued . I am unsure which model to replace it with as this company do not sell siemens washers which seem to be the only other usually reliable brand that is reasonable at rinsing..
Washerhelp says
Ruth: If they are replacing a faulty washing machine so soon, and particularly as they cannot supply another – and do not have one you want then you should be able to get your money back and buy from elsewhere.
If you want to research consumer issues I have a section here – Consumer advice – washing machines
Nikki Jenkins says
This Which article and the resulting comments have made me SO cross. About 10 or so years ago I discovered that modern automatic washing machines just do not rinse properly – full stop, end of story. I reached this conclusion following a long period of time, during which my young daughter developed eczema, I was scratching my shins raw to the point where they were bleeding, and our bed linen was covered in blood where my husband had scratched himself raw round his neck, chest, back and legs. I deduced this was caused by biological washing powders, but changing to non-bio made no difference. I then decided to test that the machine was rinsing by plunging a towel into a bowl of hot water – well, it was as if it had never been rinsed! Then followed about 6 years of arguing with Bosch that their washing machines didn’t rinse properly, engineers coming out – one idiot told me that the white soapy froth in the water was surfactant! I pointed out to him that surfactant IS soap, stupid man – we ended up with John Lewis replacing the Bosch with a Miele, but the problem is still there. The scientific fact of the matter is that to remove detergent from clothes you need two things : warm or hot water AND plenty of it. Modern washing machines have neither – you cannot buy a modern machine that rinses in hot water, and neither can you buy a modern machine that uses sufficient amounts of water.
So I have to spend hours of my precious time rinsing, rinsing and rerinsing laundry by hand, spinning it out in the washing machine, and then starting the process all over again over and over again to get rid of the soap. For the last 3 years I have been too busy to do this, the result is that all our clothing and linen has a massive soap build up again, we are scratching ourselves to death, and I now have got a huge problem once again trying to rid my laundry of detergent.
It is absolutely ridiculous – AND to add insult to injury I wrote to Which and told them about this all those years ago and they basically said they couldn’t understand what I was talking about, that their tests showed that modern washing machines were very good at rinsing.
What a load of tosh !