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.
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.
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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 LabelsThe second explanation I can think of is that the eco-labelling system which awards ratings for energy efficiency, spin efficiency and wash efficiency do not appear to take into account rinse efficiency.
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
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Simon
I forgot to mention why I had to reduce the amount of detergent I use AND use soda crystals (aka washing soda) because I live in a “hard water” area.
Detergents do foam too much if washing a small load of non-heavily soiled laundry with the recommended dosage. If you find that you need to reduce the amount of detergent below the recommended amount to avoid the foaming problem, this is where limescale damage can be a problem. To prevent limescale, I add one heaped dessert-spoonful of soda crystals to the drum before loading. It’s cheaper than the more expensive water softening products and it does the same job.
If you live in a “soft water” area, reducing the detergent dosage slightly might be enough to avoid the foaming, but be sure to occasionally run the washing machine empty on the hottest wash with a good cleaner like “Affresh” to avoid nasty gunk and mould forming! Be sure to also wipe the door seal inside and outside thoroughly – you’ll be surprised at what ends up in the folds.
Full loads of laundry don’t seem to create much foam, but anything less than a full load seems to require a lower dosage of detergent than recommended. If the detergent manufacturers added more foam inhibitors, people would use the recommended dose every time – silly really when you think about it!
Hi Oliver,
The ‘clicking’ sound is coming directly from the bottom of the machine. The drum on this machine has always also been a problem when it goes into spin it shakes so much it pulls it out of its space. I am thinking the concrete is not as heavy as the older models. I have the older model on standby and would not bother replacing any parts on the wma30 as i prefer the ‘proper’ Hotpoint 9506 which is how i remember how Hotpoints were. Sounds like it could be PCB but won’t worry about replacing it.
I guess your right about own brands, i don’t fill my car up with supermarket fuel so perhaps i shouldn’t use own brand detergent. I will still use liquids as i prefer them but i will buy a brand which ever is on offer as long as its branded and not Bold 2in1. I also keep a box of powder for maintenance washes which i do once a month maybe more if i am washing heavily soiled items.
Do you find Optical brighteners affect your ezcema? I did have a reaction to a detergent once i think it was Bold and reacted to Tesco own brand 2in1 and wondered if it was these brighteners? I do think buying the colour liquids a pain as they are same as the ordinary liquids. The manufacturers treating the customer as stupid again it sometimes feels with all these gimmicks and rubbish they keep launching.
All the Best
Simon
Reactions to detergents and their ingredients are caused by it not being completed rinsed off, regardless of the brand and whatever it contains.
If your washing has any scent of detergent when you unload the drum, it needs more rinsing. I don’t think people realise just how much soap gets left behind unrinsed! Rinsing in warm water preferably and not putting detergent in the soap drawer will help with any extra rinsing performed manually.
If the detergent and its chemicals are completely rinsed away, there won’t be any allergic reaction. Fabric conditioners with added perfumes can also cause skin reactions. The only softener I’m aware of that does not have any added perfumes is Surcare.
It’s definitely worth making sure old detergent is cleared out of the washing machine – including the soap drawer and its surrounding – by performing a maintenance wash using something other than more detergent e.g. Affresh.
As for PCB’s – they seem to go wrong more often than the old mechanical timers! If washing machine manufacturers knew that electrical surges can damage electronics, I’m sure they would incorporate internal surge protectors. They sell surge protector multi-plugs for computers and expensive electronic equipment for precisely that reason.
Hope that helps.
Thanks WMUser for your information. I bought some Persil tablets today and was surprised how well they rinsed out. Do you have a problem with Optical Brighteners? Thanks Simon
@Simon Smith
I don’t have problems with optical brighteners or anything fancy they add to detergents as I take extra care to make sure every trace of it is rinsed away. This is where plenty of water is needed on every rinse, preferably warm water. As you are using Persil tablets, I would suggest you take extra care to make sure they dissolve quickly and to leave a good hands-width between the top of the washing and the top of the drum when loading the laundry, otherwise the tablets can leave white marks on the clothes.
Reading your earlier comment #447 about the washing machine shaking so much. Is it completely level and have you adjusted the screw-legs on the washing machine and checked it is completely level diagonally with a spirit level?
Hi WMUser,
You CANNOT rinse out optical brighteners at all, hence Simon’s concern.
Once your clothing has come into contact with them only once no matter how hard you try they cannot be removed with any quantity/temperature of water. There is also no chemical that can remove them either. They form a permanant bond with the fabric and are there for the life of the garment.
Oliver.
Hi Simon,
First of all I am not entirley sure if optical brighteners affect my eczema as my skin is never quite perfect especially at this time of year outside in the cold etc. But last summer I didn’t have too much trouble so at a guess I would say no.
There are several things that can cause a washing machine to shake, but before I suggest any I would have to be sure where the clicking is coming from, the best bet is to drag your machine out and do a wash as normal then when you hear it clicking trace the noise from outside the cabinet. The pump on a WMA is at the rear left in the bottom of the cabinet as you look from the front. When I know that it should point to the trouble.
All the best,
Oliver.
As regular readers know, if I discover something that really helps, I post it for every readers benefit.
First, after starting the main wash and waiting for the washing machine to stop filling, I pour in a few jugs of hot water to raise the water level so it just covers the bottom of the door seal by roughly a finger’s width. Doing this dilutes the highly concentrated detergent solution slightly and the clothes get soaking wet quicker, which reduces the wear and tear of long wash cycles.
If you’ve had your washing machine for a while, you’ll have a rough idea of how long the main wash takes before it drains out the soapy water. During the last 10 minutes or so of the main wash, pour in jugfuls of cold water to raise the water level up to just 1/3 of the door glass. Older washing machines used to do this (including my old washing machine) and its purpose is to heavily dilute the detergent. This REALLY helps with rinsing as the detergent gets heavily diluted before the rinses. Now I can press the “Start/Pause” button to pause the rinses and top up the 3 rinses with jugs of hot water to 1/3 up the door. Since performing the dilution on every main wash, the second rinse is so much clearer and not full of thick white suds and nowhere near as cloudy as it used to be. I no longer have to waste nearly an hour running the “quickwash” cycle afterwards to get 3 extra rinses which I had to top-up with hot water.
It sounds like a lot of effort, but I never go out and leave the washing machine on. It’s much safer to be at home at all times when using the washing machine, if possible.
I’m effectively making a modern front-loading washing machine perform as good as a 20-something-year-old front-loading washing machine. The washing is coming out very clean and soft without smelling of detergent. :)
Hi WMUser,
I noticed your comments about my Zanussi ZFL1023 on Youtube. I can confirm the machine is cold fill only. It is a great machine, built like a tank and highly entertaining to watch! They are extremely rare now though. If you have any questions about the machine I’d be happy to help.
Tom.
Thank you Tom, I appreciate your help. I found your video via Google searching for old Zanussi models and commented about it in here, as older washing machines, such as Oliver’s Bosch and your Zanussi do rinse properly. It sure looks impressive and much better quality than modern Zanussi models! :)
I hope my existing Zanussi-Electrolux lasts a reasonable amount of time before it goes kaput. I must say that I’m very pleased with the cleaning performance of my current Zanussi-Electrolux, the agitation on the cotton programme is much more vigorous than any washing machine I’ve used before, if only it rinsed properly on its own. :(
When I have to replace my washing machine, I’d be very interested in the old Zanussi models and if I can’t get a ZFL1023, I’d be happy with one similar, provided it performs the spinning in the soapsuds mainwash – that is a MUST-HAVE feature. I’m not too worried about an old Zanussi being hot and cold fill, as I can turn the hot water down to 40C and connect the hot and cold the “wrong” way round i.e. hot hose to cold inlet, cold hose to hot inlet. Then all my rinses will be performed in 40C water. If I get a cold-fill only, I will have a TMV valve fitted when I have the space available to the plumbing, with the washing machine removed and somebody to fit the TMV.