From easy-care to hot wash: get familiar with every washing machine program on your machine

The key points

• Each washing machine program is tailored to different needs in terms of temperature, spin speed, cleaning time and the amount of water used.

• While delicate materials should be washed at cool temperatures and with a low spin speed, towels and similar items can be washed at high temperatures.

• Modern machines offer many special programmes that save water, time and electricity or remove stubborn dirt – even from delicate clothing.

Using your washing machine correctly: the most important programmes

Perhaps you can relate: you stand in front of the machine, turn the programme dial and then select ‘coloured laundry’ again, because it somehow always fits. But as you can probably imagine, every programme has its purpose – we’ll show you what they are.

Coloured laundry/normal: the standard washing machine program

The coloureds programme is the all-rounder for mixed loads of cotton, linen and many synthetic fabrics. It allows you to set washing temperatures between 30°C and 60°C, depending on how dirty the laundry is. This wash cycle is therefore perfect for towels and bed linen, but also for hard-wearing everyday clothes.

Tip: With colour detergent and a temperature of 40°C, colours stay bright and radiant for longer, while minor stains and dirt disappear effortlessly.

Delicate wash cycle for easy-care laundry

This programme is gentler than the standard programme, but does not necessarily clean less effectively. More water, lower spin speeds and a shorter overall cleaning time make this cycle ideal for clothes that are labelled as easy-care and prone to pilling, such as blouses, shirts, jeans and coats made of synthetic fibres. You can often choose the temperature yourself.

Hand wash for wool, silk, etc.

Whether it’s your favourite wool scarf, a new silk dress or some high-quality wool-silk underwear from CALIDA: all these delicate textiles love the delicate, hand wash programme. The washing machine moves the drum very gently and uses cold or lukewarm water up to a maximum of 30°C to protect delicate materials. Use a suitable mild detergent for this wash cycle and avoid using fabric softener to ensure a gentle clean.

Sports programme for quick cleaning

Functional shirts, leggings and other sportswear made from breathable fabrics such as microfibre, TENCEL™ or polyester benefit from short, cool wash cycles. The sports programme on your washing machine thoroughly removes odours caused by sweat at temperatures between 30°C and 40°C without damaging the fabric.

Hot wash for hard-wearing, heavily soiled laundry

Bed linen, tea towels, socks or dirty baby clothes made of cotton can be cleaned hygienically at temperatures up to 95°C using the hot wash programme. This long, hot wash cycle is obviously not suitable for delicate clothing, as there is a risk it shrinking, fading or losing its shape.

The eco programme saves energy

The eco programme, which uses less water and washes at lower temperatures, is ideal for lightly soiled laundry. To compensate for this, it runs longer, but still saves resources. The result is clean laundry and a clean conscience, knowing that you’ve done good for the environment.

Further special programmes on modern washing machines

In addition to the above-mentioned wash cycles, many modern appliances offer further programmes such as pre-wash for heavily soiled work clothes or outdoor for weatherproof clothes. Some machines even adjust the amount of water, the cleaning time and rinsing cycles automatically. For example, there are special wash cycles for:

• White laundry

• Black laundry

• Crease-free washing (e.g. for curtains)

• Synthetic clothing

• Down jackets and cushions

• Jeans

• Stains

• Allergy sufferers

Since many washing machine manufacturers have developed their own programmes, you should take a closer look at the operating instructions for your appliance. In some cases, you even have the option of setting your own wash programme and tailoring the cleaning to your needs or your laundry even more precisely.

Set the washing machine program to suit your individual needs

If you would like to set your washing machine program yourself, it’s worth taking a look at the care label on your laundry. This tells you whether you can actually even wash specific items of clothes in the washing machine and what washing temperatures are permitted. If this label is missing, follow these rules of thumb:

• 30°C for delicate materials or light soiling

• 40°C for everyday laundry made of various fabric blends

• 60°C for normally soiled towels, bedding and underwear or heavily soiled clothing

• 95°C only for hard-wearing cotton fabrics that are heavily soiled

In addition to setting the right temperature, you can also set the spin cycle of your washing machine. While lower spin speeds (600 to 800 rpm) are gentle on delicate fabrics, higher spin speeds (1,200 to 1,600 rpm) shorten the drying time – however, you should only select the latter for non-delicate fabrics. Otherwise, a speed of 800 to 1,000 spins per minute is considered ‘normal’.

The possibility of selecting additional options such as hygiene or eco for individual wash cycles and what cleaning duration you should set depends, among other things, on the age of your washing machine. While state-of-the-art appliances often have a wider range of settings and wash much faster with the same results, older appliances take longer and have fewer functions.

In conclusion

If you know your washing machine, you can do a lot for the health of your clothes by using the right programme. The right wash cycle protects fabrics, preserves colours and saves energy – whether it’s coloured, delicate or hot wash laundry.

And if you’re wondering what to put in the drum next, CALIDA Basics made from TENCEL™, organic cotton or a wool-silk blend not only feel fantastic after a delicate wash, they also retain their shape for a long time if you use the right programme – gentle yet hygienic!