12.15.2020

Spoiler alert! This is how your washing machine cleans your clothes

Sometimes it helps to know how the devices really work in your life. Knowing how to increase airflow for a refrigerator or various burners on your stove can help you use these tools more effectively.

When it comes to washing machines, whether you need repairs or are preparing to buy a new one , it always helps to brush up on the basics of the product space. Here's a quick rundown of what helps your washing machine do its laundry.

This is how a washing machine cleans clothes

Put water in the tub

Photo credit: Review.com / Kyle Hamilton

The water flows into the tub of the washing machine. Highly efficient washing machines use much less water than older washing machines to clean clothes.

A successful wash cycle is based on three pillars: water, mechanical action and detergent .

Water is the universal solvent. This seems like a good place to start when you're trying to wash something. It also provides excellent support when the clothing can swing freely, which is important for generating mechanical actions.

The mechanical effect is friction. All washing machines are shaped like a paddle that they use to throw away clothes. With front loaders, these paddles are often on the inside of the drum and let the laundry fall. Top loaders have agitators and turbines, devices that are placed at the bottom of the drum that stir the contents. Rubbing is important as it allows the detergent to do its job more efficiently.

Detergent is where the magic happens (science). Cleaning agents reduce the surface tension of water and make it easier to penetrate. Laundry detergents also have molecules that are attracted to oils on one end and water on the other. This means that the detergent will adhere to any oils in the clothes and the detergent will then wash it off with water. mechanical action.

(If you want to maximize your laundry routine so your clothes get cleaner faster, check out this article for laundry tips and tricks .)

Your machine will do this during a wash cycle

For those who do not have a see-through washing machine and little free time, this happens very briefly during a wash cycle under the lid.

  1. The tub rotates slowly to balance and feel the load in the washing machine.
  2. The water flows into the detergent container with the inclusion of the foam and begins to fill the tank.
  3. The machine stops while the detergent dissolves in the washing machine.
  4. The tub moves back and forth, moving the laundry and providing the mechanical action to remove stains.
  5. The dirty water is drained from the drum, followed by a short spin cycle to extract even more.
  6. The washing machine fills with clean water for the rinse. This will remove all detergent residue and dirt.
  7. The washing machine is emptied again, followed by a spin cycle that drains as much water from clothing as possible. It is much more energy efficient to remove the water this way than using a hair dryer.

At this point, your clothes are clean, damp but not damp, and ready for the dryer.

Typically, your washing machine allows you to choose from several options to customize each load. These options often include changing settings like temperature and water level, or adding new phases and characteristics to the cycle, such as: B. additional disinfection or rinsing cycles. With some washers you can save your custom cycles on the machine itself so that you can quickly and easily reuse them later.

There is a difference between agitators and impellers.

Turbine against agitator

Photo credit: Revu / Jonathan Chan

There are two types of mechanical action in a top loading washing machine: a wheel (left) and a rod agitator (right).

There are two ways to take mechanical action on top loading washing machines: a shaker or a turbine.

Rod mixers protrude from the bottom of the drum and their sides are often lined with vertically oriented paddles to push everything. This design is reminiscent of the 1960s and is often accompanied by a lot of nostalgia. The modern washing machines with powerful agitators include the LG WT7305CV and the GE GTW685BSLWS .

Turbines are curved panels that sit at the bottom of the drum and are thick and wide rather than tall and thin. The blades are usually oriented radially, as on the GE GTW720BSNWS .

While the physical differences between the two models are obvious, which may not be so obvious, this is why the impeller is superior: when laid flat on the bottom of the drum it actually gives the clothing a lot more room to move around each freely Drum.

In comparison, the Polar Shaker offers a much more restricted range of motion. Its tall construction locks the entire center of the drum, meaning its rotations can only slide clothing in with limited back and forth movement. It is also much easier for this limited movement to put more pressure on clothing than necessary. In fact, older top loaders with bar shakers were pretty tough on your clothes, which often made wear and tear worse.

While modern washers with this design are much gentler, these washers are also used by this tough mechanical action to remove stubborn stains - newer top loaders with pole agitators often offer the worst of both worlds and sacrifice its cleaning power for a less gentle wash than one Turbine washing system or a front loader.

Understand the variability of the values ​​between top loaders and front loaders

Infographics

Photo credit: Revu / Julia McDougall

While the value of a top loader versus a front loader is a huge debate in the world of washing machines, it's also an issue that science has more or less cleared up: front loaders make for better washing machines. It is true that front loaders did not gain a good reputation when they entered the market . Over the years, their performance has improved significantly (although there are still safety concerns for those with pets or young children).

High-performance front loaders like the Electrolux EFLS627UTT and the LG WM3700HWA are much gentler and still have more cleaning power than most top loaders, albeit for the elderly or people with back problems. and leg it can be painful to carry.

A less obvious difference between the two types of washing machines is that their size and design affect how you can place them in your home. Top loading washing machines can only be placed next to their dryer counterparts, while front loading washing machines can be stacked vertically with their dryers. This is something to keep in mind when space is tight, as the ability to stack washer and dryer can outweigh cleanability.

Additional features almost always add to the price of your washing machine, but they may not always offer much value. Before making a purchase, it is important to check out a washing machine's features and see if these options will be useful to you or if they are simply a drain on your bank account.

Here are some general extra features you may or may not want in a new washing machine.

  • Disinfection: The disinfection modes ensure that the water used for a cleaning cycle is heated to at least 140 ° F, which can help kill certain bacteria. This mode is useful for parents with newborn babies or those with particularly dirty jobs.
  • Steam Steam Modes has three main functions: disinfecting, increasing the effectiveness of certain detergents and reducing wrinkles.
  • Remote control - With intelligent washing machines , you can often control them via a smartphone app and thus start a cycle remotely. Applications and their functionality often have a niche use in a washing machine. If you can't figure out why you need this feature, you probably don't have it.
  • Extra Water - We don't name this feature because it's particularly impenetrable, but because it perpetuates the laundry myth that more water washes clothes. If your clothes are not completely covered in mud, more water means your clothes are less clean .

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