fluff program at end of front load wash cycle

[imperial70]

One thing I miss about a front loader is the convenient "fluff" program at the end of the cycle, after the final spin. That was always very convenient because it got the clothes off the drum and helped keep creases from setting in. I didn't have to shake out laundry when transferring it to the dryer.

It's not a big worry in the top loader (I believe this is true in any top loader, HE or otherwise), it was just a nice thing about the front loader.

 

[imperial70]

I guess this was a pretty dumb topic to bring up.

 

[whirlyfanatic]

....

I think some frontloaders still got it. To be specific i think LG. I live in the caribbean and i have the samsung wobble toploader. When the airturbo option is selected it adds 30 mins high spin to the cycle. At the 15 min mark it fluffs the clothes for one minute and again at the end of the cycle.

 

[mrboilwash]

My Miele does it up to 60 minutes after the cycle has finished.

It`s nice to have a fluff cycle, but I still have a strong urge to shake and untangle each and every piece of laundry before I put it into the dyer.
I couldn`t bring myself to dry a shirt with one sleeve inside out for example.
So I wouldn`t miss it that much if I had to go without a fluff cycle.

 

[haxisfan]

I remarked about this kind of thing before...

The Hoover front loader doesn't have a fluff cycle after a cotton program, only if things get particularly tangled up, the machine will include a fluff sequence before the final stage of the spin cycle. Having said that, it has a brief soft-disposal cycle at the end of a delicate programme... but this doesn't fluff the laundry, it only detaches it from the walls of the drum.

In my honest opininon the fluff cycle or anti-crease is a pile of utter non-sense, my mum's Indesit does a lot of faffing about before and after the final spin... and the results are just the same... maybe with a wetter laundry as it spends most of the time allocated for the spin cycle to not really spin. As 'mrboilwash' suggested, the items after a wash will not be completely flattened and the right way up... and I too shake and gently stretch them out before putting them in the dryer: this actually results in dry laundry that doesn't need to be ironed ;-)

 

[arbilab]

My FL doesn't fluff so I do it by hand. Spin the drum, knock stuff off the periphery, shake some things on the way to the dryer.

 

[imperial70]

My Frigidaire Front load has it at the end of every final spin. Perhaps that's not the fluff cycle? But it does get the clothes off the drum. Sorry if I'm using the wrong term. Anyway, I find it helpful.

 

[georgect]

Shrink Guard (Electrolux)

Some Electroluxes have this as an option.

SHRINK GUARD
Select shrink guard to help relax load after final spin by agitating, preventing shrinking and wrinkling.

 

[washer111]

Our Miele W5741 has a selectable "Anti-Crease" phase at the end of the wash, lasting for about 30 minutes. 

By default, it is actually switched off, and one has to delve into the menu to get at it. 

 

In practice, it is typically useful for everyday clothing items, but doesn't work well at all for items like bath towels or sheets, for whatever reason. 

 

But like other posters above, before I hang stuff on the line, I do often give it a fierce shake to get some wrinkles out of the item/s. 

(Although my 'religious' use of the Minimum Iron cycle generally stops most creasing in its tracks). 

 

[joe_in_philly]

I assumed all front load washers have a fluff period at the end of the cycle. My Kenmore HE3t tumbles back and forth for about 2:30 after the final spin. Rarely is anything stuck to the drum, and it makes unloading easier than pealing things off the drum. I do shake some clothes, but things like towels and whites go directly into the dryer.

 

[logixx]

Dito on what Joe said. My Duet will always leaves clothes nicely fluffed after the final spin. Even large loads and, of course, especially small loads like in the picture I took today. It does have an extra Anti Crease option that will lower interim spins, add more water to each rinse and do a continuous tumble for ten minutes at the end but that tumble happens before it goes into the final spin. *d'oh*

I agree with what washer111 said about clothes sticking to the Honeycomb drum. I think the larger surface area with these small holes create enough area for laundry to "stick" to, compared to regular drums with larger holes.

As far as I remember, top loaders that fluffed clothes were the Maytag Neptune and Whirpool's Calypso. And possibly Robert's bouncing-basket Apex. I'm sure there are others.

Alex

 

[alr2903]

Imperial70,  there are no dumb questions.  I did not realize this was a nice thing a F/L machine could do for me.  Old house and lots of steps sometimes I run a little late on getting  the "business casual" moved over to the dryer. 

 

[rolls_rapide]

Some machine still do the "anti-crease" final tumble, such as my Panasonic - but only on some programmes. The "cottons eco" cycle omits it at the end, presumably to save energy. Thankfully, it is present on the normal cottons programme.

I like it, having experienced it on several previous machines. My mum had an el-cheapo Hoover Performa (Candy sourced) which did not tumble at the end. Everything was plastered around the drum. Her current Bosch does this too, yet it does the final tumble - but has many more drum holes.

I think several factors are involved in laundry being stuck to the drum circumference. It depends on the number of drum holes, type of laundry (eg. towels versus synthetics), spin speed, type of spin programme (i.e. stepped interval or pulse spinning versus continuous spinning) and whether fabric conditioner is not being used. Fabric conditioner would help to lubricate the fibres of the clothes.

You would think that it would be easy for manufacturers to implement all these features that people ask for, such as zero-delay doorlocks, final anticrease tumbles, actual temperature washes and the rest. Simple things.

 

[imperial70]

I forgot about the calypso having this capability. I doubt the impeller top loaders can do anything like that.

alr2903: Thanks for the kind words. I agree. There are not any dumb questions.

 

[matthewza]

LG 7kg DD

My LG 7kg DD front load does more an "unwind" than a fluff. At the end of every cycle it tumbles for 1 minute just to get everything off the drum walls.

And the crease care option on the machine is interesting but I find is only useful on smaller loads. The way it works is: during final spin, it'll balance the load, go into spin, spin for 2 minutes, stop, tumble for 1 minute, spin for another 2 minutes, stop and tumble again, spin for another 2 minutes, and then stop for the last tumble and then the cycle ends and the beeper beeps. Honestly hardly ever use that option so I can't remember if it does 3 spins or only 2, but I think the way it works is clever. But as I said, its pointless on a full load because there's not much room for tumbling. And it works on any spin speed (400. 800 or 1200 rpm) and only adds 2 minutes to the cycle. However it can't be selected on every cycle. Can only use it on cotton, synthetic, bedcover, bio care, bioling care, baby care, and then obviously spin and rinse + spin. Can't use it on quick 30, handwash (never use quick 30 or handwash anyway), delicate or cotton quick (I use cotton quick a lot. 56 min 40C wash. 20 mins wash time, interin spin, rinse, interim spin, final rinse and final spin. But if I have stains I use cotton 40C or synthetic 40C which is about 80 mins. Towels and linen get a 90 min cotton 60 or synthetic 60)