Washer and Dryer Cycle Times To Long?

[Chetlaham]

This guy claims that people are using the wrong cycles on their modern washers and that they should only use 25-30 minute cycles for everyday clothes. Supposedly modern detergents require less time. Agree/disagree? Thoughts?

 

 

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle...r&cvid=92a3312263d5452ebb4be50db357ae84&ei=16

 

[gelaundry4ever]

chetlaham

I disagree. You need time for modern detergents to work, especially on typical, dirty smelly sweaty loads. sturdy cottons are the biggest offenders.

 

[DADoES]

 
Jerome, "everyday" clothes in that context refers to people who work office jobs and such.  No grunge and heavy sweating.  The Heavy Duty cycle surely isn't required, but the Quick cycle is a bit lax depending on the load size, those are intended for maximum of 2 to 3 items.

 

[qsd-dan]

He doesn't specify front load, traditional top load, or HE front load.

90 minutes is far too long in a tradition top load and significantly short for a front load. Not sure what the 90 minute cycle is referencing to.

His quote about detergents being quicker is also wrong, todays detergents are heavily based on enzymes, which takes longer to achieve the same results from heavily phosphated detergents that were very alkaline in the past. Oxygen bleach based detergents also require significantly longer times to wrok their magic.

There's a reason a white cycle can take 3+ hours in a front loader.

 

[qsd-dan]

"He doesn't specify front load, traditional top load, or HE front load."

Whoops, I meant front load, traditional top load, HE top load.

 

[pierreandreply4]

my toughs pretty sure chetlaham will agree with this

My toughs on washer modern front load top load direct drive old school mechanical timer belt drive ect

its for us humans to decide 1 the amount of water use base on load size (water level) wash rinse temp cold or warm rinse if washer is before 2025 and older wash time and cycle amount of detergent this should not be control or decided by a computer say you have a typical family with 2 kids in school and you need to wash there gym clothes because they have gym tomorrow would you went to set washer to a super wash pre wash + wash followed by a 14 minute wash then send to the dryer or hang to dry or wait 1 to 2 hours letting everything being control by the washer computer water level and all and see a white shirt need to be rewash because mud stain is still showing or shirt needs to be bleach because of the auto sense washer did not put in enough water (exemple)

 

[Chetlaham]

Agree, and, I'd say your spot on correct. 

 

 

 

Washers don't have an accurate way of sensing how soiled clothes are, how much time it will take to remove that soil, and at what temperature and what amount of water. Even dishwashers have the same limitations in the sense that Whirlpool tech literature admits that a dishwasher with turbidity sensor will not pickup baked on soils until after the main wash has time to scrub them off. Ultimately it is up to the user to select Pots and Pans vs Normal vs Light ect. 

 

 

Electronics are really about cheapening newer washers where as an older machine would handle a moderate imbalance via its suspension, a newer machine uses sensor inputs to either re-try or move forward. 

 

[gelaundry4ever]

everyday clothes

When I mention everyday clothes, I'm talking about sturdy cottons with a wide range of soil levels, even to the smelliest and filthiest. You need time to remove filth. I just use a normal cycle for most loads along with heavy soil on Speed Queen, which provides a deep rinse.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

QSD-Dan

I think he's talking about HE front load.

 

[DADoES]

 
Jerome, your concept of "everyday" clothes, then, includes HEAVY WORK clothes such as cattle ranchers, farmers, football players, and mechanics, which is not the same as much of the rest of the population's concept of it.

 

[johnbee]

And then you see on Social Media like TikTok laundry tricks like laundry stripping and how gross the water is after "stripping" the clothes.
Or other people complain for residue and mold on the machines.

Hello? Learn how to wash your clothes and stop being lazy.
I see people dumping everything in one load , using ONLY the quick cycle and use "Eco Friendly" detergents which actually is pure washing soda, in COLD water. Good Luck!

I wash everything in warm (yes darks as well), extra HOT for towels and sheets. nothing damaged and everything's clean including the machine.

 

[william8]

My TC5 takes 35 minutes. I have no choice (unless I do a pre-soak, never have), and it seems fine.
My mother in law, and my neighbors top loaders shortest cycles take about 80 - 90 minutes, and they don't have any choice. And they don't like it.

Does the SQ that Jerome uses take longer?
My dryer takes about 45-50 minutes on low. Also seems fine.

Not sure what the point of the article is.

 

[appnut]

JohnBee you & I have the exact same approach to laundry!!! I think we've had this discussion before.

William, the TC5 masnual does have the option for Heavy Soil, so don't say you have no choice!!

 

[william8]

appnut

I meant that I don't have the choice for a longer cycle.
According to the TC5 manual, Eco, which I don't use is 27:50, with no options, 34:50 with extra rinse.
Permanent Press is 29:40, and ALL others are 32:40.
I find it's closer to 35 minutes.

Heavy soil has the pre-soak, and I did mention that.

 

[appnut]

William it's been a long time since I"ve studied the TC manual. Do't remember heavy soil has a soak period too.

 

[niclonnic]

Interesting...

I always thought that TLs washed faster than FLs, due to the former's higher water usage and agitator motions. However, my last washer (Frigidaire TL w/ agitator), had LONG cycle times; a Normal cycle lasted about 75 minutes. I think the 90-minute cycle is referencing a "heavy duty" wash.

My current GE FL has a normal cycle that lasts 55 minutes with the default settings (normal soil level, warm water, high spin speed). That's an improvement over the Frigidaire, but I still feel like wash cycles take forever with a front-loader. This is based on my past experience with the LG at my old house. Other cycles, like "towels" and "bulky bedding" take a little bit longer.

I use All Free & Clear liquid as my main detergent (poured into the SmartDispense tank), and it has given me consistently great washing results every time, regardless of temperature. I use OxiClean in a hot water cycle if laundry is really dirty, including kitchen towels (they get stained with food all the time). And, since I work in food service as a dishwasher, I recently started to "quick wash" my chef coat and aprons in hot water with a teaspoon of liquid dish soap poured into the drawer. It helps to loosen the food and grease stains before washing them with the rest of my laundry.

A Whites cycle in my GE takes about 90 minutes, largely because steam is automatically used. It is injected into the load before the washer fills with water.

 

[william8]

A soak period before the rinse, and a longer agitation time. The charts are a bit confusing, as it only gives total time without any options.

There is this:
Heavy Soil - Fill/Agitate/Soak/spin 24:00
Others:
Wash - Fill/Agitate/Spin 17:30

I have no idea how much of that extra 6.5 minutes is soak or agitate.

In Eco you can choose extra rinse/soak, which is 27:00 soak. Never tried it. I don't use eco. In the other modes if you choose extra rinse, it does 2 full fill rinses, which seems excessive! My wife chose that once, before learning to use the machine.

 

[william8]

Reply #15

I'm not sure why my mother in laws, and neighbors machines take so long. I know they take forever to fill, as they will stop filling, rotate, start filling again (auto balancing?). And a few other oddities, like very long pauses between wash/spin/fill cycles. My neighbor has Kenmore's with agitator, not sure who really made them, about 15 years old. I forget what the MIL uses, no agitator. She hates it though, because of the time.

We used both when our septic field needed replacement, and after those attempts just went to the laundromat, and dried at home. Much quicker. Luckily that only lasted 2-3weeks.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

speed queen

The Speed Queen front load takes 42 minutes on the longest cycle, while the top loads take 38 minutes on its longest cycle. All being normal and heavy soil. I'm fine with that. On the LG and its counterpart back in Killeen, I'd just stick to the normal cycle unless clothes are extremely dirty or just plain smelly. We are talking about BO.