What happens in the permanent press cycle on a 1980's Maytag a212 or any 1980s maytag washer?

[maytaga806]

So today in my cooking class my teacher started the washer to wash the towels we use to cook. My class is split into five groups and we use ALOT of towels in that class to cook. She has a 1980s maytag a212 heavy duty fabric matic large capacity. She puts it on the perm press cycle. I dont know what happens in that cycle, so...... what happends?

 

[wayupnorth]

My Fabric-Matic on P P washes at the one speed only for the time you set and then drains half the water out and refills with cold sits and then drains and rinses with cold. For towels, its wasting water.

 

[maytaga806]

Whats the point of it?

 

[washdaddy]

Usually perm. press cycles use some type of "cool down" after the wash portion of the cycle that is done in warm or hot water, Whether it's a long spray of cold water after draining, or a partial drain of the wash water and filling back up with cold. It's designed in some way to help prevent the washer from putting too many wrinkles into the garment when being washed which is definitely a mute point for towels. Perhaps the teacher's thoughts are that the machine is using more water to help rinse out the detergent and additives put in at the beginning of the cycle. Best bet would be, just ask the teacher why she uses that cycle.

 

[wayupnorth]

Its wasting water. Regular cycle will work just fine for towels. I never heard of a PP towel.

 

[yogitunes]

not sure about the Maytag......but on a GE FilterFlo, during the first spin, COLD water is sprayed across the load during the whole spin once the wash water is all gone....using Normal speeds, this actually is very good rinsing for a load of towels, or anything you want rinsed very well....

unless your machine has a second rinse option, which the Maytag may not, but keep in mind also the last spin is short, a second spin in the Regular cycle is usually advised...heck, even after a Regular spin, you can reset for spin again, and extract even more water...

some people think the fast agitation of the Normal speed is too harsh on some clothes, and use the Gentle or PermPress setting for just about everything....just a matter of personal taste....

 

[mickeyd]

Hey Kiddo

Back in the day, Perma-Press fabrics were all the rage. If you washed them right, you didn't have to iron them. To avoid the wrinkles hot water and spinning can set, the washerlords designed the PP cycle, cooling the wash water before a full spin.

 

Listen close to what happens in your classroom's A 212 the next time you can. I can't tell about your model, only mine, an 806 from the 70's. It spin/drains most of the water, then refills, then drains halfway, refills again, agitates, and then a full spin/drain begins, and you know the rest, (regular rinse).

 

Many machines had built-in slow spins for this cycle, while Maytag and others allowed you to select the speed. If teacher is selecting Normal Spin Speed, she is probably using the PP as an extensive or extra rinse cycle, since kitchen towels don't usually have wrinkling issues, unless they're made of pure linen like they were back in the olden days.

 

Our friend Kelly, whose life we are celebrating tonight was a huge Maytag fan. I'm sure he'd be so happy to have a young man aboard.

 

[wayupnorth]

My old Kenmore would do the spray etc. But these old Maytags spin half the water out, refill with cold, especially if you had it on cold wash you are wasting water. Ex Lg load on my 1984 is 59 gallons on PP cycle according to my owners manuel.

 

[kenmore71]

On this particular machine, the PP cycle is giving towels a pseudo second rinse and an abbreviated high speed spin at the end (3 min. vs. 5 min.)  It uses an additional 12-16 gallons of unheated water and will cause the dryer to run an extra ten minutes or so.  The extra rinsing action may or may not be worth it.  Live and let live in IMHO.

 

[rinso]

Another thing to consider is that many Perma-Press cycles also have slower spin speeds, which also can extend the time it takes for towells to dry.

 

[wayupnorth]

Fabric-Matics

Are one speed, old fashioned fast. Delicate cycle will shread anything that should be handled gently. They do use alot of water, but they never die, knock on wood.