What is a Cycle?

[Chetlaham]

In the past I had a GE washer with a single speed motor that was labelled "delicate". The washer was far from delicate in general. There were no soaks or pauses on delicate and the delicate rinse was longer in agitation time than the Cottons Heavy Cycle. Which got me thinking. Is there a standard as to what a delicate cycle or any particular cycle must conform to? Would it be theoretically possible for someone to successfully litigate GE for false advertising or can a company legally label anything hand-wash/delicate/ Permanent Press/ect entirely on discretion?

 

 

 

 

 

[bajaespuma]

I had the same question

when I got my first appliance brochures.

 

GE counted all of these points on their normal cycle dial as individual cycles. I remember wasting a couple of hours one day trying to get the "SOAK" cycle on the dial (a total lie; later they defined it as an "ACTIVATED SOAK". Most of the other brands did the same thing. Maytag didn't back then; one of many reasons I had respect for the company and the product.

 

I asked a relative who was an attorney and the answer was (and is), "Caveat Emptor".

 

Now that we have a president who is a pathological liar, I doubt anybody worries about a lot of marketing lies anymore. Ralph Nader, we should have elected you.

 

[Chetlaham]

From what someone told me on this site (DaDoEs or Appnut or both)  soak was meant to fill then agitate for a short period of time and then the user pushed in the dial for however long they wanted to soak the clothes. Dumb, because you couldn't even get warm water on latter machines. And it wasn't explained on the lid or in the user manual. 

 

To me a soak cycle in marketing terms is one that either stops automatically after agitation; or fills, agitates, soaks for a period say 20 minutes, then advances to prewash.

 

Ideally for me a soak cycle fills, agitates, soaks, agitates, soaks then advances to the main wash.

 

 

<h1 class="x-item-title__mainTitle"> </h1>
 

 

 

 

[tomturbomatic]

A cycle is something with a beginning and an end. Whether the cycle is labeled Normal or Delicate or Soak is irrelevant. It is a cycle. The question at the heading of the post asks what is a cycle, but then launches into an argument for a slow speed in the delicate cycle, but GE is not the only manufacturer to offer a delicate cycle without a slow speed. A low end Kenmore washer with the black control panel with the timer dial in the middle did that. Maytag's first delicate cycle on the Supermatic machines used the normal speed for agitation and spin, but with a greatly shortened cycle. Later Maytag models marked the last 4 minutes of the wash period on the ONLY cycle on the timer dial as Delicates even on single speed machines but there was no reduction in the total cycle time so the Maytag delicate cycle was a hoax, but perhaps a little less so with a two speed machine.

 

[Chetlaham]

It is not an argument, it is a question backed by an inference.

 

Is a cycle held by a standard (ie must meet certain criteria in a lab) , or do no such standards exist?

 

[pierreandreply4]

those where the days

those where the days credit to philr for the pic set dial to needed wash time let washer do its work when done move to dryer and voila laundry done for the day unless more then 1 load

 

[toploadloyalist]

Sears (Kenmore) Catalog's definition of a cycle

"A cycle is a series of operations performed automatically in sequence: fill, wash, rinse, spin, etc. Cycles (e.g. Normal, Permament Press, Delicate/Gentle) are varied by changing time, speed, water temperature, etc. The more versatile washer are designed to select these variables automatically, requiring less work (and less guesswork) by the user."

I hope that's sufficient information for you.

 

[Chetlaham]

Pierre, love those knobs! Especially the auto soak prior to the cycle. I wish all washers had a soak option before the main wash for tough stains and heavy soils. 

 

Randy, thank you for the excerpt.

 

[pierreandreply4]

Chetlham

these knobs where on 1972 inglis whirlpool washers the set is 1972 inglis royal100 washer dryer

 

[Chetlaham]

Whirlpool and GE had the best cycle conventions IMO.  I also like the alphabet cycles Whirlpool had where the temperature was built into the letter selected.

 

Anyways, it seems like Whirlpool was the most hesitant at calling a single speed cycle "delicate" Roper washers for example, despite even having a soak period in there least intensive cycle, would call that cycle "fabricare" instead of "delicate"

 

 

 

 

 

I guess the question I'm asking is, can a manufacturer legally take what would normally be a heavy duty cycle with 20 minutes of 180+ OPM agitation and call it "delicate" ? 

 

 

Some washers seemed to have delicate cycles that were way rougher than the next and others that were more gentle than the next.

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>Especially the auto soak prior to the cycle.</blockquote> The Super Wash "soak" of two timer increments is a 2-minute pause for heavy soil to settle and a partial drain (to pressure switch reset) with a pause for the remainder of the 2-min drain increment.

 

[appnut]

Times will be approximate, its been 40+ years since the last time I used this washer. Our 1970 Kenmore 800 Enzyme Soak Cycle was 30 minute duration. Agitation was gentle. Initial fill and agitate for 2 mionutes. Soak for like 6 or 10 mintes, then agitate for 20 or 20 seconds. Soak again for like 6 or 10 minutes. Then another brief agitate. Timer continueas to advance and reaches the prewash section which is 4 minutes of gentle agitation. Drains, spins for 2 minutes high speed and either shuts off or advances to Normal Cycle, depending whether soak selector was set to soak only or soak & wash. This cycle was designed to work perfectly with Axion or Biz soak/prewash products.

 

[Chetlaham]

That reminds me of the A407 presoak. Which is:

 

Fill (timer stalled until pressure switch satisfied)

 

Agitate 2 minutes

 

Soak 7 minutes

 

Agitate 1 minute

 

Soak 6 minutes

 

Agitate 1 minute

 

Soak 7 minutes

 

Agitate 2 minutes

 

Soak 1 minute

 

Spin 2 minutes

 

Off

 

Beautiful- applause to Maytag! 

 

27 minutes of soaking and agitation I like. It would be easy to implement on a 66 minute continuous advance timer, where the press care cycle would be on a BOL GE or Hotpoint machine.

 

 

Only difference is I prefer a direct lead into the main wash such that the additives continue working. Though this would work more for stains like tomato sauce rather then very heavy caked on soils like mud dried clothes which require a water change out and refill i my experience. 

 

 

 

 

 

[pierreandreply4]

Chetlham

if you had a whirlpool washer like this would you use it? with matching dryer or the inglis whirlpool version made in canada?

 

[Chetlaham]

I'd use the dryer if it were an extra large capacity machine like my current badge Maytag, but I'd be torn on the washer. I don't like how short the rinses are on belt drives, the neutral drain or the slow spin speed- though the slow spin speed I can live with if it means longevity on the basis of it being a vintage machine. Now, if I had to choose between a model T, any modern VMW and your set I'd hands down take your set.

 

[pierreandreply4]

Chetlham

i just sent you an email

 

[Chetlaham]

Got it, thank you!

 

[gelaundry4ever]

GE!

I had a GE that had auto soak 15 and 30 minutes.

 

[Chetlaham]

Jerome, I remember your model WWSE3160aoww. 30 minute auto soak is a nice feature! I've never asked, how did the washer proceed? Did it drain and spin before going into heavy or did it just go into heavy wash agitation after the soak period?