Washer Settings: Settings, Products, and Timing

You want to use the right washer settings but you’re not sure which to choose. Maybe your clothes are coming out damaged, not clean, or wrinkled. Choosing the right washer settings is the most important step in doing laundry. The wrong settings can damage clothes, reduce cleaning, or waste energy. Here’s a guide to washer settings, products, and timing.

Washer settings are the combination of water temperature, cycle type, spin speed, and soil level that determine how the washer cleans clothes. The right settings depend on the fabric type, soil level, and color of the clothes. Choosing the right settings keeps clothes clean, prevents damage, and saves energy.

To choose the right washer settings, check the care label first, sort clothes by fabric and color, choose the right water temperature (cold for darks, warm for everyday, hot for whites), choose the right cycle (normal for cotton, permanent press for synthetics, gentle for delicates), choose the right spin speed, and use the right detergent. Don’t use hot water for darks, don’t use the gentle cycle for heavily soiled clothes, and don’t overload the washer.

Water Temperature Settings

Temperature	Best For	What to Avoid
Cold (60 to 80 F)	Darks, brights, delicates, activewear	Whites, heavily soiled
Warm (90 to 110 F)	Everyday clothes, synthetics, permanent press	Blood stains (use cold)
Hot (120 to 140 F)	Whites, towels, bedding, heavily soiled	Darks, delicates, blood stains

Cycle Settings

Cycle	Agitation	Spin Speed	Best For
Normal	Medium	Fast	Cotton, everyday clothes
Permanent press	Gentle	Slow	Synthetics, blends, knits
Gentle	Very gentle	Very slow	Delicates, silk, wool
Heavy duty	Heavy	Fast	Towels, bedding, heavily soiled
Quick wash	Medium	Fast	Lightly soiled, small loads
Bulky items	Gentle	Medium	Comforters, pillows

Soil Level Settings

Soil Level	Wash Time	Best For
Light	Short (20 to 30 min)	Freshly worn clothes
Normal	Medium (40 to 50 min)	Everyday clothes
Heavy	Long (60 to 80 min)	Work clothes, kids’ clothes
Extra heavy	Very long (80 to 90 min)	Mud, grease, food stains

Spin Speed Settings

Spin Speed	RPM	Best For	What to Avoid
High	1200 to 1600	Cotton, towels, bedding	Delicates
Medium	800 to 1000	Everyday clothes, synthetics	Very delicate items
Low	400 to 600	Delicates, knits	Heavy items
No spin	0	Very delicate items	Most clothes

What Works

Check the Care Label First

Check the care label on each item before washing. The label tells you the recommended water temperature, cycle, and any special instructions.

Sort Clothes Before Washing

Sort clothes by color (whites, lights, darks, brights), fabric (cotton, synthetics, delicates, towels), and soil level (lightly soiled, heavily soiled).

Use the Right Detergent

Use Tide Free and Gentle for all loads. It has enzymes that break down stains and works in all water temperatures.

Add Baking Soda

Add half a cup of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda to the wash for extra cleaning and deodorizing.

Add Vinegar to the Rinse

Add half a cup of white vinegar to the rinse. Vinegar removes detergent residue and softens clothes.

Pre-Treat Stains

Pre-treat stains before washing:

• Grease: Dawn Ultra Dish Soap
• Food and drink: OxiClean Max Force Spray
• General stains: Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam
• Ink: Amodex Ink and Stain Remover

Use the Right Products

Laundry sanitizer: Lysol Laundry Sanitizer

Machine cleaner: affresh Washing Machine Cleaner

Don’t Overload the Washer

Fill no more than 3/4 full. Overloading reduces cleaning and increases wear on clothes and the machine.

Use HE Detergent in HE Washers

Use HE detergent in HE washers. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons per load.

Clean the Machine Monthly

Use affresh monthly to keep the machine running efficiently.

What to Avoid

Don’t use hot water for darks. Hot water fades dark colors. Use cold water.

Don’t use the gentle cycle for heavily soiled clothes. The gentle cycle doesn’t provide enough agitation. Use heavy duty.

Don’t use cold water for heavily soiled clothes. Cold water doesn’t remove heavy soil. Use warm or hot.

Don’t overload the washer. Overloading reduces cleaning and increases wear. Fill no more than 3/4 full.

Don’t use too much detergent. Excess detergent leaves residue. Use the recommended amount.

Don’t use fabric softener on activewear. Fabric softener coats synthetic fibers. Use vinegar.

Don’t mix hot water with blood stains. Hot water sets protein stains. Use cold water.

Quick Reference: Settings by Load Type

Load Type	Water Temp	Cycle	Spin Speed	Soil Level
Whites	Hot	Normal or heavy duty	High	Heavy
Darks	Cold	Normal	Medium	Normal
Colors	Warm	Normal	Medium	Normal
Synthetics	Warm	Permanent press	Slow	Normal
Delicates	Cold	Gentle	Low	Light
Towels	Hot	Heavy duty	High	Heavy
Activewear	Cold	Gentle	Low	Normal
Heavily soiled	Hot	Heavy duty	High	Extra heavy

FAQ

What washer settings should you use? Check the care label, sort clothes, and choose settings based on fabric and soil level. Use cold water for darks, warm for everyday clothes, and hot for whites and towels. Choose normal for cotton, permanent press for synthetics, and gentle for delicates.

What temperature should you wash clothes? Use cold water (60 to 80 F) for darks and delicates. Use warm water (90 to 110 F) for everyday clothes and synthetics. Use hot water (120 to 140 F) for whites, towels, and heavily soiled items.

What cycle should you use for everyday clothes? Use the normal cycle with warm water and medium spin speed for everyday cotton clothes. Use permanent press with warm water for synthetics.

What spin speed should you use? Use high spin (1200 to 1600 RPM) for cotton, towels, and bedding. Use medium spin (800 to 1000 RPM) for everyday clothes. Use low spin (400 to 600 RPM) for delicates.

How much detergent should you use? Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of HE detergent in HE washers. Use the recommended amount on the package for standard washers. Don’t use too much.

References

1. Tide. “Washer Settings Guide.” tide.com.
2. The Spruce. “Laundry Settings Guide.” thespruce.com.
3. Good Housekeeping. “Washer Guide.” goodhousekeeping.com.
4. Consumer Reports. “Washer Guide.” consumerreports.org.