The Deal with the Dial - Washing Machine Cycles 101

Have you noticed that over the years the dial on washing machines has changed?  Long gone are the days of simplicity with your home major appliances.  As technologies advance, the equipment becomes more efficient, better looking and maybe even a little intimidating.  Don't fear the dial! Home-Tech, southwest Florida's leader in appliance sales and service, is here to help you "sort out" any laundry questions you may have.

You certainly don't ever want to personally be thought of as bulky.  But is bulky bad in laundry terms?  Is bulky the same setting as heavy duty?  Is bulky the same setting as sheets?  Your washer dial might have all three of these as settings - bulky, heavy duty and sheets.  So how do you choose?

Let's start by defining heavy duty as the washing machine manufacturers do.  The heavy duty cycle will be a longer cycle with more water in it than other cycles.  So it's perfect for clothing that is really dirty.  Not everyone today gets their clothing really dirty.  There's a big difference between playing a round of golf, working an office job or welding all day.  And anyone with children can tell you there's a big difference between what little boys do to their clothing versus what little girls do.  This setting is good for sturdy items such as jeans, towels and heavily soiled items.  If you are finding that your laundry is always just lightly soiled, you may never use the heavy duty cycle.

The bulky setting is good for items that take up a lot of space in the washer, like blankets, comforters or sleeping bags.  This setting will use extra water as well to make sure the items are soaked through and well balanced during the wash cycle.  Bulky is a good setting if you decide to wash a full load of towels as well.

If you have a sheet setting, this one is easy.  Use it when you wash your sheets! Here is a great article with more tips on taking care of your bed linens.

Do you need your lucky golf shirt cleaned for your match tomorrow morning?  Stat!  If you have a Whirlpool Cabrio WTW5500X model you can have it clean in a snap.  You will be amazed at the speed of the Quick Wash Cycle.  This is designed to clean small, slightly soiled loads in less time.  The load will also dry faster because the spin speed is increased too.  If you have the matching Cabrio dryer, you can finish drying your load in 13 minutes!

If you have any questions about your laundry or if you need new laundry appliances you can call the experts at Home-Tech for help.  800-800-8356 can be your laundry HELP LINE.  We are always here to help you with repairs or new purchases.  Stay tuned for part two of this article on dealing with the dial.  Next time we'll solve the mystery of getting your whites brilliant and you will learn all about the sanitary cycle.