How to choose washing machine settings and dryer cycles

This cycle uses warm water with a high spin speed for moderately soiled cottons, linens and other mixed fabrics.

This washing machine cycle uses cool water with a high spin speed designed for mixed activewear, dark and colored garments.

The whites washer cycle uses hot water and high spin speeds to clean heavily-soiled white garments. Coupled with bleach, this cycle can help restore vivid shades of white.

Using warm water and a high spin speed, the quick wash cycle is ideal for small loads of laundry when you’re in a pinch. Simply drop in two to three items for an accelerated wash and keep your clothes ready when you need them.

The rinse and spin cycle consists only of a high-speed spin and cold water. This is ideal for garments only needing a detergent-free wash or rinse, such as swimsuits.

The drain and spin cycle does not use any water. Instead, it uses a rapid spin speed to help quickly dry hand-washed clothes, soaking wet items and heavier fabrics. This cycle is also designed to drain your washer after a canceled load or interrupted cycle.

This washing machine cycle uses high levels of cold water and a low spin speed for carefully tending to undergarments, neckties, and delicate fabrics, like silk. Use this cycle for garments marked as “Machine Washable Silks” or “Gentle” on the care tag. To help prevent damage to your clothes, remember to place your delicates, like bras, in a sealed mesh bag before washing.

The bulky/sheets washer cycle uses warm water and a low spin speed to care for sheets, blankets, sleeping bags, comforters, jackets and other bulky items. This setting uses more water than other cycles in order to fully soak the large loads.

The heavy washing machine cycle uses hot water and high spin speed for thick, heavily-soiled fabrics, like towels and jeans. Loads washed in this cycle may take longer because these items tend to absorb more water than other types of fabrics.

Your washing machine cleans your family’s clothes to keep them fresh and ready to wear, but did you know your washer also needs to be cleaned itself? This cycle uses hot water and a low spin speed with an empty drum. It is recommended to clean your washer after 30 loads or so to keep it fresh and clean. Use affresh^® Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets² to get rid of any grime and odor-causing residues in your appliance.

In fact, some Whirlpool^® washers feature a convenient Load & Go^™ XL Dispenser that can hold up to 40 loads worth of detergent.³ Not only can this take the guesswork out of detergent dosing and handle adding it for you, but when it’s time to refill the detergent, this could be a reminder that it’s time to clean your washer.

Hot water washing cycles typically have a temperature of around 140°F. This temperature is ideal to help keep your towels, jeans and certain white garments clean and ready to wear. Keep in mind that hot water may cause certain fabrics to shrink.

Warm water temperatures generally range from 105°F to 120°F and can be used for a variety of washer cycles, like normal, quick wash and bulky/sheets settings. Warm water is ideal for bright-colored clothing with moderate amounts of soil.

Cool water temperatures range roughly above 85°F and are great for loads of colored and dark garments, including activewear. In this setting, your washer may add warm water to help tend to heavily-soiled clothing.

Cold water washing cycles have a temperature of 85°F and are meant for delicate garments and dark colors prone to bleeding or fading. Cold water can also be used to help prevent clothes from shrinking and pilling.

Tap cold water refers to the water coming from your home’s water supply line. Depending on your region, water may be hotter or colder than recommended for your washer. If your tap water is too cold, your washer will compensate by adding warm water until a middle ground is reached to provide the best cleaning. This temperature helps prevent dark clothing from fading or bleeding onto other fabrics.

This dryer setting is best for air drying items containing rubber, plastic or other heat-sensitive fabrics - such as rubber-backed bath mats & rugs.

Selecting this cycle will dry your clothes for the set amount of time that you choose, including quick drying items on a high heat setting.

This dryer setting uses a low temperature to dry and help prevent your clothes from shrinking. This is best used for lightweight shirts and pants, delicates and athletic wear.

This cycle can be thought of as “regular” and automatically stops the load when optimal dryness levels are reached.

This dryer cycle uses a high temperature to dry sturdy fabrics, like jeans and towels.

For large, bulky items, like robes or comforters, a heavy duty/heavy dry setting uses higher temperatures and longer cycles to get them completely dry and fluffy.

Permanent press settings can help remove and reduce wrinkles with a medium heat and cool down. This cycle may be labeled as “wrinkle control” on Whirlpool^® dryers, with some models featuring a dedicated Wrinkle Shield^™ option to help keep wrinkles from setting into clean, dry fabrics.

Tumble dry settings can be used as an alternative to air drying to help save you time and keep your clothes ready to wear. With high heat, low heat or no heat options, tumble dry is a versatile option to get your items dry. Just remember to check your garment’s care tag to make sure it can be tumble dried.

Steam dryers with this setting inject steam at the end of a cycle to help keep wrinkles from setting into clean, dry fabrics. Select Whirlpool^® washers feature a Wrinkle Shield^™ Plus Option with Steam that uses tumbling and steam for improved wrinkle-fighting performance for up to 150 minutes after the cycle ends, or until you open your dryer door.