Why so many settings? - Washing Machine Explained
- Marcin WÅ‚odarczyk
- Jul 24, 2025
- 10 min read
From the outside perspective of the unaware and oblivious user like me, my washing machine really only does one thing: spins my clothes around. So how come there is an overwhelming amount of settings, buttons and dials on the front panel of it?
IN HOW MANY DIFFERENT WAYS CAN YOU POSSIBLY SHAKE AND TUMBLE YOUR T-SHIRTS?
Turns out – judging by my own washing machine – in at least 16 different ways. There is more than just a big drum and the negative space between it. In reality, your washing machine has a few physical tools at its disposal: water temperature, cycle length as well as agitation and spin based on the speed of the drum. Laundry is about how those tools are combined and customised to suit different fabrics and soil levels.
To my monkey brain clothes are tossed around violently long enough until they come out clean. This agitation is key. This action of rubbing, shaking and tumbling the fabrics loosens dirt, stains, and detergent from your clothes. But your pants do not get washed when you suddenly throw them on the back of your chair, adding more to the usual "I wore it once" pile, now do they? This is where the complicated cockpit controls come into play. I meant the buttons. Stay on course!
THE LIFE CYCLE OF A CYCLE
But before we analyse every button on my device, let us see what actions a washing machine generally performs in each cycle:
1. Water Filling:Â The machine fills with water to the appropriate level. Water is either cold, warm, or hot depending on your settings. The machine draws water through inlet valves, controlled by a series of sensors that regulate temperature and volume.
2. Detergent Dispensing:Â Detergent is dispensed from the dispenser drawer into the drum. Whether it is powder, liquid, or a pod, the detergent disperses into the water to form a cleansing solution that penetrates fabrics.
3. Agitation/Washing:Â The drum rotates, agitating the clothes and water to remove dirt and stains. The speed and duration of agitation vary depending on the cycle. This mechanical motion is what loosens dirt, sweat, oils, and stains. It is like hand-washing, but on overdrive. Water and detergent are forced through the fibres of your clothes repeatedly, dislodging grime through a combination of friction and chemical action.
4. Water Draining:Â The dirty water is drained from the drum.
5. Rinsing:Â The drum fills with clean water to rinse away any remaining detergent. This is usually repeated multiple times. This rinse cycle removes any leftover soap, dirt, and cleaning agents.
6. Spinning:Â The drum spins at a high speed to remove excess water from the clothes. The spin speed varies depending on the cycle and fabric type. Ultra-fast rotation wrings out excess water from your laundry. Speeds can reach up to 1,200 RPM (or higher), leaving your clothes damp but no longer soaking. The less water your clothes retain, the quicker they will dry.
7. Water Draining:Â The final rinse water is drained.
DEEP DIVE INTO THE DRUM
You toss in your laundry, add detergent, hit a button, and walk away. But have you ever wondered what is really going on inside that mysterious drum while it spins, shakes, and whooshes? Your washing machine is more than just a noisy box – it is a carefully choreographed system that combines mechanics, chemistry, and physics to get your clothes clean.
I will now thoroughly explain each and every button and setting, based on my own, private washing machine that I finally care about – because who would do that for a washing machine in a communal laundry room, am I right?
So what actually happens inside my freestanding front loading 8kg Indesit EWD 81482 washing machine? Rolls of the tongue, doesn't it?
Buttons:
Start/Pause: Starts or pauses the selected washing cycle. More on pausing later.
Extra Wash: Adds an extra wash to the cycle, for heavily soiled items.
Energy Saver: Reduces the energy consumption of the cycle, but may increase the wash time.
Dial Settings (1-16): These correspond to different wash programs:
Fast Zone:
1. Mix Colours 59': For washing mixed colored garments. The machine will fill with water, agitate the clothes with detergent for a set period (59 minutes), drain the water, rinse the clothes, and then spin to remove excess water.
2. Cotton 59': A standard wash for cotton items. Similar to the above, but optimized for cotton fabrics.
3. Synthetics 59': Designed for synthetic fabrics like polyester. Uses a gentler agitation and lower spin speed to prevent damage.
4. Cotton 45': A shorter wash cycle for cotton items, reducing the wash time to 45 minutes.
5. Mix 30': A quick 30-minute wash for lightly soiled mixed fabrics.
6. Express 20': An even faster 20-minute wash for very lightly soiled items or for freshening up clothes.
Traditionals:
7. Cotton: A more intensive wash for heavily soiled cotton items. It typically involves a pre-wash, a main wash with a higher temperature, multiple rinses, and a high-speed spin.
8. Synthetics: A more thorough wash for synthetic fabrics, similar to setting 3, but potentially longer and with more rinses.
9. Wool: A gentle wash cycle specifically designed for wool garments. It uses cold water, minimal agitation, and a slow spin to prevent shrinking and damage.
10. Eco 40-60: An energy-efficient wash cycle for cotton or mixed fabrics at 40-60 degrees Celsius. The machine optimizes water usage and wash time to save energy.
11. 20°C: A cold water wash cycle for delicate items or to save energy.
Specials:
12. White: For white garments, uses higher temperatures and bleach-compatible detergents. 13. Silk & Delicates: A very gentle wash cycle for delicate fabrics like silk and lingerie. It uses cold water, minimal agitation, and a very slow spin or no spin at all.
14. Gym: Wash cycle designed for gym clothes and sportswear, usually with a focus on removing odors and sweat.
15. Rinse+Spin: This setting only performs a rinse cycle followed by a spin cycle. Useful for removing excess detergent or fabric softener after hand washing.
16. Spin+Drain: This setting performs a spin cycle to remove water from clothes and then drains the water from the machine. Useful if you want to spin clothes after a wash cycle that did not spin effectively.
WHAT CAN WE INFER BASED ON THESE SETTINGS?
Cold Water = CARE
Pros:Â Saves energy, reduces wear and tear, prevents color bleeding, shrining and fading.
Cons:Â Less effective at removing heavy soil, grease, or bacteria.
Hot Water = HYGIENE
Pros:Â Kills germs and allergens, dissolves detergents better, great for oily stains.
Cons:Â Can shrink, fade, or damage delicate fabrics.
High Spin = DRYER READY
Pros:Â Removes more water, shortens drying time.
Cons:Â Can cause wrinkles, damage delicate items, and stretch fabrics.
Slow Spin = LESS STRESS
Pros:Â Gentle on clothes, reduces wrinkles and fabric stress.
Cons:Â Clothes come out wetter, take longer to dry.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPECIALTY PROGRAMS?
The more washing machine models the more programs and settings with varying names. And honestly? This wild west of unstructred nomenclature and lack of standarization in the naming conventions, may be why I feel like just chucking my mixed load in and setting it to any one program. There is no way at this point for this shaking hunk of metal to be able to tell a difference between nightwash, bio wash, allergy, baby care, steam, silent, sport shoes, mini, fuzzy, antibacteria, cradlewash, super 40, lingerie, outdoors, duvet, allergy+, mixed soiled+, download and... do it yourself??? Huh?
ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE IN WASHING MACHINES
I take it all back. The more I read on this topic to provide you with a cliffsnotes version for your morning coffee, the more I think that this spinning box may actually know what it is doing, after all. I wanted to stay blissfully ignorant, thinking a washing machine cannot possibly be that advanced but I do not think even our great-grandmothers who perfected handwash saw this one coming. It gets crazy – like, different dimensions level of crazy.
The 9 Swirl Wash is an AI-powered washing technology developed by IFB Appliances - an Indian home appliances company. The system uses nine distinct drum motions to emulate the gentle yet effective action of hand washing, ensuring optimal care for various fabric types. But that is not everything that IFB's washing machines can do.
Remember when I said it is different dimensions levels of tech? Well, now you can wash your clothes in 3D! What do you mean, "what do I mean"? Your old washing machine has been washing your clothes in 2D this whole time. Have you not heard? Swirling your pants left to right and tumbling them up and down is passe in 2025.
Does 3D mean that your drum rotates freely in 360 degrees like a ball gyroscope? Well, no. Not even the "9 sWiRl WaSh" can do it. What does it mean then? To put it simply – IFB's washing machines have special nozzles perpendicular to the swooshing waves of water in the drum that spray water and/or detergent at high pressure, right into your fabrics. It means that your washing machine can double as a dishwasher if you try hard enough. And if you like to do puzzles afterwards.
Do not ask me how 4D works. Yes, Indian washing machines bend not only your favorite blouse but also space-time continuum. Dr. Emmet Brown would be proud.
IFB's Aqua Energie purifies water, Crescent Moon-shaped projections in the drum ensure that clothes are not damaged during vigorous cleaning. There is also Auto Imbalance Vibration Control and O2 Oxygen Wash, where millions of air bubbles are produced when the detergent and water are agitated during the wash cycle, to help remove tough stains.
They even have a light inside the drum, just like your fridge! Now you can easily snack on your soaked socks in the middle of your nighttime cravings! (don't, actually)
Isn't Steam Wash technically a 360° wash? Big Door Opening sounds like I am about to rob a bank and Do it Yourself? But I just bought your product!
IF THEY ARE SO INTELLIGENT, WHY ISN'T THE TIMER EVER ACCURATE?
Have you ever ran an hour long cycle an hour before you had to leave the house and it was never ready on time? Or maybe you had your weekend slot booked in the communal laundry room and you kept walking up and down two flights of stairs between your flat and the landing, adjusting the timer on your phone because it showed five minutes every time you were ready to take it out?It is not an appliance malfunction. Your washing machine calculates the time needed to wash your clothes according to the load, and the time displayed follows this estimate. So it is just that - an estimation.
Many modern washers have load sensors, foam sensors, and imbalance detection.
If your load is unbalanced your machine will reset the spin cycle, trigger a pause, rebalance, and re-spin sequence, until it can get it to run properly, adding more time to the wash.
If clothes are clumped the machine may try to redistribute the load multiple times, each adding minutes.
If your load is heavier than expected, the washer may add extra time to fill or spin.
If it detects too many suds, it might run an extra rinse.
If the incoming water is colder or water pressure is low, the washer takes longer to fill and heat, stretching the overall time.
If you wash bulky or absorbent items that soak up water, this will affect how long the washer takes to spin them out efficiently.
If you use energy-saving modes, machines often adjust the duration dynamically to balance energy and water use, which can increase or reduce the total time.
Think of the displayed time as a best guess based on the initial load conditions. As the wash progresses, the machine re-evaluates and updates it. That is why you will sometimes see the clock pause, jump back or even forward.
This reminds me very much of a Tom Scott video on YouTube about how not a single toaster set to the same setting, pops out your bread at the same time. And no, the numbers on the dial are not minutes.
OKAY, OKAY - IT WORKS, BUT WHAT DOES THE "PAUSE" EVEN DO?
You see a button called "Pause". You press it impatiently, like it owes you money, expecting the washing machine to immediately stop whatever it was doing to slam on the breaks without yeeting itself into the stratosphere due to the centrifugal force working on it, all because you wanted the door to open again because you missed that one sock that fell to the floor. Privileged much? Pause and re-evaluate, haha.
Truth is, the door does open eventually. Sometimes. It is the whole "innacurate timer" thing, all over again:
If the drum is still filled with water, the machine won’t let you open the door to prevent flooding.
If the machine is in a hot wash phase, the door stays locked to avoid scalding.
If the drum is spinning, the door remains locked for safety until the drum stops completely.
If you have a child lock feature available and on, the door will not open.
When the door finally opens, you can:
add or remove clothes
fix an imbalance
add forgotten detergent or fabric softener
Even after pausing, the lock may take 30 seconds to 1 minute to release. Some models — especially older or top-loading ones — do not allow the door to open mid-cycle at all, regardless of Pause. That is why often nothing happens when you press it. Let it finish its job in peace.
THE EASY PART IS DONE, NOW WHO WANTS TO FOLD IT ALL?
Your washing machine is a marvel of modern engineering. Some are equipped with sensors that measure load size, fabric type, and water levels. They can adjust cycles automatically to optimise energy use, reduce wear and tear, and improve cleaning performance. Some even detect unbalanced loads or foaming issues and will pause or rebalance themselves mid-cycle. With a mix of water, detergent, motion, and clever technology, my washing machine takes my dirty clothes and gives them a fresh lease on life.
And I can barely hear the hum!
Of the drum.
Now, if only there was a machine that folds stuff.
