Whirpool Washing Machine Cycles Explained

If you just purchased a new Whirlpool washing machine, the many cycle labels in the panel can be overwhelming. These cycles help care for your clothes. If you look at your clothes tag, you will see washing instructions and not damage the clothes. Restrictions are also embedded in the tag to avoid damaging your clothes.

Good thing the wash cycles in Whirlpool washing machines can cater to different fabrics. It only takes the right speed, temperature, rinse, and soil level to wash your clothes.

For this reason, we will explain each cycle to figure out the best one to use.

Reasons to Know and Use Appropriate Wash Cycles

Knowing the wash cycles and what they do are critical when you own Whirlpool.

By knowing the appropriate wash cycle, the machine can apply the appropriate settings to your clothes when washing. Imagine using a light washing cycle on heavily soiled clothes. You need to know how each cycle does it or to determine the more efficient wash mode for a fabric, dirt or stain level, or type of clothes.

Aside from that, you need to know the energy-efficient wash cycles. Your machine knows how much water or detergent to use. Whirlpool designed its washing machines to save energy, so expect it to work to save as much energy as it can. You can set the program to a cycle that only runs at a specific time.

Also, knowing the correct cycle will help you understand the ones with specialized features like load sensing, delay start, or automatic dispensing. These are one of those technologies that make machine washing more convenient and efficient.

So if you want to maximize the use of your Whirlpool washing machine, let us look at each wash cycle in detail.

Whirlpool Washing Machine Cycles

Whirlpool offers different wash cycles. Top and front loads do not have the same cycles available. Of course, their mechanisms are different. And the cycles have to be adjusted to their model.

Let us get to know them.

1) Normal Cycles

Normal Cycles on Whirlpool washing machines utilize high agitation speed spinning and tumbling to clean moderately soiled clothes.

In this cycle, the machine power cleans the clothes by heating them to 120 to 140°F. But the entire process not only uses hot water. This option also uses cool, cold, and tap-cold water temperature settings for rinsing. But for washing and cleaning, the cycle uses warm water.

Because of these settings, the cycle is more advisable to use on cotton, linen, and other moderately soiled fabrics that are not considered delicate or heavy. These clothes include your daily clothes at home like T-shirts and shorts.

The cycle lasts for fifty minutes to one hour. And you can do pretty much things around the house while running this cycle.

2) Colors

As the name implies, this washing cycle is for colored and dark-colored clothes. The cycle utilizes the same water temperature settings as the normal cycle. It uses a cool water setting to clean and wash while hot, warm, cold, and tap-cold water for rinsing.

The cycle employs highly agitated spinning and tumbling motion to clean mixed garments, including activewear, bright or dark colored, casual clothes, denim, dresses, and non-iron fabrics.

You can set this cycle with additional options for extra rinsing, presoak for about 30 minutes, use of fabric conditioner, and deep water wash.

The cycle lasts for up to 45 minutes. And you can still run some errands a make a quick lunch while the machine runs.

Simply pick your colored garments and make sure the clothes are ready-to-wear.

3) Whites

Whirlpool has such easily-identifiable cycle names. Sort all your white-colored clothes that don’t get much reaction to the slight bleach drops.

Since white-colored garments acquire dirt easily, pick those with thick dirt and set it to the Whites Cycle. Those heavily soiled white clothes will benefit from the high-speed spinning and tumbling action that uses hot water for power washing. With sixty-five minutes running cycle, you’ll surely take out white clothes with extra glow enhanced by bleach.

You can also use fabric softener for added freshness. Depending on the model, you can set it with an extra rinse, thirty minutes of presoak, and deep water cleaning.

4) Quick Wash

If you’re in a rush and have lightly-soiled clothes to wash, use the Quick Wash cycle. This cycle lasts for thirty minutes. Because it will run for this short time, do not overload this cycle. You want the clothes to benefit from the accelerated spinning and tumbling motion. And it will clean your clothes with warm water, just enough for not-so-dirty clothes that need quick and moderately intense washing.

This washing mode is beneficial if you need them ready within a few hours. It is a perfect setting for those people who are always on the go.

5) Rinse and spin

As the name implies, rinse and spin use no detergents. This option is great for heavily soiled clothes such as diaper clothes or towels to prepare them for full washing. The cycle spins at a high speed with cold water. The rinse and spin cycle lasts for thirty minutes. By this time, your garments have softened thick stains, well-prepared for power washing. Use this cycle for stubborn fabrics such as jeans and towels.

6) Drain and spin

The shortest spinning cycle in this list lasts only for ten minutes. This cycle is for garments such as swimsuits and clothes that need quick drying for manually-washed clothes.

As the name suggests, this mode doesn’t use water but removes them on heavily-soaked clothes by draining them. The setting also helps drain water conveniently after canceling a load or an interrupted cycle.

You can also use this option for extra rinsing when the garment needs more. The machine will rinse, drain, and spin.

7) Delicates

The Delicates Cycle suits better for extra-sensitive clothes. Those clothes may tear apart when loaded on a normal or heavy washing. These garments have machine-wash silk or gentle-cycled labels and fabrics labeled as for hand wash. These garments are extra thin and need delicate attention when washing, such as undergarments, bras, and neckties.

The machine utilizes low agitation and tumbling speeds. And the water temperature runs cool water of about 65 to 75 °F. The cycle uses deep water washing.

8) Bulky/ Sheets

This option is the washing cycle for bulky fabrics like bedsheets, curtains, comforters, sleeping bags, jackets, and washable rags. This cycle uses more water to load and cover the bulky fabric sheets. It washes with slow-spinning warm water to deeply penetrate its fibers. This operation would run for up to fifty-five minutes, and you will have plenty of time to cook for the kids or clean up the house.

9) Heavy-duty

The longest-running cycle in this list washes deeply heavily soiled garments. These garments need extreme washing attention so it needs up to seventy-five minutes to two hours to soften and power wash deep stubborn stains and dirt. The fabrics you wash with this setting tend to absorb water less, which justifies its long time.

The cycle uses high agitation or tumbling speed in hot water. It comes equipped with load-sensing technology for mixed garments to determine water levels.

10) Active Wear

Active Wear is a cycle dedicated to sportswear or athletic clothes that requires no pressing. It spins at a fast speed using warm water for cleaning. The washing process lasts for up to 45 minutes or more. Aside from sports clothes, you can include perm press & blends and business and casual clothes in this wash mode.

11) Jeans

As the name suggests, you can use this wash cycle for demons and jeans. However, you need to separate light and dark-colored jeans to avoid discoloration. The cycle utilizes high spinning and tumbling speeds using warm water. The wash mode runs for sixty minutes or one hour. And it is already enough to soften and remove stubborn in-between-fiber dirt.

12) Clean washer

The Clean Washer is the setting for cleaning the machine’s washer. In this cycle, the drum spins slowly, and the system heats the empty drum to rinse the washer entirely. Perform this maintenance and care cycle every thirty loads.

Use recommended cleaner for this cycle because the solution will sanitize and power clean the machine. Remember that you cannot pause this cycle. When you open the washer lid, the system has to restart again. Clean washer runs within sixty minutes or one hour.

How to Choose the Right Wash Cycle for Your Clothes?

Sort and check your fabric. An easy way to do this is to check the clothing label.
Examine the dirt or soil level.
Learn the different cycles. Check back on this guide if needed.
Try customizable options like pre-rinse, extra rinse, and soak cycles.
Check your manufacturer’s recommendation.

Final Words

We understand that the buttons can be overwhelming. The good thing about Whirlpool washing machines is the labels are straightforward. You can identify names quickly, such as Jeans, Whites, Colors, and so forth. However, you should still get to know the settings to understand each cycle better. Now that you understand them better in terms of speed, strength, and operation time, you have an idea of how efficient each wash cycle is for your clothes.