Laundry Expert Reveals the Only Washing Machine Cycle You'll Ever Need for Your Laundry Routine

For a naïve, the dashboard of a washing machine is no less puzzling than a spaceship is to a new astronaut. People of the bygone era would have gasped with shock seeing all these buttons and controls. For them, it took hard labor to wash their garments. The fact that electricity could transform the washing scenario was unimaginable. But now that humans have these electric-powered machines, decision fatigue has set in. What is the correct water temperature and what is the right wash cycle- so many questions pop into people’s heads as they buy a washing machine from a home store. In an interview with Reader’s Digest, Linsey Morgan, the owner of Linsey’s Laundry, reveals the one wash cycle she swears by when washing clothes.

Kitchen appliance manufacturer, JJ Gloss, defines a wash cycle as “a sequence of steps that a washing machine follows to clean clothes.” When the clothes are loaded into the machine’s drum, it extracts the dirt and residue. Then, the “agitator” agitates the clothes in the water, pulling away all the dirt and depositing it in water and a pouch attached inside the machine. With modern-day washing machines giving us a myriad of options to choose the cycle, the decision-making every day if often a tiresome process.

The choice of the type of wash cycle depends on various factors including the type of fabric, load size, and intensity of the stain. For lightly soiled clothes, a “quick wash” cycle is usually recommended whereas for fabrics like silk, wool, lace, and lingerie, a “delicate wash” is perfect. “My go-to is going to be your ‘normal’ wash because that’s going to take care of all of your regular fabrics,” said Morgan. “Anything you have [on a] day-to-day basis is going to be your normal cycle.” On a day-to-day basis, she referred to clothes like towels, napkins, t-shirts, socks, undergarments, and white sheets.

According to Daniel Appliance, a normal wash cycle is based on “high agitation and a longer runtime, ideal for moderately soiled items.” They explain that this cycle typically uses warm water and high spin speeds, making it great for everyday fabrics like cotton, linen, and blends. This cycle lasts for up to an hour. And even though this cycle mostly uses warm water, Morgan explained that it depends on the type of clothes. “[For] whites, like white towels and white sheets, you want to use a hot water wash,” said Morgan. She said that the warm water is good for breaking down stains and killing bacteria and viruses that may be sticking to the clothes.

“[For] anything else, you can use that warm to cool range, it’s totally fine on your fabrics,” she added. At the same time, she emphasized that “Warm water is your safest temperature.” The normal wash cycle, however, may not work for all clothes, Morgan said. “If you have a certain sweater or dress or something that you really care about, you need to check the labels. The ‘delicate’ or ‘permanent press’ cycle is likely the way to go for these special items, but the label should dictate that, along with how to dry them properly.” Ultimately, the goal is not only sparkling clothes but also a stress-free washing.