Delicate wash: what is this mode and for what things is it suitable?

Thanks to the progress made in a modern washing machine, almost anything can be washed. At the same time, one of the most useful options of multifunctional devices is the delicate wash mode. From the material in this article, you will learn what the delicate mode is, what are its pros and cons, how to set it up correctly, and how long it lasts.

Delicate wash is nothing more than a gentle washing of clothes in an automatic machine. This means that during washing, a special mode will be set with low drum revolutions at a minimum water temperature. In this case, washing away dirt and stains occurs with a large volume of water. This helps to protect the fabric from mechanical damage and friction.

The water temperature in this case is on average 30 degrees, which differs from most other programs. At low temperatures, fading of textiles is excluded, and therefore the brightness of things will not change. In comparison with other modes of the device, such a wash lasts much less. The number of revolutions per minute ranges from 400 to 600, the movement of the drum is smooth.

This mode is characterized by the absence of drying. In another way, delicate wash is called hand or gentle. It is not intended for all things and has an icon depicting a container with water and a temperature of 30 degrees. However, there is no single designation, since the icons from different manufacturers may differ.

Somewhere manufacturers write "Wool", "Eco", "Silk". Some icons have their own designations. For example, it can be an image of a basin with water, a temperature number and horizontal lines below the bottom of the depicted container. Less often, on dashboards, the delicate wash icon depicts a basin with water and a hand, a feather, a butterfly, a flower, a ball of wool.

A delicate wash has both advantages and disadvantages. For example, among its advantages it is worth noting:

• shorter process duration;
• saving electrical energy;
• a small amount of the agent used;
• sparing attitude to textile fibers;
• saving time and effort of households.

The advantage of this mode is the fact that you do not need to accumulate laundry of approximately the same texture and color. The thing can be washed immediately, without fear that dirt will be absorbed into the structure of the material and become part of the pattern. At the same time, for this type of washing, today there is a wide range of detergents with an economical consumption. You can machine wash things made of different materials.

A gentle wash cycle does not eliminate dust mites, which are a source of skin irritation and allergic reactions. It is useless to wash bed linen at low water temperature and low speed. Waste products of dust mites remain on it. It is possible to eliminate them only by washing things in hot water.

Granules of detergent powder dissolve poorly in cold water.The remaining microparticles cause itchy skin, flaky skin and allergies. Therefore, such products for delicate washing are contraindicated. In addition, the mode does not imply a full load. Clothes can only rinse well if the drum is no more than half full.

The problem of frequent delicate washings is deterioration of the washing machine. Mold forms on the hoses, they are less water-permeable. This can cause gray-green stains on the laundry and an unpleasant odor emanates from the machine. There is a need for flushing or even repair.

There is no single answer, as each developer has different standards. For example, some manufacturers produce washing machines with a delicate wash cycle that lasts half an hour. For others, this time is 1 hour, 1 hour and 40 minutes. However, the lengthy process is by no means good for the garment.

You can wash items made of silk, chiffon, cambric, wool, guipure, satin, viscose, lace in the delicate wash mode. Besides, option designed for polyester, cashmere, elastane, knitwear, microfiber and many other new generation materials.

Different things made of natural and artificial materials are washed in this mode. For example, it can be:

• the finest voile curtains or organza curtains;
• things of a complex cut with embossed structures;
• products with lace inserts, ruffles, elastic bands;
• things with buttons, sequins, rhinestones, embroidery;
• sports and insulated thermal underwear of any kind;
• products that are unstable to deformation, shrinkage, shedding;
• voluminous woolen sweaters, beautiful lace underwear;
• things made of materials contrasting in color;
• expensive clothes, afraid of mechanical destruction of fibers.

For gentle washing of clothes, manufacturers of washing machines recommend using special detergents. It can be various gels for washing delicate fabrics, as well as other liquid detergents. At the same time, the composition of such products should not contain enzymes, phosphates and chlorine. Such products are well rinsed out of fabrics, leaving the structure and color of the fabric in its original form.

Ordinary powders spoil the color of products, and bleach deteriorates their quality. For delicate wash you need special products without dyes and preservatives. The smell of such products is natural, it has a special marking indicating the type of fabrics for gentle washing.

You can take products that contain lanolin, it has a mild effect on textiles, while retaining the color of things. On the shelves of household chemicals stores today, you can also see special products that differ in purpose by type of fabric. Woolen and silk items cannot be washed with ordinary powder. For them, you need to buy a liquid product for natural fabrics.

Gels are considered the best choice. They penetrate deeper into the structure of the fabric, are easier to wash out of it, contain additives to maintain their shape and soften water. Gels are suitable for cleaning various types of dirt. They are safe and do not cause allergic reactions. You need to buy biodegradable drugs in the store. Among the mass of varieties of this product can be noted the funds of the companies Nordland, Sion, "Laska", "Cashmere".

If the automatic machine does not have a delicate wash mode, it can be set manually. It can be replaced by the "Wool", "Silk", "Hand wash" modes. You can customize the device by choosing the optimal conditions for gentle washing. This is quite simple to do, you just need to:

• select the option with washing no more than 30-40 minutes;
• set the water heating temperature to 30 degrees;
• set the number of revolutions per minute at around 400-600;
• disable the spin option (if it is undesirable);
• remove the options for drying, ironing, enable double rinsing.

If at the end of the wash the result is unsatisfactory, it is necessary to analyze the mistakes made. Perhaps the colored clothes were put together with the white ones, they forgot to turn them inside out or put them in a special bag for washing.

In order for the delicate mode to wash things as efficiently as possible, it is necessary to pay attention to a number of criteria. For example, lace items must be washed separately. If necessary, they are pre-soaked, and then placed in special bags for washing delicate clothes and put into the machine. Silk or cashmere items are washed separately to keep items soft after washing.

Sorting must be done before placing the clothes in the drum. Light, dark, white, bright things are washed separately. This will eliminate the possibility of staining. The underwear is turned inside out and placed in mesh covers for washing.

The weight of the load should not exceed half the drum capacity of the washing machine. The more things there are in the machine, the more curl they will be subjected to during the wash. One thing cannot be washed. If there is no gentle wash mode, it is worth setting the heating temperature limit to a minimum.

The longer the machine washes, the worse for things. Few people thought about the fact that delicate products should not stay in water for a long time. From this they deform and shrink. In addition, capricious textiles have another feature: if they are not removed from the device immediately after washing, they will deform.

You need to wash delicate items using conditioner. This is especially important if the water in the house is hard. If you forget about this, whitish spots will appear on the surface of the garment as it dries. To prevent bright garments from losing their color during washing, you can add detergent for dark garments into the machine.

If the house does not have a washing bag, you can use a regular white or light cotton pillowcase. In order not to spoil the product, before placing it in the drum, you need to study the information on the label. Manufacturers indicate both the temperature regime and other washing conditions to preserve the aesthetic appeal and durability of their products.

See below for the correct use of the delicate mode.