# What do different washing machine cycles do?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-different-washing-machine-cycles-do/633093>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 30, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-different-washing-machine-cycles-do/633093 "2012-08-30T00:55:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.Pu-du-he-pa-as)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-different-washing-machine-cycles-do/633093/1 "2012-08-30T00:55:59Z")

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What do different washing machine cycles do? I had always assumed that the difference between “normal” and “permanent press” was that “normal” used hot water, while “permanent press” used cold water. oft wears hats contends that they both use the same temperature water, but the agitation and rinse cycles are different. How does this really work?

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**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-different-washing-machine-cycles-do/633093/2 "2012-08-30T02:01:19Z")

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Different washers may be different, but on ours there is one knob to select the cycle type, and one knob to select water temp.

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**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-different-washing-machine-cycles-do/633093/3 "2012-08-30T19:55:28Z")

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I was told that the spin cycle for permament press was shorter, gentler, and therefore less likely to cause wrinkles, while normal is for things like blankets and jeans where you want to spin the holy hell out of the fabric to remove as much water as possible.

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**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-different-washing-machine-cycles-do/633093/4 "2012-08-30T22:12:27Z")

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I really believe that \*\*\*most \*\*\*of the different washing machine cycles primary function is to sell the machine at a bigger price.

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**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-different-washing-machine-cycles-do/633093/5 "2012-08-30T23:03:21Z")

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I have a conventional top loader, and the different settings control both the speed of the agitation and low-med-high speed spin.

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**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-different-washing-machine-cycles-do/633093/6 "2012-08-31T00:22:24Z")

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In my front loader the settings can only control how much water goes in, how long/fast it agitates, and how long it spins for. Spin speed (hi/med/lo/off), water temperature (hot/hot,warm/cold,cold/cold,warm/warm) are separate dials or buttons with lights next to them.