Whirlpool Washer Cycle Guide
Settings shown are selectable for that cycle. Factory default settings are shown in Bold. If you change the default settings and start a cycle, the washer will remember your setting selections and will display them for the next cycle. For the best fabric care, choose the cycle that best fits the load being washed. Not all cycles and options are available on all models. Please refer to garment label instructions for best care.
Understanding Washer Cycles
| Items to wash: | Cycle: | Temperature*: | Available Options | Average Cycle Time (minutes) | Cycle Details: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overly soiled garments, items that need additional cleaning effort. | HEAVY DUTY | Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Tap Cold | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener, 30 Min PreSoak, Deep Water | 75 | Use this cycle for heavily soiled or sturdy items. Load sensing duration and water level determination may vary based on different fabric types. |
| Large items such as sheets, sleeping bags, small comforters, jackets, small washable rugs. | BULKY ITEMS | Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Tap Cold | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener, 30 Min PreSoak, Deep Water* | 55 | Use this cycle to wash large items such as jackets and small comforters. This cycle uses a higher default water level than other cycles. The washer will completely fill before agitation begins. *The Deep Water Option cannot be deactivated when using this cycle. |
| Swimsuits and items requiring rinsing without detergent. | DRAIN & SPIN | N/A | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener*, Deep Water* (*Only available when Extra Rinse is selected) | 10 | Use this cycle for loads requiring an additional spin-out after a cycle completes to reduce drying times or to finish a cycle after a power interruption. The default cycle will only drain and spin. This cycle can also be used to refresh a load by adding the Extra Rinse option; the cycle will rinse, drain, and spin. Use this cycle with the Extra Rinse option for items requiring rinsing without detergent such as swimsuits. |
| Cottons, linens, and mixed garment loads. | NORMAL | Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Tap Cold | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener, 30 Min PreSoak, Deep Water | 60 | Use this cycle for normally soiled cottons and mixed fabric loads. |
| No-iron fabrics, perm press, synthetics. | ACTIVE-WEAR | Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Tap Cold | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener, 30 Min PreSoak, Deep Water | 45 | Use this cycle to wash loads of no-iron fabrics such as sports shirts, blouses, casual business clothes, perm press, and blends. |
| Machine-wash silks, handwash fabrics. | DELICATES | Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Tap Cold | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener, 30 Min PreSoak, Deep Water | 50 | Use this cycle to wash lightly soiled items indicating "Machine Washable Silks" or "Gentle" cycle on the care label. Place small items in mesh garment bags before washing. This cycle uses a higher default water level. |
| Lightly soiled, small-sized mixed garment loads. | QUICK WASH | Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Tap Cold | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener, 30 Min PreSoak, Deep Water | 30 | Use this cycle to quickly wash lightly soiled garments and small loads. The Quick Wash cycle uses shorter periods of more intense washing to clean items quickly. |
| No clothes in washer. | CLEAN WASHER with affresh® | N/A | N/A | 60 | Use this cycle every 30 washes to keep the inside of your washer fresh and clean. Use with affresh® Washer Cleaner tablet or liquid chlorine bleach to thoroughly clean the inside of your washer. This cycle cannot be paused. If the lid is opened before the lock is engaged, the cycle will be canceled and the machine will need to be restarted. IMPORTANT: Do not place garments or other items in the washer during the Clean Washer with affresh® cycle. This cycle must be used with an empty basket. |
| Towels, jeans, casual, and mixed loads, Sturdy fabrics. | TOWELS | Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Tap Cold | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener, 30 Min PreSoak, Deep Water | 65 | Provides additional water and alternating wash action for heavily soiled mixed loads. This cycle uses a higher default water level. |
| Heavily soiled white fabrics. | WHITES | Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Tap Cold | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener, 30 Min PreSoak, Deep Water | 65 | This cycle, when used with chlorine bleach, improves whitening of soiled white fabrics. |
| Athletic Wear, Bright Colors, Business Casual, Casuals, Dark Colors, Dress Shirts/Pants, Jeans, No-Iron Fabrics. | COLORS | Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Tap Cold | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener, 30 Min PreSoak, Deep Water | 45 | Use this cycle for colors and dark items. |
| Jeans and denim. | JEANS | Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Tap Cold | Extra Rinse, Fabric Softener, 30 Min PreSoak, Deep Water | 60 | Use this cycle to wash loads of denim such as jeans. It is recommended to separate light and dark items and wash them in separate loads. |
*All rinses are cold.
NOTE: Exact cycle times can vary based on a variety of conditions and cycle options chosen.
Note About Default Settings:
For models with removable agitators, normal cycle is recommended for washing normally soiled cotton or linen clothes. This clothes washer's government energy certification was based on the Normal cycle with all wash temperature selections and water fill levels offered in the cycle. It was tested as a User Adjustable Automatic Water Fill Control System clothes washer. The settings as shipped are Normal cycle, Warm wash and Auto Water level. For models with a removable agitator, testing was conducted with the agitator installed.
Sorting and Preparing Your Laundry
WARNING: Fire Hazard
- Never place items in the washer that are dampened with gasoline or other flammable fluids.
- No washer can completely remove oil.
- Do not dry anything that has ever had any type of oil on it (including cooking oils). Doing so can result in death, explosion, or fire.
Sorting Steps:
- Empty pockets. Loose change, buttons, or any small object can pass under the clothes mover and become trapped, causing unexpected sounds.
- Sort items by recommended cycle, water temperature, and colorfastness.
- Separate heavily soiled items from lightly soiled.
- Separate delicate items from sturdy fabrics.
- Do not dry items if stains remain after washing, because heat can set stains into fabric. Treat stains promptly.
- Close zippers, fasten hooks, tie strings and sashes, and remove non-washable trim and ornaments.
- Mend rips and tears to avoid further damage to items during washing.
Helpful Tips:
- Use mesh garment bags to help avoid tangling when washing delicate or small items.
- Turn knits inside out to avoid pilling. Separate lint-takers from lint-givers. Synthetics, knits, and corduroy fabrics will pick up lint from towels, rugs, and chenille fabrics.
NOTES:
- Always read and follow fabric care label instructions to avoid damage to your garments.
- The washer will not start or fill with the lid open.
Manual Soak:
If you would like to manually soak your garments at any time during the wash portion of the cycle, press Pause and leave the lid closed. Once your desired soak time has elapsed, press Pause again to continue the cycle. If the lid remains closed, you can manually soak for up to three hours, at which point the machine will automatically drain. The machine will also drain if the lid is left open for 10 minutes during a manual soak.
Water Temperature Guide:
| Wash Temp | Description | Suggested Fabrics |
|---|---|---|
| Hot | Hottest wash bath with a small amount of cold water added to help reduce energy consumption. | Whites and pastels, Durable items, Heavy soils |
| Warm | Warm wash bath comprised of hot and cold water in similar proportions. | Bright colors, Moderate to light soils |
| Cool | Cool wash bath with some warm water added to assist in soil removal and to help dissolve detergents. | Colors that bleed or fade, Light soils |
| Cold | Cold wash bath with a small amount of warm water added to assist in soil removal and to help dissolve detergents. | Dark colors that bleed or fade, Light soils |
| Tap Cold | Coldest wash bath directly from your cold faucet. No warm water is added. | Dark colors that bleed or fade, Light soils |
