Most of today’s washing machines have a pre-wash feature that many people are unaware of or ignore. In fact, many consumers know the meaning of only half of the symbols displayed on the machine’s control panel. As a result, they almost always use the same cycles for loads of laundry with completely different needs.
The results can’t be satisfactory when we use the same cycle for a load of clothes we only use once a day, or a load of dirty cleaning cloths and mops. What about stained sportswear or baby clothes?
For those tougher stains, you need a different program that uses a pre-wash before the regular cycle. And when that button is pressed, you also need to add some detergent to the pre-wash compartment.
As a rule, the prewash button is represented by a basin on a horizontal line, but this can vary from model to model. So check your machine’s instruction manual to see which symbol is on your appliance (most manuals are available on the brands’ websites).
What makes the pre-wash different?
The pre-wash is a short cycle that fills the machine’s drum with cold water and detergent, agitates the laundry and then drains the dirty water before starting the main wash cycle. This process helps to remove surface dirt and stains, preventing dirt from redistributing onto the laundry during the main cycle.
The pre-wash cycle is especially useful for families with babies, athletes or people who work in activities that get clothes very dirty, such as gardening or construction. Although it only lasts about 5 minutes, the pre-wash cycle can make all the difference to the cleaning result.
