What do the symbols on the washing machine mean?
Not always easy to find your way around!
Sometimes it even seems like our washing machine speaks a foreign language!
And yet all these little acronyms are very useful for choosing the right washing program.
Do not panic ! Here is a simple practical guide to understand their meaning .
You will see, it is very easy. Watch:
This small ball of cotton means that you can wash the cotton textile .
It can be clothes that we wear every day, like t-shirts.
In this case, they are washed at 40°C.
But it can also be sheets that are washed at 60°C or tea towels with a program at 90°C.
In addition to a large temperature range, this program has another special feature.
The drum spins fast and often.
As a result, this program cleans super well.
The program symbolized by a small vial is intended for synthetic clothing .
It can be acrylic, polyamide or viscose.
In short, all these modern fabrics!
The temperature can range from cold to 60°C.
Unsurprisingly, this small ball of wool indicates that the program is dedicated to your woolens .
The water temperature is low, even cold.
And the spin is low so as not to damage your wool sweaters.
Some machines like the Hoover for example have this pictogram:two small leaves.
They designate an ecological program .
The program selects a low temperature and a short duration.
If you want to save electricity, this program is perfect.
It is effective for lightly soiled laundry and for small loads.
The snowflake indicates a cold water cycle. .
Handy for delicate laundry, but also for colored clothes that run the risk of rubbing off easily.
It can also be used to rinse new clothes that you have just bought.
This acronym represents a person who washes clothes by hand.
We logically deduce that this program is the closest to a hand wash .It is well suited for delicate fabrics.
The drum moves little. Spinning is weak to non-existent.
And the water temperature is cold.
To find out if the program is suitable for your clothes, check the washing labels on the clothes.
7. A vial and a t-shirt
This program mixes the laundry (cotton and synthetic ).
You can also mix clothes of different colors.
The water temperature is therefore not too high.
There are also sometimes several t-shirts as a symbol.
The key indicates that the door of the machine is locked .
It cannot be opened.
This device engages automatically when a washing program starts.
But it can also be selected manually.
It is a safety lock for children.
Very practical to prevent children from opening the washing machine when it is running!
This acronym means that the spinning of laundry is more intensive.
As a result, the laundry comes out of the machine easier to iron.
This special program is chosen after selecting the washing program.
Please note that it is not suitable for delicate laundry.
This basin with a water jet indicates that you simply select a rinse program .
The laundry is not washed.
So there's no need to put detergent in the detergent drawer.
This symbol allows you to drain your washing machine.
This means that it empties the water that is in the drum of the machine.
This can be useful when leaving laundry to soak in the machine.
Like sheets:it is advisable to soak them overnight in cold water to relax the fibres.
In this case, the washing program is stopped at night so that the laundry soaks in the drum.
And in the morning, we activate the "drain" option. And the washing machine empties of all its water.
This logo on the small basin means that you are selecting a pre-wash option .
It is very interesting for heavily soiled laundry that requires thorough washing.
In this case, put a dose of detergent in the wash compartment and another in the pre-wash compartment.
This is the maximum capacity program. !
This is the one you should choose for washing duvets or comforters.
In short, anything that takes up a lot of space in the machine.
This small bottle, sometimes accompanied by a pacifier, is the special program for baby clothes .
It washes babies' clothes at 60°C, which allows them to be thoroughly disinfected.
On some machines, you see this icon:a pair of pants.
It actually represents jeans .
And you guessed it, this is the right program for washing your jeans.
This is the best way not to damage them and to keep them in good condition for longer.
This small basin filled with water means that the selected program insists on rinsing .
The rinse cycle is therefore longer.
It's an interesting option if you have detergent allergies or sensitive skin.
As the rinse takes longer and uses more water, detergent residues are better evacuated.
And it's important not to have any traces of detergent, especially on baby clothes.
Your laundry is not spun well enough at the end of the wash cycle?
It can happen with sheets in particular.
In this case, select this program so that a spin phase additional triggers.
If you have delicate laundry , this type of program is perfectly suitable.
It gently cleans all delicate textiles.
It can be lingerie, net curtains, curtains...
The temperature for this program is low:20°C or even 30°C maximum depending on the machine.
This time dial that looks like a clock, a stopwatch or a watch is the program timer.
It allows programming a machine later in the day.
Handy for starting a machine at night or during off-peak hours of the day.
This option can also be symbolized by an hourglass.
Some machine brands display a special logo for sportswear .
This is a short program of around 30 min at 40°C, suitable for synthetic fibres.
It allows you to quickly wash your favorite sportswear without waiting for a big wash.
This is a program that uses a jet of steam to freshen up a t-shirt.
This means the steam icon is enabled.
It is used to clean stains and use less water to wash colored clothes.
These signs are not on the front of the washing machine.
They are on the drawer that we open to put the laundry.
This small basin is represented with a line in the middle.
This is arguably the most important place in your washing machine.
Why ? Because that's where you put your liquid detergent or powder detergent for simple washing .
Be careful, if you use commercial detergent capsules, you must put them directly in the drum of the machine with the dirty laundry.
We use the container with the basin which has 2 lines in the center when the laundry is very dirty.
Allows you to pre-wash the laundry .
We put a dose of detergent in it which already cleans some of the stains.
The second wash removes the rest of the stains and dirt.
Are you a fan of fabric softener?
So it's in this tray with a flower that you should put your fabric softener for extra soft laundry.
It is only used at the end of the cycle. That's why your laundry smells good when you take it out of the machine.
Know that this is also where you should put starch or perfume to make your laundry smell good.
There you go, now you know what washing machine symbols mean regardless of its brand:Samsung, Bosch, Indesit, Candy, Whirlpool or Electrolux.
