Washy washy

Filter the chart
Your own chart

Showing the bundled example chart.

Download this chart as JSON

Washing instructions

Scroll for the pile you are holding.

Generic front loader, 1–8 kg · Generic steam iron

LOADS — ONE LINE, ONE WASH

Cottons 60°White + White Socks~2:30
Cottons 60°White Towels (on its own)~2:30
Cottons 40°Coloured + Coloured Socks~2:15
Cottons 40°Coloured Towels (on its own)~2:15
Easy Care 40°Microfibre Towels (on its own)~1:30
Cottons 30°Dark + Black Socks + Denim~2:00
Delicates / Silk coldRaw Denim (on its own)~0:45
Wool 30°Merino Wool + Cashmere Blend~0:40
Sportswear 30°Synthetic Activewear (on its own)~1:10
Sportswear 40°Gym Socks (on its own)~1:20
Wool coldWool Trainers (on its own)~0:40

programme

The dials are drawn as they sit on the machine: twelve o'clock is Off, and the red pointer is where to turn it. Chips show every value the display steps through, filled in on the one you want. On the iron, the blue band is the zone where it makes steam.

1. White

~2:30
NO SOFTENERCottons 60 °C · 1200 rpm

Cottons

1 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Universal powder, full dose — the bleach in powder is what keeps whites from going grey

IRON

••• — cotton, linen · 200 °C

inside the steam zone

Iron while slightly damp, steam on. Cotton takes all the heat the iron has.

DRYING

Tumble dry normal, or line dry in the sun — sunlight bleaches whites for free.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

White Socks

NOTES

Wash whites on their own. One stray coloured sock is all it takes.

2. White Socks

~2:30
NO SOFTENERCottons 60 °C · 1200 rpm

Cottons

1 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Universal powder, full dose

IRON

Do not iron

DRYING

Tumble dry normal.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

White

NOTES

Same settings as White — throw them in that load.

3. White Towels

~2:30
NO SOFTENERCottons 60 °C · 1400 rpm

Cottons

1 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Universal powder, full dose. Go lighter rather than heavier: excess detergent stiffens terry.

IRON

Do not iron

Ironing crushes the pile flat and the towel stops drying you.

DRYING

Tumble dry medium — the tumbling is what fluffs the pile back up.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

nothing else — wash alone

NOTES

Never fabric softener: it coats the loops in silicone and the towel stops absorbing. White vinegar in the softener drawer once a month softens instead.

4. Coloured

~2:15
SOFTENER OKCottons 40 °C · 1200 rpm

Cottons

1 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Colour liquid detergent — no bleach, no optical brighteners

IRON

••• — cotton, linen · 200 °C

inside the steam zone

Steam, but turn prints and dark panels inside out first.

DRYING

Line dry inside out, or tumble on low.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

Coloured Socks

NOTES

Wash new or strongly dyed items separately for the first two or three washes.

5. Coloured Socks

~2:15
NO SOFTENERCottons 40 °C · 1200 rpm

Cottons

1 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Colour liquid detergent

IRON

Do not iron

DRYING

Tumble dry low or line dry.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

Coloured

NOTES

Same settings as Coloured — throw them in that load.

6. Coloured Towels

~2:15
NO SOFTENERCottons 40 °C · 1400 rpm

Cottons

1 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Colour liquid detergent. Go lighter rather than heavier: excess detergent stiffens terry.

IRON

Do not iron

Ironing crushes the pile flat and the towel stops drying you.

DRYING

Tumble dry medium — the tumbling is what fluffs the pile back up.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

nothing else — wash alone

NOTES

Never fabric softener — it kills absorbency. Run them at 60 °C every month or so if they start to smell.

7. Microfibre Towels

~1:30
NO SOFTENEREasy Care 40 °C · 1200 rpm

Easy Care

3 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Liquid detergent, half dose. What doesn't rinse away stays in the split fibre and stops it picking anything up.

IRON

Do not iron

Polyester and polyamide start melting around 110 °C, well before the iron does anything useful.

DRYING

Air dry, or tumble on low. High heat fuses the split ends shut and the towel never absorbs again.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

nothing else — wash alone

NOTES

Never fabric softener — it fills the split fibres with silicone and the towel is finished. Wash with microfibre only: the same split ends that make it absorbent grab cotton lint and never let go.

8. Dark

~2:00
NO SOFTENERCottons 30 °C · 800 rpm

Cottons

1 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Liquid detergent for dark/black — optical brighteners are what leave that grey haze

IRON

•• — wool, silk · 150 °C

inside the steam zone

Inside out, medium heat. Steam, don't press hard — shine on dark cotton doesn't come out.

DRYING

Line dry inside out, out of direct sun. Skip the dryer: heat fades black fastest.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

Black Socks, Denim

NOTES

Turn everything inside out. The extra rinse matters here — detergent residue dries as grey streaks on black.

9. Black Socks

~2:00
NO SOFTENERCottons 30 °C · 800 rpm

Cottons

1 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Liquid detergent for dark/black

IRON

Do not iron

DRYING

Line dry, or tumble on low.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

Dark, Denim

NOTES

Same settings as Dark — throw them in that load.

10. Denim

~2:00
NO SOFTENERCottons 30 °C · 800 rpm

Cottons

1 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Liquid detergent for dark/black

IRON

••• — cotton, linen · 200 °C

inside the steam zone

Inside out on cotton heat if you want them crisp. Steam.

DRYING

Hang by the waistband and air dry. A hot dryer shrinks them and destroys the elastane in stretch denim.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

Dark, Black Socks

NOTES

Inside out, zips and buttons closed. Wash them far less often than you think.

11. Raw Denim

~0:45
NO SOFTENERDelicates / Silk cold °C · 400 rpm

Delicates / Silk

6 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

A capful of pH-neutral or denim-specific detergent. No bleach, no enzymes.

IRON

Do not iron

Pressing sets creases in the wrong places and flattens the fades that took months to earn.

DRYING

Hang inside out indoors, away from sun and radiators. Never tumble.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

nothing else — wash alone

NOTES

Unwashed denim is meant to go months before its first wash. Gentler than the machine: a 45-minute cold soak in the bath, inside out, no agitation, no wringing — then roll in a towel to press the water out.

12. Merino Wool + Cashmere Blend

~0:40
NO SOFTENERWool 30 °C · 400 rpm

Wool

7 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Merino Wool: Wool detergent, half dose. No enzymes, no proteases, no bleach — they eat the fibre.

Cashmere Blend: Wool or cashmere detergent, half dose. No enzymes, no proteases, no bleach.

IRON

•• — wool, silk · 150 °C

inside the steam zone

Merino Wool: Only if you must: pressing cloth, no weight. Hanging it in a steamy bathroom drops the creases without touching it.

Cashmere Blend: Low heat through a pressing cloth. Better still, steam it on a hanger and let the creases drop out on their own.

DRYING

Merino Wool: Never tumble dry. Dry flat on a towel, away from radiators and sun — hung up it stretches and never comes back.

Cashmere Blend: Never tumble dry. Squeeze the water out, never wring, then dry flat on a towel away from any heat.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

each other

NOTES

Merino Wool: Turn inside out, wash with wool only, nothing with zips. Merino barely needs washing — air it overnight and wear it again.

Cashmere Blend: Inside out, and only ever with other wool. Cashmere pills where it rubs — that is the fibre behaving normally, not a fault; a cashmere comb takes it off. Check the blend first: a little nylon makes it tougher, silk makes it more delicate.

13. Synthetic Activewear

~1:10
NO SOFTENERSportswear 30 °C · 800 rpm

Sportswear

14 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

A small dose of mild pH-neutral liquid detergent. Too much is what makes them smell.

IRON

Do not iron

Elastane starts degrading around 110 °C, and the technical finish goes with it.

DRYING

Air dry on a hanger — dry within the hour. Tumble heat kills the stretch.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

nothing else — wash alone

NOTES

Inside out. Never softener: it films over the fibres these rely on for wicking and stretch. A cup of white vinegar in the rinse resets a load that already smells. Covers tops, shorts and base layers — one fabric family, one wash. Mixed colours are fine in one run: at 30 °C the dyes on polyester barely move. The exception is a brand-new black or strong red piece, which can crock for a wash or two — give that its own run first.

14. Gym Socks

~1:20
NO SOFTENERSportswear 40 °C · 1200 rpm

Sportswear

14 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

Liquid detergent, normal dose

IRON

Do not iron

DRYING

Tumble dry low or line dry.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

nothing else — wash alone

NOTES

Give them a 60 °C cotton run every few weeks — 40 °C keeps them clean but doesn't reset the smell.

15. Wool Trainers

~0:40
NO SOFTENERWool cold °C · 400 rpm

Wool

7 clockwise from Off

Temp
cold2030406090
Spin rpm
040060080012001400
Buttons
SpeedEcoEasy IronExtra Rinse

DETERGENT

A small amount of mild detergent — a wool detergent is ideal. No bleach.

IRON

Do not iron

DRYING

Air dry only, somewhere with moving air: outside, by a window, or in front of a fan. Never the dryer and never a radiator — heat warps the sole and shrinks the wool upper.

WASH TOGETHER WITH

nothing else — wash alone

NOTES

Pull the insoles and laces out first and wash those by hand. The shoes go in a mesh delicates bag or a pillowcase, on their own — a loose trainer batters the drum and everything in it.

Durations are the machine's own estimates and vary with load.