Why Quick Wash Doesn’t Work for Heavily Soiled Clothing
The quick wash cycle shouldn’t be used for every load of laundry because it isn’t designed to clean heavily soiled clothes as thoroughly as longer cycles. It uses less water, often at a colder temperature, and features a shorter soak time. If you have set-in stains or odors you need to remove, it’s best to launder these items on a longer setting.
The quick wash cycle also agitates clothing less due to its shorter running time. This makes it ineffective for cleaning bulky items, which require more time for water and detergent to penetrate their thick fabrics. The quick wash cycle uses faster spin speeds to extract more water, but this can damage delicate or embellished fabrics and cause wrinkling or pilling.
What Can I Safely Clean Using Quick Wash?
The quick wash cycle is best used to clean small, lightly soiled loads — think items you wear only around the house, the sweatshirt you throw on occasionally to keep warm in the evenings, or hand towels from the guest bathroom. Sticking to small loads is key. Because of the reduced water, agitation, and time, a quick wash cycle can’t thoroughly clean large loads and may leave detergent residue behind.
More from our network
House Outlook is part of Inbox Studio, which publishes content that uplifts, informs, and inspires.
How To Clean Clothes Quickly
If you are going to quickly wash something that could use a little more care, you can pretreat stains and odors to make the cycle more successful. OxiClean Max Force stain remover spray is enzyme-based and can be applied to stains up to seven days before laundering. To combat stubborn odors, use a product like OxiClean Odor Blasters as a presoak before washing.
You can also purchase low-sudsing or fast-dissolving laundry detergents that are recommended for shorter cycles. Heritage Park makes several detergents formulated for quick wash cycles, and ARM & HAMMER Power Sheets are designed to fully dissolve in two to five minutes, regardless of the water temperature.
