What does spin mean on a washing machine?

At Herne Bay Domestics, we’ve been selling washing machines for over 35 years and have a few questions we get asked on a frequent basis. One of the most commonly asked questions we hear is “what does the spin refer to on a washing machine?” and so we’ve put together this article to clear up exactly what the spin of a washing machine means, and what spin setting you should put your laundry on for optimal results.
What does a washing machine spin speed mean?
Your washing machine spin speed is the total number of times your drum spins around in one minute. This is why you might see the letters RPM after your machine spin speed. This stands for “revolutions per minute”. And so if your washing machine says it has a “1400rpm spin speed”, that means it will spin around 1400 times per minute.
The faster your washing machine spins your laundry after the wash cycle, the more water you’ll have removed from the load. This means that your laundry will come out of your washing machine drier and so will take less time to dry in the tumble dryer or on the washing line.
The majority of the time, you will not have to worry about setting the spin speed of your washing machine, as they have predefined settings that are specifically designed for each material. However, there are some machines that don’t have settings for each material and so below we have created a guide to washing machine spin speeds.
Washing machine spin speed guide
Most new washing machines will have settings built-in specifically for the following materials, and if that is the case your best bet will be to use one of those. However if your washing machine gives you the option to set your spin speed, the below guide should give you information on what spin speed is best for your washing machine.
You can use a spin speed of 1200rpm for wool
You can use the spin speed of 1400rpm for cotton
You can use a spin speed of 900rpm for denim
You can use a spin speed of 600rpm for delicates.
You can use a spin speed of 400rpm for silk.
We hope you found this article helpful, if you have any further questions you would like to ask about washing machine spin speeds you can always call up our store on 01227 361536 and speak to a member of staff. We are always more than happy to give you any free help or advice you may need.
Hello
If I order a new washing machine can you tell me if they are all suitable for cold fill please.
Hi Gillian, yep all of the washing machines we have for sale on our website are suitable for cold fill. Feel free to give us a call if you need any help on 01227 361536.