What does soil mean on a washer? Appliance experts explain this misunderstood setting

If you have ever done laundry and noticed a 'soil' setting on your washing machine and then promptly ignored it, you are not alone. This underused feature isn’t exactly self-explanatory – so what does soil mean on a washer?

Luckily, appliance experts are on hand to clue us in and explain how to use this setting to get the most out of every laundry cycle.

This option isn't just about dirt, they say, It can have a huge impact on how your machine handles your clothing – and can even affect which laundry tips you use, too.

What does soil mean on a washer?

Given that there are so many washing machine settings, it is understandable that there are a few we tend to avoid. However, the soil setting could be the most important underutilized feature the best washing machines have to offer.

Glenn Lewis, president at Mr. Appliance, a Neighborly company begins, ‘This setting refers to the feature that can adjust the wash cycle based on how soiled or dirty the clothes are. It also sets the preferred wash time, and rinse cycles for better cleaning results. And yes, using the correct setting does make a difference, he adds,

‘This provides better cleaning results and protects the clothes from wear and tear. It also helps with water and energy usage,’ helping you to save money on laundry.

Light soil setting

When doing laundry normally, your washer is usually on the lowest soil setting begins Lee Gilbert, field service engineer at Ransom Spares.

‘The light soil setting is the lowest setting and normally the default setting. It is designed for lightly soiled or delicate laundry. Some examples would be sports clothing that has only been used once, everyday clothing that has been lightly worn, silk, and wool. Only lightly soiled items should be washed on this setting.

‘When using the light soil setting the cycle will tend to be shorter, normally 30-45 minutes. The water temperature will be lower, usually 85 degrees F (30 degrees C). The motor will agitate less and the spin cycle at the end will be slower, normally 800 rpm.’

Medium soil setting

Lee Gilbert continues, ‘The medium soil setting is designed for regular everyday laundry and clothes with light stains. Generally, cotton and synthetic clothes are worn for a day or two by non-manual workers. This setting will be longer in duration than the light soil setting, usually 60-90 minutes. The temperature of the water will normally be 100-120 degrees F (40-50 degrees C).

‘The motor agitation will be more pronounced and the spin cycle will usually be around 1000 rpm.’

Switching to this setting when dealing with dirtier-than-average clothes is a great laundry hack to save time as you don’t need to wash items again.

Heavy soil setting

Not using the heavy soil setting for very dirty clothes is one of the biggest laundry mistakes you are probably making, concludes Lee Gilbert, service engineer.

‘The heavy soil setting should only be used on laundry that is ‘heavily soiled’. This is designed for laundry that has tough and stubborn stains or has been worn for many days. This setting is the toughest on your clothing.

‘The wash temperature will be upwards of 140 degrees F (60 degrees C), so clothing that is prone to shrinking should not be washed in this setting. The motor agitation will be even more pronounced and the spin cycle tends to be the highest that the motor is set to run at 1200-1600 rpm.’

It is best to avoid using this setting too often, however, as it can wear down your clothes and your machine, shortening their lifespans.

Understanding laundry symbols and a washing machine's soil settings and using them efficiently is one of the many things people who are good at laundry always do to ensure the perfect cycle every time. It might feel daunting to get your head around at first, but it will become second nature with time.