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adrian_sifuentes

Miele Cycles

Cyberspacer
12 years ago

In researching the W4842 and T9802 washer dryer pair I came across this interesting cycle: Beachtowels. At first I thought great because we wash beach towels often enough that it seemed like a Miele fabric care program would do a very good job of cleaning and preserving my towels. On closer study of the program the users manual states that it's a program that rinses sand from beach towels, and that detergent shouldn't be used. WHAT!?! What kind of stupid program is that? It will rinse my towels but won't wash them for the next use? Yeah, right! What is Miele product development thinking! Why not take this cycle and make it into a useful Towels cycle that washes AND rinses.

As long as I'm discussing dumb cycles, how about their table linens program? Made for napkins and tablecloths, but no temperature selection available for Very Warm, Hot or Sanitize. How would you get those items clean without higher temps when table linen is commonly stained with tea, coffee, chocolate, wine, oils, etc? To make matters worse, THERE ARE NO OPTIONS FOR EXTENDED AND PREWASH. Duh! Miele... WAKE UP!

Comments (104)

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    @sshrivastava - I haven't gone into the service menu (technophobe) but the bleach dispenser stays out of the soap tray except when I Clean Machine, which probably doesn't affect it like going into the menu.

    Good point about 2x and 3x, as they may only have one kind over in the UK. I may still buy a kitchen scale and weigh my laundry if it affects how much of whatever I use, since eyeballing it has not always been successful at this end and I've had to rinse out excess detergent, not to mention how bad that is for the tub and growing gross things back in there.

    @suburbanmd - Interesting about your machine's cycle times. Since the Normal hasn't been used before, perhaps this was . . . normal.

  • fahrenheit_451
    12 years ago

    Note

    Frontloaders, without chlorine bleach option, are equipped with a 4-position
    water path control unit (M24).

    Frontloaders with chlorine bleach option are equipped with a water path control
    unit (M24) with an additional 5th position.

    Refer to Appliance, Technical Data and Wiring Diagram.

    The above is from the Miele service manual. The North America units have the 5 valve assembly atop the dispenser (there a label indicating that it is a 5 valve, and I can post a photograph of it if members wish). If you are not going to use the bleach dispenser at all, then you can use the Service Menu to disable the bleach setting. This will turn off the fifth valve in any program using the bleach setting. This information was obtained through one of the Miele techs that serviced our washer and asked if we intended to use bleach or not. The fifth valve flushes the bleach dispenser tray when installed.

  • jasonblue
    12 years ago

    People, people, people,

    @ sshrivastava

    "Do the dosage recommendations by load weight factor whether the detergent is 2x or 3x concentrated as well as the hardness of the water? Without taking those two variables into account, the dosage recommendation is pretty useless in my opinion."

    The %-age the machine is telling you to use is of the manufacturer's recommened amount, which, presumably, already takes the concentration into account, so this is actually a very useful. The hardness of the water is another story, but the 2x, 3x, etc. concentration issue is moot.

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    Today I went into the programming, and (hopefully) raised the water levels on our W4842. (I'll find out later today when I do laundry.)

    There was an option called "Rinse Process", which I avoided.
    Anyone know what that is?

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    @ Cavimum

    Rinse Process and Allergy come from the factory set to OFF. I have run my machine with both options turned on and there is no difference. Some here claim that Allergy makes the machine try harder and longer to get a good spin, but my machine behaves exactly the same with Allergy set to on or off. Same number of spins, same number of rinses and water comes from the same place, cycle length times are identical.

    Rinse Process supposedly utilizes a thermistor to determine whether the rinse is clean. A thermistor is a word mash of thermometer and resistor. It essentially measures the water temperature. I don't know if this is a good way to determine rinse effectiveness, especially here in Arizona where "cold" tap rinse water can be over 100 F in the summer.

    The setting which makes the biggest difference in rinse levels is Maximum Water Level. This is specifically for areas with very soft water or homes with water softeners. I have this option enabled, as I have a whole house softener, and it's wonderful. All my clothes come out great.

    OH and a quick tip for those with whole house softeners who may experience some suds issues with a new detergent. If you see abnormally high sudsing during the wash phase, turn the bypass valves on your water softener before your first rinse. This will bring hard tap water into your machine, quickly neutralizing any leftover detergent. You will notice almost zero suds in the hard water rinse. After the first rinse is done filling, restore the bypass valves to the soft water position and the 2nd/3rd rinses will be soft water. Voila!

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    SERIOUSLY??

    I might just be insane, but go with me on this... I was washing a load of pet blankets and a few rugs on Extra White with Heavy Soil and Extended options. For the first time, and contrary to prior behavior, my machine initiated a spin after draining the pre-wash water. It has never done this before to my knowledge. It has always drained the pre-wash and then filled up with the main wash without any interim spin.

    Is this normal behavior, or am I going crazy?

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    Do any of you know how the "Hand wash" cycle on the W4842 differs from the "Delicates" cycle, as far as water level for wash, rinse, "agitation" (for lack of a better word) action? TIA

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    @ mieleforme

    Do you recommend enabling Rinse Process in the secret program menu? Do you think that high incoming "cold" temperature - such as here in Arizona - may confuse the Rinse Process logic? Incoming "cold" can be as high as 90-100 degrees during the peak of summer (now) when it's 110-115 outside. In this situation, Rinse Process may work for a very warm or hot wash, but might get confused at warm or "cold" wash temps when the incoming temp will be higher than the selected wash temp.

    What do you think?

  • mieleforme
    12 years ago

    Personally I think if the majority of your loads are large, it may be very beneficial. If you're one to add the extra rinses and or water plus, you may find you don't need that anymore. As far as the incoming water temp, I know the machine monitors all of that. It would be my guess the wash program would just continue on as normal if the incoming rinse water was too close or even hotter than the wash water, rendering this feature ineffective.

    That's some hot tap water.....

  • whirlpool_trainee
    12 years ago

    FWIW, and on the European machines, Rinse Process only works for cycles of 140F and up.

    Alex

  • mieleforme
    12 years ago

    Well, in that case it's abilities are a bit limited. 140F gives you the very warm, hot, and sanites programs only. Still yet I try it.

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    @ whirlpool_trainee

    Are you sure that applies to Rinse Process? It sounds like what you are referring to is Suds Cooling, but that feature only kicks in above 160F. This machine can only go to 158F, so even Suds Cooling is not a feature that would ever kick in.

  • Anceska
    12 years ago

    This is very interessting to read. I am from Prague, Czech Republic, been living in Florida fro 6 years and yes, the way we wash clothes in Europe is completely different as so are the washing machines. I was not aware that even Miele is making different models customized to the American market. In Europe clothes last you years and years and we always wash clothes in warm or hot water, unless we wash wool sweaters or so. Almost nobody has a top load machine, which is very common here in America.
    And I am honestly very surprise that the washing machines here never use the very hot water. I guess that explains why some of the stains never come off.
    Very interessting reading!

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    @Anceska - Here in the U.S., most of the care labels on our clothing have instructions to wash in COLD water.

    Even clothing from Europe have it. My husband just returned from a golf trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland, and he brought back four very nice golf $hirt$ he purchased while there. All four are labeled for Delicate cycle in COLD water. (more laundry sorting for me) Two of these shirts are Italian brands and made in Italy.
    I don't know what the Irish, Europeans and UK who live there would do with the shirts, but I will wash them as instructed for fear of shrinkage, and will most likely put them on an "extended" cycle option.

  • Anceska
    12 years ago

    Well of course some fabrics cannot be washed in hot water. But what I was trying to say was that washing machines in Europe use much higher temperatures and their cycles are based on either 30C 40C 60C or 90C. Not sure The exact Farenheit equivalent. I am now returning a new Samsung washer because even the hot cycle is lukewarm and to me that can't clean well towels or whites or heavily soiled items. Again not talking about specialty care fabrics.

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    @Anceska, I found the actual temps when I was looking at machines for both LG and Miele. Here they are:

    LG (WM3885)
    Extra hot 70 C (158)
    Hot 50 C (122)
    Warm 40 C (104)
    Cold 25 C (77 F)

    Miele W4842
    Sanitize 70 C (158)
    Hot 60 C (140)
    Very warm 50 C (122)
    Warm 40 C (104)
    Cold 30 C (86)

    You'll see the highest even the larger Miele will do is 70C. There used to be smaller units that were 220V that went higher. I don't believe Miele sells them in US or Canada anymore.

    I have two small boys as well and have had not problem with my Miele W4842 getting their things clean. I sometimes select an extended cycle but everything usually comes out nice. Granted, my boys are not the roughest kids but they get stains.

    What I can say for sure is that the LG will only guarantee the selected temp in the Sanitary cycle. Miele will guarantee the temp in all but "normal" cycle. This was something I thought was important. If you're going to have a heater to boost the temp it might as well make sure the wash stays at that temp.

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    @Anceska - Thanks. I'm feeling much better - really - because I could not imagine Europe washing everything in hot or warm water, but I read so many comments here by various contributors, that I got the idea that was the only way people did laundry across the pond. I need a good HOT wash for sheets & bedding for dust mite allergies, and washing kitchen towels & dishrags. I love that my HOT is now truly HOT in my new machine. :-)

  • suburbanmd
    12 years ago

    With my Miele W4840, I ignore gentle or delicate instructions on plain, unornamented garments that don't appear especially fragile. The gentle cycle on our old Kenmore TL used regular agitation speed, and slow spin speed. If that was good enough for such garments, then a regular FL cycle ought to be ok too. The Miele's Delicate cycle is so gentle (because of the high water level) that it just can't be as effective as a regular cycle.

  • izeve
    12 years ago

    @livebetter, my LG seems to be calibrated to 30C (86-90F) for Warm setting. In order to get a 40C warm wash, I typically use a Hot setting without running off the cold water from the pipes. That gives me 95-100F fill that heats up to 105-110F. If I want true hot, I run off the cold water first in the sink and set the cycle time a bit longer to allow the heater to bring the water temp to 120-130F. Not a perfect solution but I really feel that some loads need a true warm wash and not just luke warm. In Europe, clothing labeled for warm wash calls for 40C wash temperature.

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    @ izeve

    In the US, warm wash also equates to 40C or 105F.

  • izeve
    12 years ago

    sshrivastava, that may be but not according to my washer ;-) and, as far as I can tell, not in any currently manufactured HE washer. They all seem to have the Warm setting calibrated in the 85-90F range. I know all you fortunate Miele owners have the option of selecting Very Warm but my washer does not have an option between Warm (86F) and Hot (120F?). As far as the clothing labels, all they say is Warm. It is very rare to have actual wash temp specified.

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    @ izeve

    I was referring to what is standard for the clothing industry, not what the majority of machines use. When you see "Warm" on a care label, it equates to a 40C/105F wash temp. This is why I love my Miele so much - its temperature selections coincide with the industry standards. See link below.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Wash symbols

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    @izeve, the temps I listed were given to me directly by the manufacturer. I was specifically asking about the LG WM3885 but I can't see why all LGs wouldn't be the same?

    Miele's cold is slightly warmer than LG too in keeping with clothing labels (as @sshrivastava pointed out). I also like that Miele has the extra setting at 60C.

  • izeve
    12 years ago

    sshrivastava, thanks. That is very helpful.

    livebetter, my LG is WM2301. I have checked many times and measured the temperature inside the drum, and my Warm cycle is 85-90F. In fact the manual for my washer says that Warm rinses (there is an option for Warm Wash/Warm Rinse) are calibrated to 86F. But I will send an e-mail to LG to ask about this because I would really like an option to have 105F washes.

  • izeve
    12 years ago

    livebetter, I meant to add also that the manual does not specify temperatures for other settings, only the Warm Rinse is specific. But I would expect that if the Warm Rinse is 86F then Warm Wash is also 86F? Although you never know... I can't even tell you how frustrating it is to read these less than helpful manuals. The manual for my washer seems to be written for 7 year olds. I would so appreciate a manual that includes cycle temperatures, cycle times and number of rinses! As much as I like my LG, I seriously think that my next washer will be a European one just for that reason ;-)

  • izeve
    12 years ago

    OK, so here is the response I got from LG:

    Good Morning, _________________!

    I appreciate you contacting LG Electronics, I understand your concern, and it will be my pleasure to do all that I can to assist you further.

    Water Temperatures for your LG Front Load Washer are as follows:

    Cold is 77 degrees Fahrenheit,

    Warm is 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and

    Hot is 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

    The internal water heater only activates during the Sanitary Cycle to get the Temperature up to approximately 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

    If the incoming water is colder than the specified temperature then check your Water valves that the Hot isn't on any higher than the Cold to remedy this.

    I hope I've addressed your concerns fully. Other helpful information concerning your Washer's Operation and Maintenance is also available online at

    http://www.lgknowledgebase.com/kb/ Just select Washers and look for the Article you need. LG is also accessible to you at www.lg.com

    Should you have ANY further concerns or questions, then please don't hesitate to email us again or call LG toll free at 800-243-0000 anytime, day or night to speak with a Live Representative!

    Thank you again for contacting LG Electronics, it was my pleasure to serve you, many thanks for being an LG Customer, be blessed, and have a wonderful day.

    D. Stanley Jr.
    Email Administrator, LGEAI
    *******

    Hah, I can tell you right now that the second part of the response about the heater engaging in Sanitary only is absolutely wrong. I have measured the temperature in my washes a number of times and the heater engages any time the HOT wash is selected and the water is below the set temp for that cycle.
    So I really don't know what to think about them claiming that Warm is 104F because it most certainly is not in my washer. I guess I will keep on experimenting and measuring the temp, but as far as I can confirm it is 86-90F.

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    Are you accounting for heat loss as the machine and laundry absorb some of the incoming heat? That is the problem with machines that don't guarantee to maintain certain temps with on board heaters.

    The Miele will engage the heater in all settings (except Normal) to ensure the temp they tell you for warm, hot, extra hot, sanitary ...

    LG will likely have 104 as the incoming temp but the cold machine and laundry will quickly cool that down. Because the heater will not engage, it will stay cooler.

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    @ izeve

    It makes sense that your "warm" wash would be 86-90 if the heater is not engaging.

  • izeve
    12 years ago

    livebetter, you may be right about Warm, although from my experience the Warm cycles start at about 86-90F and stay at about the same temps until the end (20 or more minutes which leads me to believe that the heater is engaged to maintain the temp, otherwise the temp would go down). On Hot cycles, the heater definitely engages to raise the temp (initial fill around 100F or higher goes up as the time passes in the cycle, about 1F per minute, based on my observation). These are based on me measuring the temp of the water in the drum with an instant read thermometer. So the LG rep is definitely wrong about the heater engaging on Sanitary only. I will continue to experiment....

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    Miele is pretty f***ed up as well when it comes to understanding the features of their own machines. Is it so hard for manufacturers to be able to accurately quote the capabilities of their machines?

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    Hey everyone,

    I discovered a couple of tricks that you can use on your W4842 that will give you a profile wash and increase the standard number of rinses from 2 to 3, with a possible 4th rinse if you enable "Sensitive". This does NOT require messing around with the programming menu or anything like that.

    These tips were confirmed to work in Custom cycle mode. Here we go...

    To get a "profile" wash - After loading your washer, select CUSTOM w/ cold wash and desired spin speed. The machine will fill and soak the clothes with cold water, as selected. The machine's programming allows you to change the temperature selection up to about 5 minutes after the program has started. Start the cycle on Cold and then five minutes into the cycle change the temp to Warm, Very Warm, Hot or Sanitize - the heater will take you there. If selecting Hot or Sanitize, you may wish to also select Extended to give the heater enough time to get to the selected temperature.

    To get 3 standard rinses - After loading your washer, select CUSTOM w/ desired temp and slow or medium spin speed. This will cause the program to default to three rinses. Right after your machine finishes the wash program and the display changes to "Spin", change your spin speed to high or max. You will now have three rinses with high or max intermediate spins. Although I have not confirmed this, you may possibly get a 4th rinse if you select Sensitive option up front as well. Selecting medium or slower spin speeds in Custom causes the third rinse to be added automatically.

    The above items can be combined to get a profile wash and extra rinses.

  • fahrenheit_451
    12 years ago

    Miele is pretty f***ed up as well when it comes to understanding the features of their own machines.So true, so true. If Gaggenau made washers and dryers, my wife and I would likely switch in a minute. Not to say Gaggenau is any better with their own products, but at this point we're up for a change.

    BTW, excellent information posted on cycles, thanks!

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    I just ran another load and have confirmed that by following the above method and pressing Sensitive will give you four rinses with a spin between each. Sweet!

  • larsi_gw
    12 years ago

    Thanks Sstava about the rinse cycle(s) information. The only problem, is that one must sit in the laundry room, or be very keen to hear when the rinse cycle is just beginning. As much as I want to try this, I must resist. If I allow my laundry OCD to no dictate when I change settings during a wash program, I think my family might have me committed.

    So for me...I must select a program, Hit Start....and Leave the laundry room! LOL

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    Just saying... :)

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    I have some information on how much water the W4842 uses. While this is not a statistic you will find published anywhere by Miele, you can figure this out quite easily using Energy Star numbers. Multiplying the washer's DOE capacity (3.07 cuft) by it's Energy Star "water factor" (look up your washer at energystar.gov). In this case the W4842 has a water factor of 4.23. This simple calculation yields 13 gallons, presumably for the Normal cycle. Divide that by three fills in the Normal cycle and you get 4.3 gallons per fill. Of course this will vary with load size, etc., but these would be the numbers as tested by Energy Star.

    This should help quantify the water usage for those who would like a ballpark starting point with detergent dosage. I'm constantly checking myself to ensure I'm not using too little or too much. Miele takes a wimpy approach to dosage recommendations, saying to use what is recommended by the detergent manufacturer. Asko, however, does take a stand and provides a lot more information in its user manuals. Here is the dosing chart for their current top-of-the-line 6 kg machine:

    I will be focusing on soft water, which is what I have, but use the numbers that apply to your situation. An average of 1.25 TBSP is recommended by Asko for their 2.12 cuft DOE rated machine. The Miele W4842 has a DOE rating of 3.07 cuft, which is 45% larger. However, the Miele uses approximately 4 gallons per fill as rated by Energy Star versus about 2 gallons for the Asko. So while the Miele can handle 45% more laundry by drum volume, it uses twice as much water to do so.

    The question then becomes, should you dose for laundry volume as advocated by the American Cleaning Institute or should you dose for the volume of water as is usually advocated here. Extrapolating Asko's recommendations, if you were to dose for volume of laundry, your dosage range in soft water for a W4842 should be 1.5-2 TBSP. If you dose for volume of water, thereby ensuring the detergent is at the same concentration as in the Asko, you would need to use approx. 2-3 TBSP. The mid-point appears to be just over 2 TBSP, which is probably a great starting point.

    Detergent dosing can be confusing, so I like to share related information when I find it.

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    A quick followup... if we were to follow the guideline in Miele's user manual, we would be using the manufacturer's recommended dose. For Tide HE w/ Bleach liquid, that would be 3.5 TBSP to line 1 (medium loads) and 5 TBSP to line 2 (large loads). For Persil Megaperls, the manufacturer's recommended dose for "normal" soiling is just over 4 TBSP for a 5-6kg load in soft water, 6 TBSP for an 8 kg load comparable to the Miele.

    Compared with Asko's recommendations, it appears that detergent manufacturers are generally recommending we use double. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle, but this is all good food for thought. Those who are having issues might be able to use this information to tune their detergent usage up or down to obtain better results.

  • suburbanmd
    12 years ago

    Asko's chart is useless if they don't say what kind of detergent they had in mind. 2X? 3X? Regular powder (what brand)? Concentrated powder? The detergent they sell?

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    @suburbanmd - Good point. Every brand has their own dosing.

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    @ suburbanmd

    Asko should be applauded for taking a stand and providing some sort of guidelines. They should also be applauded for offering dosing instructions that are significantly lower than the detergent manufacturers recommend, which probably caught them heat from the detergent industry. The same instructions appeared in the manual of my 8 year old Asko, long before there were any 2x or 3x concentrated detergents.

    Using your logic, detergent manufacturers' recommendations also are useless because they don't say what size load they had in mind, or the soiling level, or the hardness of your water, or even how much water is being used. Detergent manufacturers tend to recommend what works best for the majority of their customers. They have no idea what size or type of machine you are using, or how much you are washing.

    Given the oversudsing issues people are experiencing, don't you think that Asko's recommendations - which may be conservative - are a better starting point than what's on the detergent box or bottle? I certainly do. I also think this is a good time to call out Miele for their complete lack of discussion regarding water hardness, detergent dosing, etc. At least Asko tries to educate its customer, but Miele takes the "dumb and dumber" approach.

  • suburbanmd
    12 years ago

    Asko has been giving the exact same instructions over eight years, while detergents have evolved to become more concentrated? So a typical user today, with 3X liquid detergent, would be using an effective dose three times as large as a typical user eight years ago, with a regular liquid. That would please the sshrivastava who's been saying that too-low detergent dosing is the root cause of most washer ills. Today's sshrivastava, who's praising conservative dosing, wouldn't be so pleased by this development, would he?

    If detergent packages recommend what works for the majority of their customers, they aren't categorically useless. And some if not most detergent instructions do recommend higher amounts for larger loads, hard water, heavily soiled loads.

    As for the special issues associated with softened water: This isn't a naturally occurring condition, so maybe the water treatment companies should be responsible for educating their customers about it.

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    @ suburbanmd

    Please don't put words in my mouth. I am simply sharing this information for the benefit of those who don't know where to start in terms of detergent dosing. I was using Asko as an example of a manufacturer that provides its customers with a reasonable starting point and guideline. I don't know what this has to do with "today's sshrivastava". I don't understand why you are trying to make this personal. I'm only sharing information and trying to give solid recommendations in a confusing area.

    While detergents have changed, Asko's recommendations still represent a good starting point. It is certainly better to start at this level and work your way up rather than to have a suds explosion in your first load. Suburbanmd, I don't see my world as black-and-white. Asko's recommendations are only a starting point, not an absolute. If you are taking it as a blanket recommendation, that's your own perception. Please don't project that onto me.

    When I find useful information, I generally tend to share it. Take it for what you want.

  • suburbanmd
    12 years ago

    I read part of your post as a reversal of your oft-stated opinion that too-low detergent dosing is the cause of many laundry and washing machine problems. Sorry if I misinterpreted it.

    Asko's recommendations can mean drastically different things to different people, depending on the detergent they happen to be using. A better starting point would be based on the detergent manufacturer's recommendation, which is tailored to the detergent's ingredients and concentration. If one believes that all detergent labels recommend excessive dosages, then one could suggest "half the detergent maker's recommendation" as a starting point that's based on (not necessarily equal to) the detergent label instructions.

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    Question - does the W4842's internal heater function for the "Custom" cycle? I know it does not for the "Normal" cycle.
    TIA

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    As far as I know, it works in all cycles except Normal. Normal was used for the energy star rating.

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    @livebetter - posting here to confirm that you are correct. Later today I ran a "Custom" wash with HOT water, and the door was very very warm when the cycle ended. Our water heater is currently set to 120 degrees F, so the internal heater definitely kicked in.

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    @ suburbanmd

    You make valid points, I think there are flaws in either methodology. My purpose was just to share what another manufacturer recommends - which is boldly different than most - and to provide another possible starting point for folks who may be confused about dosing, or who are experiencing sudsing issues. Perhaps I should have stated that part more clearly.

    @ Cavimum

    Yes, the internal heater works in Custom. In fact, I wash most of my clothing using Custom cycles. I initially set the temperature to COLD, then after the load has tumbled and soaked for 5 minutes I change the temp to Very Warm or Hot. This engages the heater and raises the temperature from cold to whatever I set, getting a nice profile wash in the process. If I raise the temp to Very Warm or Hot, I will also engage the Extended option to provide enough time to heat the water to the target temperature and to ensure my clothes receive a full 60 minutes (minimum) in the main wash phase.

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    Yesterday, I tried out our W4842's "Sanitize" cycle on a load of whites. For the sake of science, yesterday's lab experiment included a Libman mop head and some of the dog's plush toys (toys that had been washed many times in Hot, over the years in the old TL washer) tossed in. Sanitize cycle is quite impressive. The dog toys have not looked this clean since they were brand new. Seriously. The mop head looks great, too.

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    Yes, Sanitize does a fantastic job of cleaning and whitening whites. I wondered why Miele limited the Sanitize cycle to 158F, but after some research I discovered that elastic waistbands and threads start to disintegrate at temperatures of 160F and higher. Elastic items can be safely washed on Sanitize in the Miele W4842.