Performance grades for wash, spin and efficiency

Europe has a performance grading index for washing machines. The grade goes from A to G. With 'A' being the best.

There are three grades. Therefore, the best grade is 'AAA'. The grading system has been created by the 'EU Energy Label'.

The three grades stand for,

1. Wash performance - ability to remove stains.
2. Energy efficiency - the amount of electricity and water used.
3. Spin efficiency - time and ability to remove water from linen.
   

The grades also take into account the total consumption per washing cycle, how fast the spinning speed is, capacity of linen that can be placed in the drum, and the noise of the drum when operated.

The 'A' grade has recently been expanded to take into account the latest technological advances. So, you can now get an,

• A
  
• A+
  
• A++

For further energy efficiency information visit the 'Energy Saving Trust' website.

Spin Speed

For automatic washing machines, a spin cycle is ran after the wash cycle to remove excess water from the fabric. The spin speed of washing machines is rated in 'rpm'.

Generally speaking, the faster a machine can spin, the improved speed to extract water and dry linen. For an average wash load you can expect the following cycle times from the following spin speeds,

• 1000 rpm - ninety minutes
• 1200 rpm - eighty three minutes
• 1400 rpm - seventy six minutes
• 1600 rpm - seventy minutes

Therefore, a machine with a faster spin speed can also be more economic, because, it requires less water and electricity, due to the reduced wash cycle.