It has a reassuring name, lasts less than others and seems to be the ideal middle ground between vigorous washing and washing for fragile items. Thus the Synthetics program (Easy Care on many machines, Permanent Press on American models) becomes the automatic choice of many families. It’s a shame that it is designed for a specific category of fabrics, and only for that.
What he was really born for
Kelly Moore, founder of the cleaning company, explains it Cleaning With Meaninginterviewed by the American magazine Apartment Therapy. Compared to the Cotton programme, the cycle uses lower temperatures, a slower spin and softer drum movements. It is good for synthetic fibres, mixed fabrics and items that crease easily: shirts, blouses, polyester sweaters.
Cotton wants more
The trouble comes when it ends up inside the entire basket. Towels, sheets, jeans and cotton t-shirts require the exact opposite, that is, a longer and hotter cycle, with a mechanical action capable of detaching dirt from thick fibers. Those who want to save energy, Moore suggests, can lower the temperature of the Cotton by one step, without changing the program.
Kind yes, but not enough
The opposite misconception concerns the most fragile items. The name sounds gentle, but for silk, lace, lingerie and knitwear there is the Delicates cycle, with heat and movement reduced to a minimum; for wool and silk there is also hand wash. A mesh bag and mild detergent do the rest.
When in doubt, Eco
Making mistakes, the expert reminds us, has a price: washed delicates such as cotton shrink or deform, poorly treated synthetics deteriorate sooner and release more microplastics. When in doubt, his advice is the Eco program with a delicate detergent. Slower, sure, but difficult to make mistakes.
