What types of things is the Synthetic mode in the washing machine intended for, and how to use it correctly?

The number of programs in modern washing machines is large. Therefore, many users think about which one is better for processing this or that thing.

The basic mode on all washing machine models is the “Synthetic” mode, but not everyone knows exactly what kind of things it is intended for.

Read the article about how to properly wash things using this program, why it is needed, what fabrics it is suitable for and more.

What is this program?

“Synthetic” is a program that is designed for washing items made from mixed fabrics and artificial fibers. Manufacturers of modern washing machines always include it in the list of main modes.

It involves gentle processing of items at low temperatures and medium spin speeds.

The program corresponds to an icon of an empty flask or hanger . Most manufacturers prescribe it verbally, so there will be no difficulties in finding the program, and all symbols are deciphered in the User's Manual.

Mode icons on washing machines

The symbols on the washing machine allow the user to quickly understand which mode to select. Once you use it once or twice, you will visually remember the icon and its meaning.

In washing machines of different brands, the following designations are most often found:

• Drawing of a basin with a downward arrow – drainage mode.
• Basin with hands - Hand wash.
• Basin with wavy lines - Quick and Intensive wash.
• The iron pattern is the Easy Ironing function.
• A lock with a smile or a child's face – child locking the panel.
• The key is to lock the hatch door.
• Snail – Spin.
• Dial – Delayed start.

The explanation of the remaining symbols is shown in the photo below.

Icons that appear on Ardo panels:

On Indesit and Ariston washing machines:

By cars Burning, Beko:

What problems does it solve?

In the “Synthetic” mode, you can wash items of different colors at the same time. The main thing is that they are durable.

Problems that can be solved using this program:

1. Refresh the products (recommended washing temperature is 30 degrees).
2. Get rid of minor dirt and foreign odors (recommended washing temperature is 40 degrees).
3. Cope with difficult stains and persistent odors (recommended washing temperature is 60 degrees).

If the stains are old or highly pigmented, you must additionally use the “Pre-wash” function.

This mode is used to wash items made from fabrics such as:

• Lurex;
• microfiber;
• velsoft;
• nylon;
• elastane;
• lycra;
• polyester and others.

These fabrics are used to sew:

• jackets,
• t-shirts,
• underwear,
• bed sheets,
• dresses,
• sweaters and more.

Pure synthetic items are rare. In most cases, the composition contains several tissues at once. If synthetic fiber predominates, then the choice when washing should be given to this particular mode.

Information about which program to wash a particular product should be found on the label, which is sewn into one of the internal seams.

Basic washing steps

When choosing the “Synthetic” mode, washing goes through the following stages:

1. 
   After pressing the “Start” button, water flows into the drum.

2. The heating element is turned on, heating it to 40-60 degrees (depending on the settings).
3. Water enters the cuvette, which washes the powder out of section No. 2.
4. Detergent enters the drum.
5. The wash starts.
6. Things are rinsed in clean water, after which it is drained and the spin cycle starts.
7. The drum rotates at a maximum speed of 800 revolutions provided by the mode. If necessary, the spin can be turned off or reduced to 400 rpm.

This will complete the washing. Options that can be activated in Synthetic mode:

• prewash;
• soak;
• drying;
• additional rinse.

Smart Features

The built-in computer regulates the processing process. This allows you to select the correct temperature for the characteristics of the material and wash it carefully.

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1. Night wash. The machine operates quietly, turns off without spinning, and does not emit corresponding signals.
2. Bio-care or Eco. Designed specifically for products containing enzymes. The water temperature is reduced to preserve the qualities of the active components.
3. Water control. The computer program independently weighs the dirty laundry and collects the strictly required amount of water. This allows you to save money and wash efficiently.
4. Half load. Causes minimal damage to the machine when loading a small volume of items.
5. Diagnosis of problems. If malfunctions occur, the equipment independently carries out diagnostics and displays an error code on the screen.
6. Spin balancing. During spinning, the machine experiences a large dynamic load. A special mode has been created to reduce noise and vibration levels. It works simply - at the beginning of operation, the drum rotates at low speeds, distributing things over the surface, then the drum increasingly gains speed, removing excess liquid.

At what temperature does the machine wash?

When selecting the “Synthetic” mode, the water temperature will differ depending on the model of the washing machine. However, there is one rule - it should not exceed 60 degrees . Otherwise, things will be damaged after washing. The main consequence is the shrinkage of the product by 1-2 sizes.

In most SMA models, the default temperature is 40 degrees. It can be increased to 60 degrees manually by pressing the corresponding key. There are also devices that provide two programs at once. They differ in the degree of water heating and the duration of washing.

Advice from professionals

Washing in potato broth will help soften a wool sweater:

• To do this, place a kilogram of peeled or brushed potatoes in a 10-liter bucket of water;
• drain the boiled water and cool to 40 degrees (the temperature is checked with your elbow, which can comfortably withstand a temperature of 36–40 degrees);
• after washing the product in the machine, rinse it in this broth;
• dry in natural conditions on a flat horizontal surface;
• Brush the sweater with a soft brush to create a low, even pile.

And a few more tips:

1. Before washing, remove all accessories if they can damage the product or cause a change in its color;
2. on the blouse, use a regular seam through the top to sew up the button holes to prevent the product from being pulled out in these places;
3. try not to wash the wool for a long time; it should not be in water for more than 40 minutes;
4. If you are not sure about the quality of wool dyeing, then cut a small piece of thread from the inside and soak it in warm water. After this, wrap and dry with a light cotton cloth. This is a color fastness test. If there are no marks left on the fabric, then everything is in order - the wool does not shed;
5. Do not place things made of angora, alpaca, or mohair in an automatic machine. If dry cleaning is not possible, wash them very carefully by hand.

Features of use

When processing things in the “Synthetic” mode, the following features must be taken into account:

1. 
   It is better to wash products with a predominance of artificial fibers not with powder, but with gel.
   It is easily washed out of the fabric and dissolves faster, which eliminates the need for pre-soaking and additional rinsing.

2. The detergent is added to the section of the tray indicated by number II. Water enters it during the main wash stage.
3. If the “Pre-wash” function has been activated, then the powder is also poured into section I. Gels cannot be poured there, as they will flow out of the tray ahead of time.
4. If you use loose washing powder for washing, it is recommended to use the “Extra rinse” function.

detailed instructions

The instructions for activating the “Synthetic” mode are the same for most SMA models. It involves performing the following actions:

1. Sort items by color and degree of soiling, remove all small items from pockets, turn items inside out and load them into the drum.
2. Add powder or gel to the tray.
3. Select the “Synthetic” washing program.
4. Adjust the water temperature if necessary. It should not exceed 60 degrees.
5. Set the spin speed (maximum 800 rpm).
6. Enable the Start button.
7. Wait until the washing is completed, take out the items and send them to dry.

If the laundry is heavily soiled, select the additional option “Pre-wash”.

How long does the spin last?

If you take an interest in the characteristics of SMAs offered today on the domestic market, you will see that most devices have a function for adjusting the speed during push-ups. At high speeds, the laundry is wrung out more intensely, which means it contains less moisture and dries faster. The downside of high speeds is increased mechanical impact, which is not suitable for delicate items and fabrics. At low speeds, the laundry is wrung out gently, but also takes longer to dry. Its duration depends on the spin speed. Average duration is 10–15 minutes.

Nuances for different types of washing machines

Depending on the manufacturer of the washing machine, the synthetic mode will have some features.

For SMA Bosch:

• water temperature 30-40 degrees;
• washing time 70-140 minutes;
• any spin speed that is set by the user;
• The rinsing time is standard; if necessary, you can use the additional rinse function.

To achieve maximum washing quality, the drum should be filled ½ full.

Features of the mode on Siemens SMA:

1. 
   Water temperature can vary between 30-60 degrees. The user sets the required parameters.

2. Rinse is set by default. You cannot disable this feature. If necessary, you can use the additional rinse option.
3. Average wash time: 1 hour 35 minutes. It may increase or decrease depending on the adjustment of the water temperature and other parameters.
4. The rotation speed of the drum can be changed. If necessary, the spin is turned off.

The optimal result can be obtained if you load no more than 2.5 kg of laundry into the drum.

Features of the program on SMA Samsung:

• water temperature 40-60 degrees;
• The default drum rotation speed is 800 rpm, but if necessary it can be reduced;
• water consumption does not exceed 62 liters per cycle;
• The program starts without pre-soaking.

To improve the quality of washing, do not overload the drum. The optimal weight is 2.5 kg. Moreover, you need to calculate based on the mass of wet laundry.

Features of the mode for SMA Indesit:

1. The first type of program is called “Synthetics 1”. The water temperature is 60 degrees, and the washing duration is 75 minutes.
2. The second type of program is called “Synthetics 2”. In this case, the default water heating is 40 degrees. Washing duration is 71 minutes.

The spin speed in the first and second modes is 800 rpm. If necessary, it can be reduced.

Features of the program for SMA:

• The water temperature is 40 degrees.
• The duration of the wash depends on the settings, by default it lasts 70 minutes.

In some models, this mode is called “Everyday Wash”.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

1. 
   Careful treatment of fabrics.

2. Possibility of quick start, without adjusting the temperature and spin speed.
3. Possibility of washing items made from mixed fabrics.
4. The mode is combined with the options “Extra rinse”, “Soak”, “Pre-wash”.
5. It is possible to use powder, gel and capsules.
6. Optimization of resource consumption.

Flaws:

1. The water temperature cannot be higher than 60 degrees. Therefore, to remove difficult stains, pre-soaking or using stain removers may be necessary.
2. The spin speed should not exceed 800 rpm, so it will not be possible to get completely dry items out of the drum.

Wool shrinkage

All of the above recommendations help maintain the original appearance of the product. But sometimes you need to wash an item - for example, a wool sweater - so that it shrinks. For this, the following technology is used:

1. Dip the sweater in soapy water heated to 50-60 degrees for 10 minutes.
2. Wash it as usual.
3. Rinse in cool water (15-20 degrees).

It is important not to allow too sudden temperature changes, otherwise the shrinkage will exceed all expectations. A woolen jacket can shrink by 3-4 sizes and turn from excessively large to small

In addition, you should remember to be careful when spinning and drying. In hot water, the pile fluffs up and becomes especially easily deformed.

Woolen items require careful handling and additional energy consumption for washing. But they reliably retain the body heat of their owner and look beautiful. Therefore, it is worth trying to remember simple rules for caring for hair. It's not difficult - there are only 5 most important points!