PERMANENT PRESS VS. NORMAL WASH CYCLES
Minimizing wrinkles in clothes, like blouses and trousers, can be simple if you know what laundry settings to use. While normal wash settings are designed to help care for everyday clothing items, the Permanent Press cycle on washers and dryers is designed to help keep wrinkling at bay.
Keep reading to understand what the Permanent Press cycle is, how to use it to tackle wrinkles and the differences between Permanent Press vs. Normal wash cycles.
WHAT IS THE PERMANENT PRESS CYCLE?
The Permanent Press cycle is designed to help release existing wrinkles from clothes and prevent new wrinkles from forming. This cycle is particularly beneficial for items that are prone to wrinkling, such as dresses or professional wear. Depending on the make and model of your laundry machine, settings that are similar to the Permanent Press cycle may be labeled under a different name, such as the Wrinkle Control cycle available on select Maytag® washers.
IS PERMANENT PRESS A LOW HEAT SETTING?
Dryers with a Permanent Press cycle typically use medium heat and longer cool down periods, so clothes are less likely to settle in the drum and develop wrinkles. Similarly, washers that feature a Permanent Press cycle typically use warm water and low spin speeds to help prevent fabrics from creasing and developing wrinkles.
DOES PERMANENT PRESS SHRINK CLOTHES?
The Permanent Press cycle can be more gentle on clothes than other cycles. However, to help prevent your clothes from shrinking or becoming damaged during the cycle, always refer to the instructions on your garment’s care label to ensure you’re washing and drying items correctly.
WHAT IS A NORMAL WASH CYCLE?
The Normal wash cycle uses warm water and high spin speeds to help clean items such as cottons, linens, sheets and loads that contain mixed garments with an average level of soiling. Unlike some washing machine settings, the Normal cycle is designed to provide the most energy efficiency.
HOW LONG IS A NORMAL WASH CYCLE?
Both top load and front load washers will typically take anywhere from 50-80 minutes to complete a Normal wash cycle. Keep in mind that the length of time it takes for your washer to complete a cycle can vary depending on the size of your load and the make and model of your laundry appliance.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NORMAL VS. PERMANENT PRESS SETTINGS?
The Permanent Press cycle and Normal cycle use different temperatures and spin speeds, as each cycle is designed to care for different types of clothing. The Permanent Press cycle typically uses warm water and low spin speeds to help prevent wrinkling in professional attire, such as blouses, button-ups and dresses. The Normal cycle also uses warm water, but features high spin speeds to help clean everyday items like cottons and linens.
EXPLORE MAYTAG® WASHERS AND DRYERS
Maytag® washers and dryers feature settings that can help tackle wrinkles so you don’t have to. Select Maytag® washing machines feature the Wrinkle Control cycle that helps prevent wrinkles by using warm water and low spin speeds, similar to the Permanent Press cycle. Select Maytag® dryers offer a Wrinkle Prevent option that tumbles clothes for up to 150 minutes after the cycle ends to help keep wrinkles from forming.
