In your washing machine, you may have noticed how there are numerous settings and features. While we probably use the automated setting in most cases, there are a few that escape the eye. There is one such feature that is called the soil level.
This feature is quite a useful one, however, not many know what this feature is and how to use it.
What is the soil level in the washing machine?
The soil level in the washing machine is a feature that allows you to select the degree of wash depending on how dirty or soiled the clothes you have put in are. It is lightly soiled, normal soiled, and heavily soiled setting for less dirty clothes, and more dirty clothes accordingly.
If you have heard the phrase soil or soil level when there is a conversation about washing machine features, you may want to note that this could mean more than one thing.
The meaning of soil level in a washing machine is primarily referred to as the feature in a washing machine.
The soil level feature in any washing machine is present to indicate the level of dirt on the clothes that you have put into the washing machine. A lot of users, who are mostly unaware of this feature and get to learn later are often confused about what its significance is.
To put it simply, where the washing machine alerts you on how much dirt or soil is present in your clothing, you would be able to switch the cycle of the washing machine accordingly.
If you have clothes that are filled with mud and grime, a light cycle would not be as effective as a heavy one.
Furthermore, there is no point in using heavy-duty cycles for delicate and lightly stained clothes that have little to no dirt in them. Although the soil level in washing machines is mostly referred to this particular feature, many use the phrase in a literal way.
This is to means that the level of dirt is clogged inside your washing machine. This mud that clogs washing machines is also brought in by the dirty clothes that you have put in the washing machine.
What soil level should I use?
The soil level you would use would mainly depend on the amount of dirt your clothes have on them. If there is an item of mud-covered heavy clothing, you would need a heavy soil level. You have to use light or normal soil level for delicate, and slightly dirty clothes.
In most washing machines, there are primarily three soil levels that you can choose from. They are:
Light Soil Level:
The first and lowest level of the soil level feature is the light soil mode. As the name suggests, this mode is meant to be used when your clothes are lightly soiled on stained.
This primarily means that if you have dusty clothes or clothes that are just stained, you might want to use this level. Other than that, the light soil level mode is ideal for clothes that are delicate and most vulnerable to damage in higher settings.
Moreover, the timing of light soil level is quickest and requires little time to finish the rinsing cycles. This cycle is also perfect to be used for daily washing as it uses cold water.
Normal Soil Level:
Normal soil level is for clothes that are moderately soiled or dirty. Here, the agitation is slightly more than you would expect in slight soil. In this mode, a combination of spin and washing cycle is used where both are set to fast setting.
If there are splatters of mud and recent stains that you want to get rid of, a normal soil level would get the job done. Here, the total estimated washing time is higher than the low soil level.
Heavy Soil Level:
For heavily soiled clothes that are so wrapped in mud and dirt that you barely want to touch it, heavy soil level on the washing machine would be most effective in cleaning the clothes.
With hot water used, heavier clothing like dirty jeans would be most effectively cleaned on this mode as well.
Does soil level mean water level?
The soil level in your washing machine does not mean water level, however, there is an impact in the amount of water that would be used depending on what soil level has been used.
The soil level in your washing machine would either indicate how dirty the clothes that have been out inside are and what level of washing and soil you would have to use.
If you put in clothes that are covered in a lot of debris, more cycles and hence heavy washing would require more water.
Other than that, the amount of dirt in the washing machine is also referred to as soil level. The possible reason for dirt in your washing machine could be plenty, including debris from the water and most clothing.
If the latter is indicated, some washing machines have a clean washer feature that would allow the washer to automatically clean the soiled tub.
Does soil level add more water?
The water level on the washing machine is primarily dependent on the load, meaning how many clothes and how many heavy clothes the washing machine has to clean.
If there are more clothes, or heavier clothes like jeans and towels, regardless of how soiled they are, the washing machine would need more water.
Technically, if the soil level is set too high, it means that your clothes are dirtier and hence might require more water to clean.
Although soil level does not directly impact water level, there is certainly a relation between how soiled your clothes are and how much water would be required.
In any case, if you were to wash mud-covered jeans and play clothes in the washing machine that requires a heavy soil level, it would also mean that more cycles and more rinsing would be required.
This, in turn, would increase the amount of water that the washing machine would use.
What does heavy soil mean on a washing machine?
In a washing machine, heavy soil is referred to as more dirt on clothes. The first meaning of heavy soil in a washing machine is the number of clothes that need to be washed and hence the level is selected accordingly.
Here the wash time is highest, and so are the number of cycles and agitation level. When you set the washing machine to a heavy soil level, you can’t expect your clothes to also come out tangle and wrinkle-free since the agitation is quite vigorous.
Here, you would notice tumbling is a high speed and hot water, and hence it would be most effective if play clothes, jeans, and the sturdy garment are cleaned on this.
The amount of dirt stuck in your washing machine, mostly remaining of the dirty clothes that have been put in it can also be referred to as heavy soil in a washing machine.
What is the soil button on the washing machine?
The soil button is a feature on the washing machine which lets you choose the washing speed, cycle, etc., depending on the level of soil in your clothes to clean them properly.
If you want to make the best use of this incredible feature, you would have to use the correct soil button. Using the right soil level button would alter the cycles, as well as the speed of the washing machine cycles.
Other than that, the agitation and the total time the clothes will be in the washer are also changed based on how soiled the clothes are.
When you are selecting a higher soil level, basically you are commanding your washing machine to wash the clothes for more than. Selecting the soil button hence changes the estimated time to determine whether your clothes are dirty enough to need more washing time.
How do you adjust the soil level on a washing machine?
Here is how you can adjust soil level on a washing machine:
Check for dirt:
At first check if there is dirt in the washer. If there is dirt, run a regular cycle or clean the washer button to clean the washing machine debris.
Use the soak feature:
If your clothes are heavily soiled or significantly dirty, you can presoak the clothes manually or use the soak feature. For lightly stained clothes, directly wash the garments.
Press the soil level button:
Press the soil level button if it does not indicate automatically. By pressing the button, you can adjust the soil level and estimated time to wash the clothes.
This would mainly depend on what kind of clothes and the degree of dirt in the clothes.
Final Thoughts
To indicate how dirty or soiled your clothes in the washing machine are, the soil level features help to fix the washing degree, agitation, time, and how many cycles would be required. Light, normal, and heavy soil levels are three levels in which clothes are washed depending on how dirty they are.