Q&A for How to Use a Washing Machine

No, but be careful which colors you was it with. Don't mix it with whites, bright yellows, or beiges.

You don't. The water will automatically drain.

With newer washing machines, there is a labeled dispenser for it. In others, you can just drop it into the bin.

It depends on what setting you're using, but generally anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

Mix grays with dark colors, such as black.

Just use a sink, basin, or bathtub. Fill it with water and detergent and put your clothes in. Swish them around for awhile. Empty the water, rinse each item, and ring out the excess water. Then dry.

No, you don't need to wait for it to fill with water before putting in the clothes and detergent. Just put the clothes in, then the laundry detergent, press start and the water will fill up and drain out like it should.

After wash, rinse and spin. The machine will drain several times in a wash cycle.

Depends on what setting you select on the washing machine. If you're washing on cold, it will use the cold water supply. If you're washing on hot, it will use the hot water.

Yes. Most modern washing machines allow you to open the cover after pressing the pause button and will unlock the door. With older washers, make sure the drum has stopped spinning before opening. You do not need to disconnect power.

It depends on a lot of factors, including what cycle you are using, how much detergent you put in, how many clothes you put in, how efficient your washer is, etc.

You pour the fabric softener in the washing machine during the final rinse cycle.

The machine should know how long to run, depending on which cycle you select. You shouldn't need to stop the cycle for anything unless you want to add more clothes. Cycles usually run for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Yes, there is a drain and spin cycle that can be used empty.

Turn the taps on or turn the water on. It may be indicating that you have turned off the taps.

The washing machine generally does. When the process is over, the machine will stop. Some machines will alert you that they are done by beeping, or the door/lid may unlock at that point. Most machines have different settings you can choose from when starting your laundry, which can determine how long the wash takes.

Just like any other new washing machine. Follow the steps above or watch the video.

You don't need to fully unplug the machine after every use, but you should press the on/off button on the machine to save energy and money.

It depends on the washing machine. Modern ones will heat it, but some older ones used to connect to the hot tap as well as the cold.

Front loaders tumble the clothes around rubbing them against each other removing dirt and stains almost all front loaders work on this principle. Top loaders with agitators pull clothing down where it is scrubbed with the "fins" at the bottom of the agitator, removing light stains and dirt.

No! It is not safe to open the washing machine when the water is draining because the input voltage is connected.

It depends, if you have an LG or Samsung, or any newer model, they recommend using an HE detergent, and only using half of the recommended amount. Read the packaging for the right amounts required.

Keep it on, your washer adjusts the water, temperature, and spin speed automatically.

Refer to the washing machine user guide.This will tell you if the lights will remain on or if this is a fault.

It automatically cleans the clothes with an array of sensors determining the level of dirt on the clothes. This automatically adjusts the required temperature for the water and the overall water level.

Normally it is just simple lint that got washed off other items of clothing and stuck to that item instead of going into the lint collector.