The spin speed of a washing machine determines how much water is removed from your clothes, the fastest spin speed is 1600 rpm. All washing machines have a maximum dry load, this can be anything up to 8.2 kg. Washing machines are graded on the wash grade, energy efficiency and spin efficiency of the machine. These are graded on a scale of A to G, where A is the best. A more efficient washer may be more expensive to purchase but could save you money in the long run through lower operating costs.

Many washing machines have different types of wash to make sure your clothes are washed correctly. For example a hand wash, wool wash, quick wash, pre-wash, silk wash, delicate wash, variable temperature wash and a super rinse / extra rinse. If you have a problem with small wash sizes a machines with light load and half load options may be suitable. These types of washer mean it doesn't matter if you only want to wash a couple of items of clothing as they will not waste as much water and electricity.

Numerous programmes are available on machines to suit all your washing needs. Other features that washing machines have are time remaining indicator, reduced creasing option, time saver feature, rinse and hold and no spin option. You may want to check whether the washing machine you are looking to buy is a hot or cold fill machine. Using hot water from the domestic water supply saves time and energy. Cold fill saves your hot water to use for something else. You should make sure that the machine is economical with water. Many machines have an out of balance spin protection, this constantly checks that it is spinning correctly. You may also want to check the noise level of the machine, the lower the db value, the quieter the appliance.