The spin cycle is the part of a wash where the drum turns fast to force water out of your clothes. It runs after the wash and after each rinse. Spin speed is counted in RPM (revolutions per minute). A faster spin leaves clothes drier and cuts dryer time, and a slower spin is kinder to delicates.
Most of us leave the spin on whatever the machine picks, and for an everyday load that's usually fine. I change it for anything that stretches and for towels that take forever to dry. When a load comes out of the washer still dripping, the spin is the first thing to check.
What the spin cycle does
Once the wash water drains, the drum speeds up and presses the clothes against its walls. Water is thrown out through the small holes in the drum, and the pump carries it away down the drain hose. Between rinses the same thing happens, usually as a shorter spin. The final spin at the end of the cycle is the longest and fastest one, and it's what sets how wet your clothes are when you take them out.
What spin speed means on your washer
A 1,200 RPM spin turns the drum 1,200 times a minute and pulls out more water than an 800 RPM spin.
Plenty of washers sold in the US don't show a number at all. The spin button reads Low, Medium and High, and sometimes Extra High or No Spin. Each word stands for an RPM the manufacturer has set, and your manual lists them. Front-loaders usually spin faster than top-loaders, and High on one machine can be a lot quicker than High on another. For a new machine, we compare the two in front-load vs top-load washers.
Spin speed by fabric
| What you're washing | Spin setting | Rough RPM | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silk, lace and lingerie | Low or delicate | 400 to 600 | A fast spin stretches fine fibers and can snag lace. |
| Wool and hand-wash knits | Low, or the wool cycle | 400 to 600 | Keeps knits from stretching out of shape. |
| Synthetics, activewear and permanent press | Low to medium | 600 to 800 | They hold little water, and a slower spin means fewer creases. |
| Everyday cottons and blends | Medium | 600 to 800 | Gets most of the water out without heavy wrinkling. |
| Jeans | Medium to high | 800 to 1,200 | Denim is heavy and soaks up a lot of water. |
| Towels and bedding | High | 800 to 1,200 | Thick and slow to dry, so they gain the most from a fast spin. |
| Heavy, sturdy cottons | Extra high | 1,200 and up | Most water out and the shortest dry, if your machine goes that fast. |
Think about how dirty the load is as well. A higher spin can help get more water out of heavily soiled items. Lightly soiled clothes typically do fine on a medium or low spin.
The care label is the other clue:
- One line under the washtub symbol means the permanent press cycle, which spins slower.
- Two lines mean the gentle or delicate cycle, with a slow, short spin.
- A spin setting named on the label wins over the table.
Our laundry symbols guide decodes the rest of the label, and for sweaters there's a full guide on washing a wool sweater without shrinking it.
How spin speed changes drying time
Any water the spin leaves behind is water your dryer has to evaporate with heat. Spinning it out uses far less energy than drying it out. A load of towels spun on High comes out noticeably lighter than the same load on Low, and it dries sooner, in the dryer or on a line. Towels want a faster spin than your shirts do, which is one more reason to wash towels separately from clothes.
A fast spin packs clothes tight against the drum, though. Shirts and synthetics come out creased, and elastic and fine knits get pulled out of shape. If you air dry instead of using the dryer, a medium spin and a good shake before you hang things up usually gets you quick drying with few creases.
Spin only, rinse and spin, and no spin
Spin only, sometimes called drain and spin, puts no water in. The machine drains whatever is in the drum and spins. Use it when a load comes out too wet, or to wring out things you washed by hand.
Rinse and spin fills the drum with clean water, rinses, drains and then spins. Use it for a load that still feels soapy, and for swimsuits after the pool or the beach.
No spin (or drain only) lets the water drain and leaves the clothes soaking wet. A few items have labels that say not to wring or spin. Those go on No Spin and dry best laid flat on a towel.
Why clothes come out wet after spinning
A dripping load means the spin either didn't reach full speed or didn't run at all. The usual causes, roughly in order of how often they happen:
- The load is unbalanced. One heavy item, or towels bunched on one side, makes the drum wobble and the whole machine shake, and many washers slow the spin down or skip it to protect themselves. Spread the load out evenly and run Spin Only. If the shaking continues, check that the washer is level and, on a new machine, that the shipping bolts were removed.
- There's too much in the drum. A packed drum can't even itself out, and the machine keeps the spin slow. Take a few things out and spin again.
- The dial is still on Low or No Spin from the last load of delicates.
- There are too many suds. Extra detergent foams up, especially in HE machines, and the foam drags on the drum. Many washers pause or cut the spin speed until the suds clear, and some flash a suds code on the display.
- The drain is blocked. If the water can't get out, the machine won't spin properly. Check the drain hose for kinks, and on most front-loaders, clear the pump filter behind the small panel at the bottom front. Detergent residue and grime also build up inside the machine over time. Run a washing machine cleaner tablet through an empty drum every two weeks to keep on top of it.
Too many suds usually trace back to a measuring cap, because it's easy to pour more than the load needs. HeySunday laundry detergent sheets are low-sudsing and there's nothing to pour: a big load of towels gets 3 sheets, a few shirts get 1. The rest of the dose chart is in our guide on how to use laundry detergent sheets.
Frequently asked questions
Is 800 spin gentle?
800 RPM is the top of the medium range, so no. It's fine for everyday cottons and blends and the upper limit for synthetics. Silk, lace, wool and anything labeled delicate should spin at 400 to 600 RPM or go on the delicate cycle.
How long does a spin cycle take?
About 10 to 15 minutes on its own, including draining the water. A rinse and spin cycle typically runs 15 to 30 minutes. Heavy loads like towels can add a few minutes, and so can an unbalanced load the washer has to shuffle back into place.
Does spin speed affect how clean clothes get?
Barely. The wash and the rinses do the cleaning, and the spin only takes water out. The one link is the rinse water itself: a faster final spin pulls out more of it, along with whatever dirt and detergent it's still carrying.
Does a high spin speed wear out the washing machine?
A balanced load won't wear it out, since the machine is built for exactly that. The wear comes from spinning fast with an unbalanced load, which hammers the drum bearings and shock absorbers. Even out heavy loads before a fast spin and you can keep using high speeds.
