3 Hidden Washing Machine Features I Only Discovered After 3 Years

Hey everyone, I just discovered today that my washing machine has a “drum self-clean” function.

Yes, after three years of use, I just found out.

This is a bit embarrassing to admit, but I want to share it because I found that many people are like me—we bring the washing machine home and only know “turn on power → select program → press start,” completely unaware of other features.

I was reading the manual today (don’t ask why I suddenly read the manual—I mistook the washing machine for the AC remote and pressed the wrong button), and discovered three functions I never used: drum self-clean, air wash, and mid-cycle add.

Let me start with drum self-clean. This function is so important because the inner drum really does get dirty over time. I used to think that since the washing machine cleans clothes, it should clean itself too. Later I learned there’s a gap between the inner and outer drums that accumulates grime and breeds bacteria over time.

I tried the drum self-clean function—very simple operation: pour in some washing machine cleaner, select “drum self-clean” program, wait an hour and a half. Opened the lid and saw it really washed out a lot of dirty stuff.

I checked—washing machine drums should be cleaned every two months. I’ve used mine for three years without ever cleaning it; thinking about it now, I feel sorry for my clothes.

The second function is air wash. I’d heard of this before but thought it was some high-end feature my machine definitely didn’t have. Turns out, my machine has it.

What is air wash? Simply put, “deodorizing without water washing.” Perfect for clothes that can’t be washed, like suits, down jackets, silk shirts—worn once or twice with some odor but you don’t want to wash them yet.

I tried it—put in my suit that I’d worn once but didn’t want to wash, selected “air wash” program, took it out after 20 minutes, and the smell really had faded a lot. Not completely gone, but wearable for another round.

The third function is mid-cycle add. I’d used this before but didn’t know its name. It’s when you’re halfway through washing and suddenly realize you forgot a sock—you can press pause, wait for the door lock to release, put the sock in, then press start to continue.

But there’s a condition: water level can’t be too high, water temperature can’t be too hot. If your machine has already filled with too much water, or the water is already very hot, mid-cycle add won’t work because water could overflow or scald you.

So my current approach: gather all clothes to be washed before starting the machine, try to avoid mid-cycle adds.

But if you really forget, check the water level and temperature first before deciding whether to add clothes.

Besides these three functions, I also discovered the “quick wash” program is actually pretty useless. I used to think quick wash saved time and used it every time, but later realized that while quick wash is shorter, the cleaning power is insufficient—clothes still come out a bit dirty.

Now I only use quick wash for not-very-dirty clothes, like a T-shirt worn for just an afternoon, or new clothes I just want to rinse off surface dust. For truly dirty clothes, I honestly use the standard program.

Finally, I want to say: you don’t automatically know how to use a washing machine just by buying it—you really should read the manual. I flipped through the manual today and realized I’ve wasted at least half of this machine’s functions.

So, everyone, if your washing machine has been in use for a long time but you’ve never read the manual, go flip through it today. You might discover some “hidden features” too.

Oh, and after reading, don’t forget to tell me what functions your washing machine has that I don’t know about—let’s see what else I might have missed.