The manual of the LG WM9000 says

Several LG models list a preferred detergent in the manual. The previous generation WM8000 does also. The key words, "through high temperature"

Miele needs no protocol. The splendid control and temperature selection exceeds them all! That is the way it should be done.

One thing is obvious, the largest detergent producer in the U.S. is sleeping in the same bed. ;-)

Your right @roc. This is more of a North American marketing stragedy, than anything of substantive function.

My LG WM3070 has the same language minus the note about the detergent. It heats up to 150+F in both allergen and sanitize cycles. Interestingly, the temps seem to be programmed to Celsius standards. Warm is 30C, hot 40C (or 45C in some cycles). Sanitize cycle appears to target 70C. You can get an instant reading of the temps (in Celsius) inside the drum by pressing a certain combo of buttons.

I'm wondering if the dumbing down of the sanitize cycle has to do with the length of it. American consumers seem to be intent on short cycles. 30-45 minutes is the ideal, to match a typical drying time. With a typical sanitize cycle taking close to two hours, manufacturers may be trying to get a competitive edge with a "short yet effective" sanitize?

@izeve - I reviewed manuals from the current line of LG, Samsung, and the newest Electrolux LuxCare. Sanitary on these machines Is achieved with high temperature, with Electrolux specifying an actual temperature.. I am glad this option is still available in the North American market. Although, some will not be comfortable with the brands, but it is what it is if your in the market for such an option. Why Whirlpool, one of the largest producers decided to eliminate the option across all product lines, is puzzling. And try as you might, you won't get a straight answer from them! I don't believe it has anything to with NSF certification or Energy Star, or others would have followed suit.

Good point @izeve. I remember when differences between advertising and facts were well understood. No idea how things stand in Europe. But here, corporations have taken over our lives. I don't want to get political but it is. If a company can sell you something, it doesn't work as marketed, that's not a good thing. Whirlpool can be called 100 times and it will be the same: don't know, we'll send someone who can't do anything, or sorry. Never mind you paid for something. Remember that guy who recorded the call with the cable company everyone hates? He wanted to cancel his cable and the rep wouldn't let him?

It's how this makes me feel. I had the heating oil supply company hold me hostage and bully me over a tank of propane until I took them to small claims court.

Unless there is a class action suit nothing will be done. Even then, settlements are minimal. Then they go right back at it. The worst part is that voting with your feet -- buying non American made -- costs jobs. Whirlpool is in MI. They should be trying up a business and educate consumers, not fail.

I guess with no tradition of exact temperature washes in the US, the manufacturers feel like they can sell any bogus claim relating to laundry, as long as it sounds good to the uneducated consumers. Because I'm quite sure it is not an issue of cost. If the machine already has the heater in it (like MamaP's one), then there is really no cost advantage to not having it active in the Sanitize cycle. So the only reasons I can think of for not using the heater in Sanitary is some new energy efficiency guideline they are trying to follow or an attempt to reduce cycle times. Because there must be a reason for the change - I can't believe that Whirlpool made the change in the programming just because....

Cycle times are definitely an issue that US consumers are focused on. LG is trying to shorten them by using TurboWash, Tide is claiming that its Turbo detergent also results in shorter cycles. Kenmore has Accela wash. Interestingly enough, Whirlpool is not advertising anything specifically relating to its Sanitary washes being shorter or gentler on clothes, or whatever other nonsense they can think of.

Cycle times are the biggest complaint that I ran across when reading reviews while on my FL search. I highly doubt that the average person has ever heard of the 5 basics of laundry practice......Time, Temperature,Mechanical Action, Chemical Action. & Water Amount.

When any of these are reduced others need to be increased.

In a FL there are a number of the basics reduced so *Time* has been increased.

The average consumer is looking for the quickest possible way to get their laundry washed with absolutly no knowledge on how to do this the correct way... 30 minutes from start to finish is what they are after, and they believe their clothes are clean. In a FL I can't believe anything could be clean in such short times but you won't convince the average homemaker of that.

My two greatest must haves in a FL were Time and Temperature, The manufactures know that my wants and beliefs like everyone else in this laundry forum are a minority. ..so they are out to please the average person, and the average person wants short wash times, the majority always wins the vote.

My guess on this Sanitary, Allergen and Sterilization issue is that most people don't really care what the difference is unless some issue arises outside of price. Washers cost a lot of money and it doesn't take an economist to know that many people don't have the funds to buy washers with 11 or 12 cycle options. Do most people need to sterilize their laundry? The CDC has established guidelines for hospital laundries and among their suggestions are various concentrations of chlorine or ethyl alcohol. Sanitation seems to be a catch-all word that falls somewhere between Allergen and Sterilization. Depending on what you're cleaning, there appear to be various chemicals and temps recommended. Allergen is a strict profile based on temperature for specific respiratory and mite conditions. Then there are products and temperatures for disinfection, fungal, viral, bacterial, etc. Most people just want to wash their clothes! They don't want or need a medical background in order to run a washer. Should such a day come, THEN they'll start researching. A washer that combines Sanitary and Allergen makes sense to me. That cycle can be used for pet bedding, colds, flu, and urine with (maybe without) additional chemical additives. Chlorine is not recommended for urine as it can form chlorine gas.

Good common sense as always, moroseaz

@moroseaz - I don't think anyone here is advocating for sterile laundry. Residential and Commercial laundering don't do that. Sterility results from autoclaving at 250F or 270F for 15 minutes at a specific gravity and pressure.

The minimum CDC standard for hospital processed linen is 160F minimum, were 180F is the norm. In all instances bleach is used. Hospital worn scrubs or linen processed in a residential machine with a real Sanitary Cycle isn't hot enough to kill the super bugs, variations of resistant microorganisms, and other pathogens. Consumers that launder hospital or nursing home linen in a residential machine are doing nothing more than cross contaminating and spreading bacteria to other laundry processed thereafter in the machine. Hospital bugs are NOT easy to get rid of!

i do agree with you, consumers want simplicity and speed. I also agree a cycle like the Allergen provides a True Hot wash, and I think most consumers want that. In all but the most extreme circumstances it meets the need of providing optimal cleaning temperature and strong sanitation properties for the most common household organisms and bacteria.

There are those consumers that simply want more, and have the financial means to support that. Washing machines come at all price points with varying degrees of size, options, and varying levels of energy savings. After all the basic task of any machine is to provide clean clothes.

Anything that doesn't involve lye soap, boiling water, rocks and a scrub board... And wringers - no wringers.

My favorate things Moroseaz..haha

@rpsinfoman....not to hijack the thread, but in your comments above, you mention:

The minimum CDC standard for hospital processed linen is 160F minimum, were 180F is the norm. In all instances bleach is used.

Is there any residential machine that you're aware of that can reach these temps? I did call Electrolux and their new 617 machine hits 155 on the sanitize cycle, which is the highest I've found thus far.

TIA!

Miele has machines that reach more than 200F.

Any other brands? I had kind of eliminated Miele due to price/size. Especially since I'm buying two of them.

@twobelles - sorry, you're out of luck finding a machine in the US that will exceed 158F other than Miele or Asko, and neither is cheap. Would you mind sharing what your needs are to wash at such high temps?

Depending on where you live, you may be able to find 8-10 year old Mieles that were still 240v and could do boil washes.

Nothing comes to mind except Miele in a residential machine as far as I know.

Asko goes to 205F. Believe it's the 6424. It uses very little water and has quite long washes. But it has the temps. The User Guide linked from this page will give exact temps.