LG Washer TurboWash: What It Does and When to Use It

Jets spray water and detergent solution onto the load from multiple angles. Clothes saturate faster than they would tumbling through a pool of water, so detergent reaches the fabric sooner and the cycle can be shortened without cutting rinse quality.

On a front-load washer

Nozzles sit around the door area and spray onto the load as the drum turns. The machine also streams water during the spin cycle for rinsing, even when TurboWash is switched off. On front-load machines, TurboWash cannot be combined with No Spin.

On a top-load washer

A jet-spray water supply runs for roughly 40 to 100 seconds during the first rinse or spin. On some top-loaders TurboWash can only be selected on the Normal cycle, and pressing the button selects Normal for you.

TurboWash is layered on top of a wash cycle. It is an option, not a cycle of its own, and the machine still runs the program you picked.

The names describe different hardware on different machine types, so "TurboWash" on a top-loader and "TurboWash 360" on a front-loader are not the same system.

TurboDrum is what TurboWash3D pairs its spray with. It changes how the load moves through the water, while TurboWash changes how water reaches the load.

LG states the claim as a complete clean in under 30 minutes on the normal cycle with the TurboWash 360 option selected, measured on a 10 lb load. The top-load TurboWash3D claim is 29 minutes on the normal cycle with an 8 lb load.

A 10 lb load in a 4.5 to 5.2 cu ft drum is well under half full. The figure describes a light load, not a full family wash. LG cites different sources for different models.

Cycle time varies with load size, soil level, water temperature, spin speed and water pressure. LG's own cycle-duration guidance for a cotton cycle runs from roughly 32 minutes on a small load to 86 minutes or more on a large one. The European "39 minutes" figure sometimes seen online belongs to a different cycle and market, so do not mix it with the US claim.

Expect a faster cycle than the same program without TurboWash, and expect the "under 30 minutes" figure only on a light load with the option selected.

Select a cycle, then press the TurboWash button. On some cycles it is defaulted on and cannot be turned off, typically Normal or Cotton, and it is only available on select cycles.

• Check the selected cycle. Not every cycle allows TurboWash, and on some top-loaders only Normal does.
• Check Child Lock. A locked control panel ignores the button.
• Remember some cycles force it on. If the button does nothing on Normal, the option is already active.

Even when TurboWash is off, the machine still sprays water during the spin cycle for rinsing.

Everyday mixed loads are where the option earns its place: work clothes, school uniforms, sportswear, towels and sheets, where a faster cycle with good detergent distribution is the goal.

Turn it off, or pick a heavier cycle, for heavily soiled or greasy loads. The low-water spray can under-perform on soil, and a warmer or heavier cycle with more water does better. Do not expect it on delicates or wool: use the Delicates or Hand Wash cycle, since TurboWash is designed for cotton, synthetics and mixed loads.

Speed Wash is a separate cycle of about 15 minutes, not the same thing as TurboWash. TurboWash is an option layered on a cycle, and the two are often confused.

Maintenance still matters. A front-loader still needs a tub-clean cycle, the door left ajar and the gasket wiped, and TurboWash does not change that.

LG's figures are up to about 15% less energy and up to about 40% less water versus the same cycle without TurboWash, on an 11 lb (5 kg) cotton load at 40 °C. Top-load TurboWash3D is listed at up to about 27% less energy and 14% less water versus conventional LG washers.

These are not US Department of Energy figures. For a US buyer, the number that matters is the model's ENERGY STAR listing, its IMEF and IWF. Certified Energy Star washers use about 20% less energy and about 30% less water, and heating water is about 90% of a washer's energy use, so washing cold when the fabric allows matters more than any single option.

Weak or sputtering jets at low water levels are often normal. Spray pressure drops when the water level is low and is stronger during rinses and on cycles that use more water.

If the machine appears not to spray and cycle times stretch to about an hour, that points to a machine or load issue rather than a hose problem. Switch off the machine, check the load is not bunched against the door, and call for service if the behavior continues.

If the button will not engage, revisit the cycle selection and Child Lock checks above.

TurboWash is now standard across most LG front-load washers and many top-load models, so it is rarely a standalone upgrade. The real decision is front-load TurboWash 360 versus top-load TurboWash3D, and what else the machine offers: steam, a direct-drive motor, an auto-dispense system, an allergen cycle.

Compact LG front-loaders around 2.4 cu ft do not list TurboWash, which matters for small-space shoppers. A compact front-load holds up to 2.8 cu ft in a body about 24 in wide, so check the feature list before assuming the option is there.

Front-loaders are the pick for fabric care and low water use, while top-loaders suit you if you want shorter cycles. Once the machine type is settled, compare steam, a direct-drive motor, auto-dispense and an allergen cycle.