That claim is misleading.
Most washing machines can spin clothes at high speed to remove a large amount of water, which makes laundry dry faster afterward. However, that is not the same as drying clothes completely.
What a spin cycle does
- Removes excess water by centrifugal force.
- Can leave clothes only damp rather than soaking wet.
- Reduces drying time on a clothesline or in a dryer.
What actually dries clothes
- A dedicated clothes dryer.
- A washer-dryer combo machine with a built-in drying function.
- Air drying (indoors or outdoors).
Why the viral claim spreads
Many social media posts call the high-speed spin cycle a “hidden drying function.” People may notice that increasing the spin speed leaves clothes much less wet and assume the machine is drying them.
So the more accurate statement is:
Nearly all washing machines can remove much of the water from laundry through spinning, but only machines specifically designed as washer-dryers can fully dry clothes using heat or condensation technology.
