Rinse Hold on Washers: What It Does and When to Use It

Your washing machine has a Rinse Hold option that sounds confusing until you understand the one problem it solves. If you start a load of laundry but cannot be there to remove it when the cycle ends, the clothes sit in a crumpled heap inside the drum and wrinkle deeply while you are gone.

1. If you often find deeply wrinkled clothes because you forgot to empty the machine, Rinse Hold prevents the wrinkles from forming in the first place.
2. If you want to control when the spin cycle happens so you can hang items immediately afterward, Rinse Hold lets you time the spin to when you are available.
3. If you are washing wrinkle-prone fabrics like linen, cotton dress shirts, or blouses, Rinse Hold keeps them relaxed in water until you can dry them properly.

Rinse Hold is not a wash cycle. It is a modifier you add to any cycle.

The washing and rinsing happen normally, and then the machine pauses instead of spinning.

Here is how Rinse Hold works, when to use it, and how to resume the cycle when you are ready.

How Rinse Hold Works

The washing machine runs the full wash cycle and rinse cycle as normal. When it reaches the point where it would normally start the spin cycle, it stops and keeps the clothes soaking in the final rinse water.

The clothes stay submerged in clean water with no agitation. The machine waits for you to manually restart the spin cycle when you are ready to unload.

How to Activate Rinse Hold

Before starting the cycle

Select Rinse Hold from the options panel before pressing Start. On most machines it is a button or a toggle on the display rather than a separate cycle, and you activate it alongside your chosen wash cycle.

Common locations by brand

Samsung machines typically have it as a selectable option on the display, while LG machines often include it in the additional options or rinse options menu. Bosch and Miele machines may label it “Rinse Hold” or use a tub-of-water icon on the cycle selector.

Check your control panel for a tub icon with water lines or the words “Rinse Hold.” If you cannot find it, check your owner’s manual because some machines bury the option in a submenu.

How to Resume After Rinse Hold

When you return to the machine, the display will show the Rinse Hold indicator or a pause symbol. To resume and complete the spin cycle, you have two options.

Press Start or Resume

On most machines, pressing Start or Resume releases the Rinse Hold and begins the spin cycle. The machine drains the rinse water and spins the clothes as it normally would.

Select Drain or Spin Only

Some machines allow you to select a Drain and Spin or Spin Only cycle instead of resuming the original cycle. According to HomeGearGeek, this gives you control over the spin speed, which is useful if you want a gentler spin for delicate items.

This video explains the process:

Mastering Rinse Hold: Laundry Pro Tips

When to Use Rinse Hold

You cannot unload the machine immediately

This is the primary use case. If you are starting a load before work, before bed, or before leaving the house and know you will not be there when it finishes, Rinse Hold prevents the wrinkles that form when wet clothes sit crumpled for hours.

Wrinkle-prone fabrics

Linen, cotton dress shirts, blouses, and other fabrics that wrinkle easily benefit the most from Rinse Hold. These fabrics set deep creases quickly when left in a heap, and the creases are harder to iron out than wrinkles that form during the wash itself.

Items you plan to hang dry

If you plan to hang clothes immediately after the spin to minimize drying time and wrinkles, Rinse Hold lets you time the spin to the exact moment you are available. The clothes come out of the spin ready to hang, with no delay that would allow wrinkles to set.

Delicate fabrics you want to control carefully

For items where you want to choose the spin speed manually or remove before spinning at all, Rinse Hold gives you a pause point. You can then select a lower spin speed or remove the items from the rinse water and press them flat by hand.

Rinse Hold vs. Delay Start

Both features help you manage laundry timing, but they solve different problems.

Feature	What it does	When to use
Rinse Hold	Pauses after rinse, before spin	When you want clothes waiting in water until you arrive
Delay Start	Delays the entire cycle start	When you want the cycle to finish at a specific time

Delay Start is better when you can predict exactly when you will be home. Rinse Hold is better when your return time is uncertain, because the clothes can wait in water for hours without damage.

Some people use both together: Delay Start to run the wash during cheap energy hours, and Rinse Hold to pause before the spin until morning.

When NOT to Use Rinse Hold

Towels and heavy items

Towels, jeans, and heavy cotton items do not wrinkle in the way dress shirts and blouses do. Using Rinse Hold on these items adds no benefit and leaves them sitting in water longer than necessary.

When you are available to unload immediately

If you are home and can move clothes to the dryer or clothesline as soon as the cycle ends, Rinse Hold just adds an unnecessary step. Let the cycle complete normally and unload promptly.

Extended periods (more than 8 to 12 hours)

While clothes can sit in clean rinse water for several hours without problems, leaving them for more than 8 to 12 hours risks the water becoming stagnant and developing a musty smell. If you will be gone longer than that, it is better to use Delay Start to time the cycle to finish when you return.

For understanding all your machine’s cycles and settings, see how to use your washing machine.

For more on the Rinse and Spin cycle (a different feature), see rinse and spin on washers.

For spin speed guidance, see spin cycles on washing machines.

Pin this page for the next time you need to leave mid-laundry.