What is Classed as a Quiet Washing Machine?

The sound levels of the majority of washing machines fall between 40 and 80 decibels (dB), which is a huge variation. To make things even more confusing, the majority of people don’t know the difference between different decibel levels and how to determine which washing machines are classified as quiet.

To make things a little easier, below is a list of the different washing machine sound levels.

• 50 decibels and below – Super Quiet

Washing machines with noise levels below 50 dB are considered to be very quiet. As a comparison, 50 dB is the equivalent of a quiet conversation.

• 50 – 75 decibels – Quiet

Between 50 and 75 dB is considered a quiet washing machine. As a comparison, 75 dB is the equivalent of a toilet flushing, 70 dB is equivalent to a shower, and 60 dB is the noise level of a normal conversation.

• Above 75 decibels – Loud

Any noise level about 75 dB is considered to be a loud washing machine. As a comparison, 80 dB is equivalent to heavy traffic, a hoover, or a noisy restaurant.

When considering the sound levels of a washing machine, it is important to bear in mind that the ‘spin’ section of your wash cycle will be significantly louder than the ‘wash’ section.

80% of the total time of your washing machine’s cycle is spent washing your laundry. The dB level of this part of the cycle is significantly quieter than when your machine is in the rinse and spin cycles. In fact, you can expect a difference of 10-15 dB during the washing and spinning sections of your wash.

All Ebac washing machines have a quiet mode feature. This pauses your wash cycle before rinsing and spinning until you intervene. This means the loudest part of the wash cycle only takes place when you allow it to.