Hoover H-Wash 500 HW411AMC Freestanding Washing Machine, Large Capacity, 11 kg, 1400rpm, White, Decibel rating: 50, EU Acoustic Class: A

Product Information

I have no concerns about the rest of the build, however: the H-Wash 500 feels tough, and the porthole door closes neatly and securely. Overview –The soft care symbol shows a butterfly with a box in its centre. It’s suitable for washing delicate garments and washes at 20 degrees Celsius for 59 minutes. The test strip included (left to right) red wine, orange juice, ketchup, vegetable oil and gravy stains. On the 30ºC wash, the image below shows that stain removal was pretty good, although you can still see a clear outline of the red wine stain, plus a mark from the ketchup. It’s decent performance, but more expensive machines – such as the LG V9 F4V909BTS – clean better, albeit at a higher cost. The wash took just over two hours to complete.

Overview –For mixed and coloured clothing, you’ll need to search for the symbol that shows a triangular container and a t-shirt. If your symbols have worn away, this programme will be one of the few that are on the front of your washer. Overview –The steam setting is denoted by a puff of steam and it blows steam intermittently into the washer drum during a cycle. The steam removes allergens and bacteria from your clothing. Overview – The fabric softener symbol denotes a flower. It may or may not have the word ‘MAX’ written next to it, which indicates the maximum amount of fabric softener that you should use per cycle. It’s a standard feature that you’ll find on pretty much every washing machine that you use. As with all washing machines, the Hoover H-Wash 500 has to have its transport bolts removed. These comprise one plastic part with a rubber bung on the rear. My attempt to remove them resulted in the the rubber part coming away from the plastic part on two bolts, with the plastic bit dropping inside the machine. I had to then remove the thin rear panel to retrieve these items before I could turn on the appliance.Overview –The care 14/30/44 lets you choose how long you want to wash a load for, with the option of either 14, 30, or 44 minutes in total. It’s shown by an image of two leaves with the numbers 14, 30, and 44 below them. Switching to the 40ºC wash on the Eco 40-60 programme, I re-ran the test. This time, the washing machine used just 0.21kWh of power and only 37.1 litres of water, the trade-off being that this programme took more than three hours to run. This time, water retention was lower at 35.94%.

Admittedly, this job will need to be done only once – and likely by the person who delivers the appliance – but less fiddly bolts would have been appreciated. For the most part, you’ll operate the Hoover H-Wash 500 HWB via the controls on the front of the machine. First, there’s the control dial that lets you select the wash programme; you’ll need to refer to the manual to find the right wash for each load. There are plenty of options to choose from, however, including modes for whites, wool, fitness gear and allergy care. Available for a great price when you take into account the features on offer, the Hoover H-Wash 500 HWB 410AMC/1-80 is a top mid-range washing machine. Spend more on the likes of the Samsung WW9800T and you’ll get faster wash cycles and better stain removal at lower temperatures. However, you’ll spend a lot more for the privilege.The new H-WASH 500, thanks to its motor, is more sensitive: it adapts the washing action to the load ensuring best results and 60% more efficiency. But what do you do when the symbols have rubbed off/worn off? You could read through the user manual, but if you’ve got no idea where yours has gone, this guide should teach you everything you need to know. If you own a Hoover washing machine, you’re familiar with the fact that each programme and setting corresponds to a specific symbol on the appliance. You can use these symbols to select the best settings for a particular wash cycle.