IEC 60456:2010

Overview

IEC 60456:2010 - Clothes washing machines for household use - Methods for measuring the performance - defines standardized laboratory methods to measure the performance of household clothes washing machines. The standard covers machines with or without internal heating, using cold and/or hot water supply, spin extractors, and washer-dryers for their washing functions. It also applies to machines that specify the use of no detergent. Edition 5 (2010) introduced significant updates including soft‑water testing options, expanded stain/soil sets, new reference programmes for low‑temperature and vertical‑axis machines, and measurement of low‑power modes.

Key Topics

• Scope and test conditions: ambient conditions, electricity and water supply, instrumentation accuracy.
• Test loads and materials: base loads, stain test strips, wool shrinkage specimens, conditioning and age requirements.
• Detergent handling: reference detergent specification, dosing and placement for repeatable results.
• Reference equipment: reference machine specification (updated to Electrolux Wascator CLS), spectrophotometer and standard extractor requirements.
• Performance measurements:
  • Washing performance (stain removal assessments using standardized stain strips).
  • Water extraction / spin performance (residual moisture evaluation).
  • Rinsing performance (alkalinity and residual detergent measurements).
  • Energy, water consumption and programme time (including low power modes “OFF” and “Left On”).
  • Wool shrinkage during wool programmes.
• Procedures and reporting: test series, programme selection, folding/loading methods for different drum types, and required data reporting.
• Quality controls and uncertainty: annex on the uncertainty of measurements and informative guidance for laboratory practice.

Applications

IEC 60456:2010 is used by:

• Manufacturers and R&D teams to verify design performance, optimize programmes (low‑temp, vertical axis) and support product specifications.
• Test laboratories and conformity assessment bodies for standardized, repeatable performance testing and certification.
• Regulators and energy/ecodesign assessors for objective metrics on water, energy and rinsing efficiency underpinning labeling and compliance programs.
• Consumer organisations and reviewers seeking comparable performance data across models.
• Product developers of washer-dryers and spin extractors for validating washing-related functions.

Practical benefits include consistent comparison of stain removal, water extraction efficiency, rinsing effectiveness and energy/water use across machines and programme types.

Related Standards (if applicable)

• Published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
• IEC 60456 complements other appliance and energy‑labelling/regulatory standards that reference standardized test methods for household appliances.