Eco 40-60
The EU test programme for normally soiled cottons labelled 40 °C or 60 °C, washed together: the most energy- and water-efficient cotton wash, which is why it runs for hours.
What it is for
Everyday mixed loads of cottons that could be washed at 40 °C or 60 °C. It saves energy by washing longer at a lower water temperature — Beko warns the actual water temperature may differ from the declared one — so it is not the programme to pick when a garment needs a guaranteed temperature.
Makes differ, check your machine’s manual: the same drawing can mean different things on different brands, and only your model’s manual says exactly what a programme does, how hot and how long.
- What it looks like
- Two leaves on one stem, the word ECO, or green arrows; some displays light a small “e” for any energy-saving choice.
- Names makers use
- Eco 40-60 (Hotpoint); ECO 40-60 (Miele); Cottons Eco (Beko); Eco-wash (Hoover)
Where makes differ
hOn says the eco programme is marked “with the writing ECO or green arrows”; Hoover draws two leaves and adds that with 20° it means a low-temperature wash, with “minutes” a short wash for smaller loads. Beko’s display lights an “e” Economy symbol for energy-saving programmes and temperatures. Hotpoint’s guide gives 3:59 for a full 10 kg load.
Often confused with
The main programme for robust cotton and linen: the longest, most vigorous wash with the highest temperatures and spin speeds on the machine.
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No single published standard defines washing-machine or dryer programme icons, so this meaning is taken from 5 makers’ own guides and manuals, each fetched and read on the date shown:
- hOn (Haier Europe): hOn — Washing Machine Symbols: how to interpret them with hOn — “Eco program: with the writing ECO or green arrows.” Checked 2026-09-25.
- Hoover: Hoover UK — What do the symbols on your washing machine actually mean? — “Two leaves, for eco-washes” — with a 20 °C symbol a low-temperature wash, with “minutes” an efficient wash for smaller loads. Checked 2026-09-25.
- Hotpoint: Hotpoint washing machine Quick Guide (GB, PDF) — Eco 40-60: normally soiled cottons declared washable at 40 °C or 60 °C together; the standard cotton programme and the most efficient in water and energy. Table: 3:59 at 10 kg. Checked 2026-09-25.
- Miele: Miele — Operating instructions for washing machines, WWV 980 WPS Passion (PDF) — ECO 40-60, max 9.0 kg: normally soiled cottons meant for 40 °C or 60 °C in one cycle; the most efficient programme in energy and water for cottons; the EU ecodesign test programme. Checked 2026-09-25.
- Beko: Beko UK — WI 1382 washing machine user’s manual (PDF) — Cottons Eco: highest energy and water saving of the cotton programmes; actual water temperature may differ from the declared one. Display symbol d, “Economy Symbol”, shows energy-saving programmes and temperatures. Checked 2026-09-25.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.