Intensive
Makes the wash longer and more thorough for heavily soiled laundry.
What it is for
Heavily soiled, durable items — work clothes, sports kit, children’s play clothes. Bosch extends the programme by up to 30 minutes; Beko’s Intensive programme also adds an extra rinse compared with Cottons.
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
- Bosch draws a fan of water jets with a plus above; many machines print the word Intensive next to a light.
- Names makers use
- Intensive Plus (Bosch); Intensive (Samsung, Beko)
Where makes differ
On Bosch and Samsung it is an option added to another programme; on Beko it is a programme of its own. Beko notes its Economy symbol will not light on Intensive, because it is a long, hot programme.
Often confused with
Adds one or more rinses to the programme, or rinses with more water, to take out more detergent.
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No single published standard defines washing-machine or dryer programme icons, so this meaning is taken from 3 makers’ own guides and manuals, each fetched and read on the date shown:
- Bosch: Bosch Home UK — Washing machine symbols guide — Intensive plus symbol (water jets with a plus, over the words): “The programme duration is extended by up to 30 minutes. Suitable for heavily soiled laundry.” Checked 2026-09-25.
- Samsung: Samsung UK support — What do the symbols on my Samsung washing machine mean? — Intensive: “For badly soiled laundry. When this light is on the operation time for each cycle is longer than normal.” Checked 2026-09-25.
- Beko: Beko UK — WI 1382 washing machine user’s manual (PDF) — Intensive: durable and heavily soiled clothes; washes for a longer time with an extra rinse cycle compared with Cottons; the Economy symbol does not light on it. Checked 2026-09-25.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.