Most commercial and industrial laundry equipment manufacturers talk about the G-Force of their washers.

If you’re a NASA pilot, you probably know all about G-Forces. But if you’re looking at Industrial washing machines or laundry equipment, you may wonder what the exact significance of this G-Force number is.

What is a G?

G-force stands for the force of gravity. One ‘G’ is one times the force of earth’s gravitational pull. Reading this right now, there’s one ‘G’ of force pushing down on you.

G-forces can change due to two things: the size of the planet you’re standing on, or as a function of acceleration. The planet thing is pretty far removed from laundry equipment… but the force of acceleration isn’t.

Ever gone zero to 60 quick smart and been pushed back in your seat? That’s the rate of acceleration increasing the G-force exerted on your body. Ever watched the spin cycle in a washer pull clothes to the outside of the basket? The clothes are experiencing that same sort of pull. The faster the spin, the more pull, and the more G-forces are exerted on those clothes.

How are G-Forces Measured in Laundry Equipment?

It’s pretty simple, actually. The G-force rating of a commercial or industrial washing machine is essentially how fast the machine can spin clothes. The faster the spin, the more G-forces.

A washer with a G-force rating of 200 can spin clothes fast enough that they’re being pulled to the side of the basket with a force two hundred times that of the earth’s gravity! Machines with ratings of 300 or 350 (top of the line) are that much more powerful.

So Why does G-Force Matter?

Because no machine spins very fast during the wash cycle, the G-force rating applies to the spin cycle.

Higher G-forces mean a faster spin, which means more water will be squeezed out of the clothes during that spin cycle. This means less time, money and energy will be spent on drying and ironing clothes.

This Girbau washing machine, for example, has a high-speed spin factor of 350G. That speed will see clothes come out drier than a standard 200G machine.

A load of sheets coming from a High Spin Washer can skip the dry cycle complete and go straight into your Ironer, saving you money not only on the gas to run the dryer but also preventing your staff standing around waiting for the industrial dryer to dry the extra water out of the load.

How many Gs Do You Need?

So what G-force rating is right for you? The short answer is – it depends.

Your needs, the amount and type of clothes you’re washing, and the way your business runs will all change the ideal machine – and ideal G-force rating – for you.

Start here if you’re looking to buy industrial washing machines.

Start here if you’re looking to buy commercial washing machines.