Miele washing machines are designed and tested for 5,000 wash cycles - that''s a life of 15 to 20 years at an average of 5 washes a week. All Miele washing machines are rated A+/A for wash performance and A for energy consumption, while the top of the range models with either a 1600rpm or 1800rpm spin gain A for spin efficiency, too. The revolutionary Handwash programme is available on every washing machine in the Miele range. It actually washes more gently than you can by hand, so any item with the handwash label, including cashmere and angora jumpers and silk blouses, can be put in the machine, safe in the knowledge that they will not snag, matt or shrink.