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Auto dosing: an expensive gimmick or a washing machine essential?
An increasing number of washing machines now offer auto dosing as a premium feature, but it often comes with a hefty price.
You might find yourself wondering how useful auto dosing really is. Even if it could save you time, will it add enough detergent, or too much? And will it actually keep your clothes looking their best wash after wash?
We carried out a snapshot test on a handful of washing machines in our lab, comparing the results from 'auto dose' washes to cycles where we manually added the detergent, to see which ones came out on top.
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What is auto dosing?
Auto dosing has been popping up on newer washing machines for a little while now, but what actually is it?
In practical terms, it involves a tank or reservoir inside your washing machine that you fill up with detergent, saving the need to fill the detergent drawer or pop a pod into the drum before every load.
Most machines that offer this feature claim to hold enough detergent to cover around 20 washes, then you'd simply refill the tank and start afresh.
Some models will even vary the amount of detergent they dispense based on the amount and type of clothes you load into the drum, using built-in sensors to determine the best course of action. This is often referred to as an 'AI' feature in washing machine listings.
It's worth noting that even if your washing machine offers auto dosing, you don't have to use it – it will still work perfectly fine if you manually add the detergent before each wash.
Pros and cons of auto dosing
As with every appliance you buy, there are always going to be upsides and downsides – only you will know what will work best for you in your home.
| Pros | Cons |
| Save time: There's no need to root around in the cupboard to find the detergent. Simply load up the drum and you're ready to go. | Need to order refills: You'll need to keep on top of how much detergent you're using to avoid getting caught short when you need it most. |
| No maths required: If you're doing a smaller load, you don't need to try and work out the correct amount of detergent to use, as your machine should do it for you. | Machines can be pricier: Not all machines that offer auto dosing are more expensive, but they do tend to be at the higher end of the price spectrum. |
| Designed to help you save money: By removing human error in measuring your detergent, the idea is that you should never use too much and waste your money. | Specific detergents: Some brands (such as Miele) encourage you to use their proprietary detergent, which can be more expensive than other brands. |
Auto dosing machines can be effective solutions for people that wouldn't otherwise find it easy to open detergent drawers or bend down to pull powder out of a cupboard. If that sounds like you, it could be worth spending some time weighing up your options.
Which washing machines offer auto dosing?
If you're looking for a washing machine that offers auto dosing, you'll need to step away from budget models and be prepared to spend a little more to get your hands on this feature.
The main brands that we commonly see with auto dosing machines are AEG, Bosch, LG, Miele and Siemens. There's also a handful of models available from traditionally cheaper brands like Hisense and Hotpoint.
It is becoming more of a commonplace feature as time goes by, so we do expect to see more and more brands offering at least a handful of auto dosing models in the coming years.
Most online retailers will allow you to filter by features like auto dosing, so be sure to do this before you start scrolling to save yourself time.
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Does auto dosing affect washing machine performance?
To find out if auto dosing makes any difference to stain removal, we sent five washing machines to our test lab and compared the auto dosing results to the results from our standard testing, where we manually add the powder detergent before each cycle.
Every machine received a lower star rating for overall washing performance when using auto dosing – in four out of five models the star rating actually dropped by two stars (out of five).
Looking at performance on individual stains, again the auto dosing performance was poorer in 83% of cases, the same in 14% and better in just 3%. The models particularly struggled in our tea stain tests, failing to remove almost any of the residue from the fabrics during the cycle.
In good news, using the auto dosing functionality didn't affect the water or energy usage of the machines in our tests – in fact, one of them actually used slightly less energy per kg than in our standard testing. The cycles didn't take any longer either, and again, one machine was even slightly quicker.
The spin drying performance was much the same too, although some machines weren't quite as effective as rinsing when auto dosing was used, which could result in unsightly streaks on your clothes.
The main thing we consider in our testing is stain removal, and the models we sent to the lab struggled to achieve good results with the auto dosing function. This isn't to say it will be the case for every single model, but the trend we noticed is that manually adding detergent before each wash led to more efficient stain removal and better rinsing overall.
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