Abstract: In the initial stage of the dehydrating operation (spin cycle) in a washing machine, operations of rotating the dehydrating tank at a low speed for a predetermined period of time or of stopping the driving motor temporarily when the speed of rotation of the dehydrating tank reaches a predetermined low value are repeated a plurality of times. During this operation, the water contained in the clothes in the dehydrating tank is partly removed and the weight of the load decreased as much. Therefore, in a dehydrating operation in which the tank is rotated at a high speed, the clothes do not have a strong tendency to shift to one side, with the result that little vibration and noise are produced.

Abstract: When it is detected that the motor for rotating the agitator of the machine is locked, the motor is turned in the forward direction and/or in the reverse direction a predetermined number of times. If the motor is still locked, an indicating unit is operated to indicate the occurrence of the abnormal condition. When the motor locked by an excessively large quantity of wash and the motor is not unlocked after the motor is turned in the opposite direction, the occurrence of the abnormal condition is indicated by an alarm unit. Therefore, the operator, informed of the presence of the abnormal condition immediately upon its occurrence, can rectify the problem, for instance, by decreasing the size of the washing load.

Abstract: In an agitating type washing machine a washing drive motor is run reciprocally in opposite directions to rotate an agitating wheel within a washing tank alternately in one and the other directions to perform intended washing, the washing machine comprises a rotational angle detector for detecting an angle of rotation of the agitating wheel, and a control for controlling the motor in response to a detection signal from the rotational angle detector. The control interrupts energization of the motor when the angle of actual rotation of said agitating wheel or the number of rotations of the motor reaches a predetermined value, the control means controlling the motor to run in a reverse direction when rotation of the agitating wheel by inertia in one direction is almost stopped.