Abstract: A washing machine comprising a tub (4), a wash basket (5) and a housing (12) for collecting the wash water. A heating element (14) and a thermostatic sensor (15), as well as a recirculation pump (17) are connected to the housing (12) and to the tub (4) through a recirculation conduit (16) in order to circulate the wash water repeatedly toward the tub (4) with the object of spraying the same onto the load to be washed. The machine is moreover equipped with pressure switches (36,23) for carrying out "vigorous" and "delicate" laundering procedures in the conventional way, and has a series of pressure switches (21, 22) for developing "vigorous" wash cycles with low water levels in the tub (4) carried out by recirculating the same water toward said tub. In this way, optimum consumption of water, detergents and electric energy is achieved dependent upon the kind and quantity of load placed in the wash basket (5).