New Bosch washing machine | 3 hours and 50 minutes cotton cycle | WTF?

Always when you're about to head out the door and then oh, there's only a minute left to go, I'll just wait and hang this out before I go...

I got a new Beko recently, but I was looking at Bosh machines as well. I think @ThisOldThang that you'll find that programmes on different makes are all very similar to each other. The trick is to work out what works for you. Our new machine is good with water use etc - and the full programmes are similar long times to yours depending on which programme you choose - but we have a 'intensive' button, which cuts the time in half. Plus quick programmes and other options.

It's just a matter of working out which combinations of programmes and the other buttons are what you want to do until you get used to them?. We've had our machine now for 3 weeks and I've got used to it now and the washing comes out just fine and well cleaned.

My Bosch is the same. I do use the cotton cycle for bedding and towels because that is the only full size wash that I can do at 60 degrees. I set it to come on overnight (at this time of year) to make use of Economy 7 electricity. In the summer we make use of solar.
The allergy wash (also 60) is for a much smaller load.

Hit the speed perfect button. It halves the cycle length. The standard cycles are madly long. Speed perfect is your friend.

My Bosch is about 2 months old. I mostly use the Eco cycle, which starts at 3h24, but it rarely is thst long in reality. I also have the option of a Super quick 25' or 30' cycle - plus delicates and woollens and so on (because I detest handfasting, so I need those cycle sometimes.)

I just put a load on when I get home from work and hang it up in the back room before bed.

Have you run the cycle and does it actually take that long?

When I select the cottons 40 deg cycle on my Samsung machine, the display says it's going to take 3 hours 14 minutes. But it weighs the washing in the first few minutes and 9 times out of 10 adjusts the time downwards, usually to about an hour and a half. The 60 degree cycle is also shorter.

You don't have to use softener. I never do.

I actually hate recent washing machines

The water usage is so low they don't clean as well. There isn't enough water used to properly saturate then rinse the clothes well.

They take hours.

I would rather the government pushed for new homes to have solar panels and reuse of grey water for flushing toilets etc as standard, than making us accept worse and worse appliances. It feels like a backwards step in technology.

Oh my god, the last minute time changes to the cycle length make me apoplectic!!

A few silly posts on this thread.

1. we’re not generally short of water in the uk but processing water for re-use uses energy.
2. longer cycles use less energy and water overall because eg they leave the clothes to soak for periods. Short cycles need more water and power. I’m not especially saying you should use either but longer doesn’t mean more energy.

But my Bosch 60 degree cotton wash is shorter than my 40 degree cotton wash. How does that work?
I love my 20 year old machine for it length of life but like everyone else, resent the 3 plus hours per load.
Anything on a fast wash and the spin cycle doesn’t go full tilt. So half wet washing.

Don’t you programme it so it washes in early hours of the morning, then finishes around 6:30/7am when you get up? (Not sure what time you get up!!)
so it doesn’t matter how long the programme is.

My Bosch has all the long eco options but I only ever use the generic 59 minute wash at 40° or 60°. Might see what happens with the speed perfect button, didn’t realise it cut the stupidly long cycles so much shorter.

Our new Hotpoint is a bloody mystery.
Our old Samsung could do a wash and extra spin put this bloody thing on extra spin it adds more bloody water

Have you not seen the barely half full reservoirs we ended up with this summer?

You'll not find a new washer with short cycles except for very small loads. You just need to work with it.

Hate how long washing machine and dishwasher cycles are.
I've 4 kids when we come back from holiday I need better timing than anton du beke to try and get all the washing through the machine.
I know there are quick cycles but don't think they are any good they are for stain removal.

5 year old Hotpoint.
Mixed cycle 1 hour
quick wash 30 minutes.
Both cycles I press no spin, when finished use 1400 spin.

Pay no attention to that guff, fill the machine and pick the cycle you want and the machine will wash your clothes, I promise.

I'm also in Aus, although my Bosch machine is made in Germany, and it has a 45 minute Mix cycle I use for everything.

PSA though: the cycle times are a guide only due to it being a 'smart' machine so 45 mins could well be longer if the machine senses the load is too heavy, sudsy or whatever. I'm sure most Bosch owners have experienced the joy of standing around waiting as the machine goes from 1 minute left, to 2, and back again for 10 minutes!

i worry about my clothes being churned around for so many hours. Surely it is worse for the fibres being washed into the water system.
Have a good explore of the settings - there will be a shorter one that also gives a bit more of a wash than the 15min ones.
for example on my newish LG machine (which I hate for others reasons) the cotton cycle is 3:45 if fully loaded (10kg), but take one or two things out and it will do the wash in 58 mins…

It is not Eco if you end up tumble drying your washing as you didn’t get it out on the line in time for it to dry.

Honestly basically everything goes on a quick wash with an extra spin. All in takes around 45 mins 🤷‍♀️