Hotpoint ActiveCare NLLCD 1046 WD AW UK Washing Machine review: our favourite features of this family-friendly washing machine

Price on writing: £499 | Buy now from Currys

How we tested

Mumsnet editor and mum-of-two Beccy put the washing machine to the test in her family home. With a toddler and pre-schooler, she had plenty of opportunity to test out the machine's many functions, taking detailed notes on how effectively it tackled stains and everyday laundry, its user-friendliness and how well it fit around her family life.

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What were your first impressions of the Hotpoint ActiveCare NLLCD 1046 WD AW UK washing machine?

Delight, to be honest. It’s a lovely white colour and fits nicely in our compact utility room. Understandably, it wasn’t long after installation that I had my first load in, which was incredibly easy to do as the settings are simple and straightforward. I made sure to download the Hotpoint app and connect my machine, and was impressed by the smart features it offers. The fact I can schedule cycles to start in the early hours of the morning so my washing is done and ready to be hung out to dry before I’ve drank my first cup of coffee is superb. 

How easy was the Hotpoint ActiveCare NLLCD 1046 WD AW UK to set up and start using? 

The installation team took care of all the heavy lifting for me, and the machine was installed and in working order in less than 10 minutes after delivery. It lives in a small utility cum cloakroom and so it was important for us to have a machine that would sit flush beneath the countertop. Despite it having a larger drum size than our previous machine, it actually fits better and its white colour brightens the room. 

Once I’d downloaded the Hotpoint app, it was incredibly easy to connect the machine and get started with my first load. After I’d managed to tackle a week’s load of washing, it quickly became apparent that the machine’s anti-stain cycle would be my favourite go-to setting. 

While there’s plenty of settings on the machine itself, the app gives you even more functionalities so you can make sure you’re using the right cycle for your laundry type.

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Which wash cycle do you use most regularly?

I’m impressed by the number of cycles available to choose from - it has the usual like delicates, wool, and cotton like most machines - but I love that this machine also offers cycles for jeans, bedding, shirts, curtains, baby clothing/items and even cuddly toys. 

The anti-stain cycle has been my go-to for daily washing so far. I’m very much a ‘bung it all in and hope for the best’ type person when it comes to my laundry, only separating darks from whites. A bad habit for some items of clothing, I know, but it gets the job done when I’m tackling the ever-growing piles of laundry that my two DC generate on a daily basis. 

To really give everyday clothes a refresh, the machine allows you to further personalise your chosen cycle. For example, with the anti-stain setting, you can choose the machine’s ActiveCare setting or a normal cycle. With the ActiveCare technology, the machine takes care of your clothes by removing stains at temperatures as low as 20°C. Great for the environment, but not so great if you don’t want a three hour cycle running and you need a quick turnaround. 

It’s for this reason that I instead go for the normal anti-stain cycle, which at 40°C takes just one hour and tackles my DC’s grubby clothing with ease. With every cycle you can toggle on the machine’s Final Care feature, which allows your garments to be left in the machine after a cycle has ended and reduces odours created by damp clothes. This feature lasts up to six hours, which is handy if you’re running errands and haven’t been able to get your load out the machine. And let’s face it, we’ve all done that at some point - with our previous machine, I was terrible at remembering to get a wash out and it’d end up in there for hours, sometimes a day or so… resulting in another wash being needed. 

Then, for extra washing performance, you can toggle on the machine’s Steam Hygiene feature. This adds an extra 20 minutes to your cycle, but is great when you want to remove any bacteria from the fibres of your garments. This setting also injects steam directly into the drum of your machine at the end of a cycle, helping to remove up to 99.9% of the most common bacteria without needing to use additional chemicals to clean. 

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Have you tried the delicate cycle - how did it perform?

I’ve so far tested out the delicate ActiveCare cycle on the machine for my own lingerie, which surprisingly, doesn’t prolong the cycle like the anti-stain setting. Instead, this runs at 20°C and lasts only 55 minutes (without Final Care and Steam Hygiene turned on). 

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Is the Hotpoint ActiveCare NLLCD 1046 WD AW UK noisy?

Nope! And that is my third most favourite thing about this model. After the Final Care setting and scheduling ability, the fact this machine is incredibly quiet and can’t be heard at all once our utility door is shut is superb. Add the fact that the utility room is quite close to our youngest’s DC’s room, then you can understand why I’m pleased with a quiet machine. 

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What do you think of the length of the wash cycles?

The machine’s rapid and eco functions mean you can customise your washing cycles to suit your needs - allowing you to either speed up your cycle or save on energy overall. 

Given that I have two young children that are forever getting mud or food on their clothes, I find that the 40°C anti-stain cycle is the best option for our family at the moment. However, for loads that primarily include DH and I’s clothes, I choose the eco cycle that takes longer but uses less energy. 

I mean, with the scheduler, it doesn’t really matter how long the cycle is as I can set it to begin in the early hours of the morning so it’s ready to be taken out and hung to dry after I wake up. 

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How pleased are you with how the Hotpoint ActiveCare NLLCD 1046 WD AW UK cleans your clothes?

So far, very pleased. It tackles my children’s clothes with ease, even brightening up their whites and helping to remove stubborn stains from spaghetti and strawberries. 

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How does the Hotpoint ActiveCare NLLCD 1046 WD AW UK compare to your previous washing machine?

Given that I had a washer/dryer combo previously, this machine is obviously very different in the sense that it is just a washing machine. But given that we own a heated clothes airer that is used throughout winter and a rotary washing line outside for warmer temps, there’s really no need for us to have a tumble dryer anymore. Plus, we don’t really need a dryer to eat up energy these days. 

As a washing machine though, it’s infinitely better compared to my eight year old machine that we previously owned. It’s easier to clean, easier to control and the added smart features are, quite literally, sanity savers and has made my overall washing routine smoother. 

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What’s the best thing about this washing machine? 

The scheduler, for sure. I was most definitely the person that would always bung a load in and then forget about it for a day or two, resulting in damp, foisty clothing that then needed to be washed again. 

With this washing machine, I can load the machine up and set it to start in the early hours of the morning when everyone’s asleep and it’ll be done by the time I wake up. First thing in the morning, between breakfast, nursery prep and dog walks, I can get my washing out to dry. 

I should also add that the machine’s stop and add feature is also very much appreciated - if you need to do some washing in the afternoon but keep finding socks around the house, you can still add these to the same cycle without interrupting it for a few minutes after starting. 

What’s one thing you’d change?

To be honest, nothing. The 10kg drum means I can wash our super king bedding without any issue, which is something I always struggled with when using our previous machine. The Hotpoint ActiveCare is an infinitely better machine than our previous Samsung washer dryer and is much better suited for family life and routine. Even just having the detergent drawer swing out instead of pull makes it easier to get to in our compact utility room. It’s the small things, after all. 

Does the Hotpoint ActiveCare NLLCD 1046 WD AW UK offer good value for money?

At £500, the Hotpoint ActiveCare NLLCD 1046 WD AW UK is one of the best budget washing machines available right now. While you can pick up a perfectly decent washing machine for under £400, I was really impressed with the range of cycles, premium features and quality of this washing machine for the price.

For families in need of a machine that can be tailored to you and your family’s lifestyle and schedule, then the Hotpoint ActiveCare is one I personally recommend.

About the author

Rebecca (aka Beccy) is a writer, editor, and content marketing expert hailing from Leeds. Here at Mumsnet, she leads on commercial content to bring our users industry-leading content from companies that aim to make parents' lives easier.

Her career began back in 2010 when she took the helm of her university's student newspaper. Always encouraged to pursue a career in law, she instead found herself falling in love with writing and after graduating, moved to the Middle East to lead the content team for ExpatWoman, the region's leading female- and family-focused expatriate website. Then, after six years of life in the desert, she took a short career break to navigate motherhood (and a country move mid-pandemic) and is now Commercial Content Editor here at Mumsnet.

Beccy is also our in-house lifestyle expert. As a mum herself, she knows first-hand how parenting can cause selfcare and self investment to fall to the wayside... Especially after living in maternity bras for far longer than she should have after finishing breastfeeding and the fact that the last time she bought a new pair of jeans (not from Vinted, brand new) was over five years ago. So, you could say her passion lies in helping Mumsnet users to prioritise their own style, identity and wellbeing (and also help her practice what she preaches...) all while striking a healthy balance between nurturing their families and themselves.

With a keen eye for scouting out the best style, beauty, sex and wellness products (and everything else lifestyle related bar travel and home), our resident Leeds lass crafts relatable content that resonates with our Mumsnet users. From fashion and beauty tips, to sex and relationships (yes, including the best lube, best condoms and even the best vibrators), to mental health and selfcare strategies - she aims to inspire and support mothers at every stage of their parenting journey.

If needed, you'll also catch her supporting the rest of the team across our baby and child, home and and even our travel content categories. After all, she's got two children who are the perfect little test subjects reviewers to help. Like that time she visited Slaley Hall in Northumberland, or when she discovered what she was missing out on with a eufy robot vacuum.

Offline, Rebecca can be found balancing life as a working mum of two toddlers. When she’s not at her desk, you’ll likely find her at her local playgroup, nearest soft play, or walking the dog up and down country lanes.

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