Would you ask a neighbour if you could use their washing machine?

[StayingDavidTennantsGirl]

Our washing machine died last night - sparks came out of the control panel, and it stopped working. With a dh and three teenagers in the house, we usually have to do at least one load of laundry a day, and it builds up scarily fast if we don't.

The engineer is coming out on Thursday, and I am hoping (and praying) that he will have the right part with him, but we really could do with doing some washing in the interim.

The last time this happened, a friend insisted on doing some loads of washing for me, but we have moved since then, and I feel a bit unsure about asking our neighbours if I could put a load through their machine. I am becoming good friends with one of the neighbours, but am not sure how she'd feel, and wouldn't want her to feel put on the spot.

So is it an unreasonable request - would you feel icky about your neighbour's smalls swilling round your machine? Am I being stupidly sensitive, or just sensitive enough?

I'm sure there must be a laundrette somewhere near here, though I don't recall seeing any in my travels - and if the engineer can't fix the machine, then I will have to go and find one, otherwise the boys will run out of clean underwear and school shirts.

WWYD - would you ask the neighbour?

Ask the neighbour where the launderette is; she's likely to volunteer her machine, and if she doesn't you'll know she feels weird about it.

I would send out the teenagers to the laundrette, tbh.
if it was only one urgent load, I would maybe ask a neighbour but beyond that find a laundrette. often they do pickup and drop off of loads as well, which is fab.

I wouldn't ask, and this happened to us over the New Year.I handwashed any of my own stuff I actually couldn't do without. DH and my three teenagers were told they could do the same. DD did school uniform. Nobody else did anything, and we're all still here. Of course there was a huge backlog, but that was soon sorted when the machine was fixed.

I'd not thought of the pick up and drop off option, mousy - I'll use that if things get desperate.

I've just mentioned the blown-up washing machine to my neighbour, and she didn't offer to do a load, so I guess she does feel a bit weird about it.

We've told the boys that they must only put to the wash things that really need it (rather than jeans and hoodies that have been worn once, and are put to the wash because that's easier than folding them up or hanging them away) - ds1 is already doing his bit - he's put nothing to the wash at all, and is stockpiling dirty socks on his bedroom floor.

If you're becoming friends with your neighbour I would ask.

Yes I did ask my neighbour when our 4 months old washing machine packed up and the manufacturer said that it would take 10 days to get the replacement parts and fix the washing machine.

I get on very well with my neighbours and should the same happen to them, I would not hesitate to lend them my now-fixed-and-working washing machine.

I would ask if you're on good terms*.

Our washing machine broke in the freezing weather (it is currently located in the garage though we are seeing if we can move it) and with a small baby I was really fretting about the washing building up.

In the end I did one load at a friend's house and my husband took the rest to the laundrette, but realistically I couldn't get to the laundrette myself with baby plus clothes as it's too far away. I only know one of our neighbours but I think if it happened again I would ask them, because having been through it I would do it for someone else.

*Ahh, just read you have already mentioned it being broken to your neighbour. In that case, I might leave it, as I think most would offer then if they were up for it.