How long for one load of washing?

[SlipperySlope99]

My washing machine died yesterday, like died and blew all the house electrics
Repair person couldn’t book me in for at least 2 weeks, so a new one arriving on Thursday morning
I said I’d use the laundrette til then, DH insists his mother would be happy to do it for us and phoned her last night to say we had some washing and there would be DS bed sheets today also, as he has night time incontinence issues- fine she says bring it in the morning
DH took the bag round at 8.30 this morning, it’s just one washing load and said call us when it’s ready so he can pick it up and I can get it on radiators and airers ( dead machine was a dryer too)
So we’re now 4 and a half hours in and he phoned to say shall he pick it up, it’s not ready and she’ll phone when it is
Grateful she said she’d help, but I could’ve been to the laundrette and washed and dried it all by now
What could she be doing with it to take so long ?

Perhaps she's doing you a full service: washing, drying and ironing. Do you need it urgently?

My washing machine takes 2.5 hours in a full cycle, plus 1.5/2 for drying. Potentially more for a heavy load so seems pretty normal for me.
She might also be ironing? So another hour?

My machine, cotton wash is nearly 3 hours and the dryer takes nearly 4 hours. It’s an ABSOLUTE pain in the arse. The more efficient they are, the longer they take (nope it makes no sense to me either)

Maybe she didn't put it in straight away

she could be washing, drying and ironing. Or it could be that she had her own washing to do first and yours is only being put on a bit later. In my opinion, this is the problem with people doing you favours of this sort - they want to be helpful, but it's on their terms.** You want it done so you can get it dried before this evening I'm assuming? Next time, use the laundromat.

** yes, speak from experience. Sister insisted we could do our washing at hers but wouldn't allow us to do anything except the 3 hour cycle. Managed one load in allocated time and so still had to do the laundromat run the following day.

my full wash cycle is 3.5 hours - goes to say i never use that, i use the quick wash thats 1 hr

When I run my machine on an eco wash, a basic 40 degree wash with 1600 spin takes 3hrs 45 mins.

My few months old candy washer drier has a daily soil cycle of 59 minutes up to a heavy soiled cotton boil wash of 2hrs 59 mins then there's drying on top which can be up to 3 hours for totally dry

Would love separate machines but I don't have space for two

I only ever use the 100min cycle on my machine.

She has an older washer dryer, same as mine that died and that has a quick cycle but she’s obviously decided to use a longer one, fair enough and he said no need to dry, just wash please
An update as she’s phoned and she split into 2, she washed one and it’s still drying
She will then put the second wash in when that’s finished 🙈
Will be first in line at laundrette tomorrow

Do you need things urgently?

It’s not that I need them urgently, just wanted to get them dry, didn’t know she was going to dry them, so that’s obviously taken longer but is very helpful for me
It’s just taken me by surprise that it takes so long when I know how long it usually takes me to do it with the dead washing machine
Will have to see how long my new one takes when it arrives

Update number 2 as DH has just returned with washing after a phone call to say come and pick it up, yes we were surprised as she’d phoned not long before
I have 1 dry sheet, 1 small load of wet washing and 4 items totally not washed, the ones she said she’d wash after the load of stuff she was drying, which she hasn’t 😂 and that’s after 7 hours

Newer machines soak the clothes for long periods and agitate less, so yes, it can take ages.

Going to your MIL for laundry might not be classed as essential trip!

Well it’s definitely not now, but we have been tier 3 since December 30th
But soiled bedding which was taken by Dh to his mother’s 5 min drive away, left on door step and he didn’t enter the house at any point, I’m sure was perfectly fine
Launderettes are on the essential business list and allowed to stay open, so if DS’s bedding is soiled again before my new machine arrives then I will be visiting