to not understand anything about our washing machine and only ever use the same programme every time?

[kitnkaboodle]

... which always seems to do the job fine, actually. Now we've got a new one with a digital display it's even worse. You can even chose the wash time within a cycle (who cares??) I can't be bothered to read the instructions and I simply don't care if it's prewashed/prespun/small load whatever. I just want it washed and spun. So I stick everything on 'synthetics' and it all comes out fine.

Does anyone actually pay attention to the different programmes or care??

YANBU to be daunted but are missing out...

My favourite is mine can be set to sart a cycle at a certain time. If DS is ill and throwing up in the night I love being able to throw things in as the night progresses knowing the machine will start up at 6am and by the time I wake up (if we get any sleep), it's all clean.

Also YY to quick washes! And one-hour one that's a half hour wash and half hour dry... Swoon...

What fresh madness is that Funky. How is such a thing possible?

I am very jealous of a 14 minute quick wash. Mine is 20 and I thought that was good

What fresh madness is that Funky. How is such a thing possible?

I'm Canadian. We have funny ideas you know.

agree that washers need two programmes.
quick hot
quick cold
i only ever use quick 30 degrees wash. ..30 minutes. jealous of the 14 minutes one. very rarely use a 60 degree for vomit/blood/other rank stuff. luckily dc are past that stage.

LOL that used to be me until I read the manual and changed my settings. Everything shrunk so I went back to the normal, same old same old reliable setting.

Wish old machines could be reprogrammed, so they would do a 30 degree wash. Mine does 40 degree, 60 or 95.

I use 40 degrees coloured wash and 60 degrees wash for bedding and towels and that is it. I do sometimes use the spin function on its own if I've hand washed things.

I did read the manual when I got it 7 yrs ago but still only need the 2 washes.

YANBU I do everything on programme 4

Wish old machines could be reprogrammed, so they would do a 30 degree wash. Mine does 40 degree, 60 or 95.

Bosch ones can I believe. But a person from bosch has to come round and do it.

I've had mine for about 18 months and I use 4 or 5 of the obvious settings. Then about a fortnight ago I wondered what some of the symbols meant and found the manual. It turns out that I have a hand wash cycle!!!! I have things at the bottom of my laundry basket that have been there since the late jurassic period that are getting a bath.

I feel that here is the right place to announce that I had a washing revelation the other week. I was tired of having tea towels stained with tea, pasta sauce etc, so I did them all on a 95 degree wash, with Ariel and a scoop full of Vanish and they came up clean! All the stains had gone! They were white again! A 30 degree wash, despite all the hoo ha about it being just as good, has never managed to achieve this. And 40 degrees is not that hot, either, actually. It's a little higher than normal body temperature, so will feel just about warm to the touch.

If you work in geriatric care or haulage, you need a long wash cycle. DD is usually drenched in sweat from her dance classes, and like all teenagers has the odd festering mound under the bed every so often. Also, cooking with turmeric or pimento demands serious heat and Vanish.

anything polycotton use a lower spin - 800

less ironing

eg school shirts

towels blast the fuckers on 1200

Voodoo

Yes, i use the handwash cycle all the time. Darned if I'm going to handwash anything (or dry clean for that matter- most of the time).

OP

If reading manual, or bits of it, saves you time and effort and money later, call me a boring old wanker, but why not?

But I deliberately bought a simplish model. Don't do digital displays and all that - more to go wrong

Son in law set mine on cold wash years ago.Switch on and off at the plug and detergent in the little boat on top of washing.About 20 minutes and beautifully clean and fragrant.

Disaster if anyone should touch the dial!!

Do put towels in boiling water in the bath for a bit before washing in machine,though.

I agree, OP, it's baffling. The symbols on my washing machine don't match the symbols on the clothing. So I use a bit of guesswork. Generally it works out OK.