AIBU to suggest we spend £900 on a washing machine?

[Mummyme1987]

I’m just so fed up with them only lasting a few years. I’m thinking of getting lower end Miele one I saw in a local shop. DH thinks they won’t last any longer. I heard they go on and on. He thinks it’s too much and won’t last as long as two cheap ones. I think it will wash better and last at least twice as long as a cheap one, ours has died after 3 years.. I think we have a family that I’ve never met living in my house too, going by how much washing there is for 3 kids! We can just afford it by doing a lower key Xmas and birthdays this next year. AIBU?

My clothes were still smelling sweaty after washing and I solved by going back to old fashion powder detergent (Surf). I haven’t had it happen once since. I think the tabs are a con!

I get all my white goods from house clearance shops - never pay more than £50 come with three months guarantee and most last about five years
Am I missing something?

Are you over filling the machine, my DH used to always do that?

I have been guilty of that sometimes. But not majorly (it has a warning if you overfill which has gone off once but not other times). And I’ve been more careful not to overfill once I realised things weren’t getting clean enough.

Do you clean the machine from time to time by running a hot wash with bleach and no clothes?

I don’t use bleach. But the instructions say to use a ‘cleaning cycle’ wash with nothing in every month - I do that (not sure how hot it is as it’s a pre-set machine wash program).

Do you leave the door open to dry out after removing a wash load?

Usually... as long as little fingers don’t ‘helpfully’ close it for me.

And I use powder at 40 rather than liquid at 30.
I don’t use vinegar though - will try that.

But I never had these problems with my previous 12 year old washing machine (hoover I think). It got used and abused in a hard water area, never had a cleaning wash yet always cleaned well.

OP if you want the Miele buy the Miele. I wanted to but DH balked at the cost. I regret listening to him!

You can get a Miele WDD025 8kg 1400rpm for £699. I know I’m sad 😂

Over my dead body would another Miele appliance enter my house (almost lost £1k when the machine wasn't delivered and Miele didn't take responsibility, customer service was appalling).

I have bought a top end LG. Can't say anything about longevity yet but I am in love with the 12kg drum.

My Miele will be 20 in January, bought on the strength of my dishwasher and parents dishwasher, which has outlasted them both and is still going strong, think that's 42 years/ My Miele washing machine hasn't had an engineer out . My friend bought a cheap new machine when I bought mine, she's on her 5th machine since and has spent a fortune on washing machines. Says the next one will be Miele and may last till she does.

Nope, I have their washing machine and tumble dryer. My mum and MiL both have Miele that are 10 and 20 + years old.

I'd also want to know what people are doing with washing machines that break after 2/3 years.

We bought our third washing machine in about 25 years just a few months ago.

The first one we left in our old house still working at 11 years old because I wanted a bigger drum and a handwash programme and DP didn't want to go to the effort of shifting a washing machine only for it to break shortly afterwards, not that there was any indication that it would. So we gifted it to the first time buyer we sold our house to, about which he was very grateful. Was a mid price one I can't remember, maybe Bendix.

The second one was starting to show signs of age after 13 years - it was very noisy on the spin and would jump around the utility room, so I assume that the bearings had gone/were on their way out. Was a cheapy Zanussi costing about £250.

So we've just got a new one as I saw an AEG model on quite a good deal and it seems excellent so far, quiet, washing comes out clean, adjusts the programme time if you put a small load in. Cost £380 as Currys had a 10% off all large appliances promotion.

I did look at Miele, but the cheapest one with the features I wanted was £6-700, so would probably have to last 20 years+, which it could well do, but I'm not sure I have that long left on this earth. I also noticed that they were much heavier than the other machines (90-100 kg vs around 60 for all other machines) so I assume that this is an indication of their build quality.

It could be that we're just lucky with appliances. Our first dishwasher lasted 13 years, we've never had things like ovens break and our fridge is now over 20 years old. Two of the freezer drawers are falling apart and I am thinking of getting a new one, but perversely I am curious as to exactly how long it's going to last.

We have no luck with kettles though. We've had loads of those and they all seem to leak after a couple of years or just fail.

Cross posted about Miele appliances outlasting their owners. Maybe I should have bought one and I can bequeath it to one of my niece/nephews in my will .

I think I keep Miele and their engineers in business. We replaced our washing machine 2 years ago (the old one was 20+ years old).

Miele have an outlet centre in Abingdon where they sell showroom models, ones the engineers and sales staff have been 'playing' with, returns and ones with a few dents. They keep an inventory online and grade the defect.

I think you can order any item over the phone (they certainly couriered a vacuum cleaner to me).

Beko...cost 200 8 years and a lot of washing (usually 2 a day) and it never skipped a beat. We only got rid recently as moving to integrated in new kitchen. New beko...cost 240 I think.

If you're competent at using a machine you'll likely be ok with a cheaper one
If not, a more expensive one will tolerate your cackhanded use for longer, but won't last as long as the same one treated well

You don't need a degree to use a washing machine,or you shouldn't. Clothes in,washing powder in,select cycle. What else is there to do?

Samsung ecobubble 9kgs, 5 years parts and labour offer, £429.

So yes, YABU. Ours has lasted 3 years so far with our family of 9, minimum 3 washes per day. All of our hoover, Hotpoint, whirlpools died between 14 & 16 mknths., Including one fairly expensive Ultima Steam machine.

We have a £250 Zanussi that's lasted 8 years so far. It is used every day

But how do you use it 'wrongly?'

What else do you need to know? I've always sorted the washing, put powder in, pressed the button and turned it on. What else do people do?

We've never done anything other than shove it in and switch it on.

I might do a cleany out wash once or twice a year, when it looks a bit grubby in the door seal, but that's it.

What else should I be doing to 'treat my washing machine well'?

I hope you've got some money set aside for a new washing machine

My Meile is pushing 20 years old and copes with my washing routine Sounds like I'd better stick to Meile when this one conks out!

Oh yes,I do a maintenance wash every 8 weeks or so and clean the drawer.

I agree with sign up to Which and use their reports to make decisions. My sub is probably covered for the next 20yrs with the amount I've saved by using them in the last 4yrs. I had to replace washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher in that time and am very happy with the machines I've got. All are "best buys" but no where near the top of the price range.

My first Miele washer lasted 19 years of daily use with two kids. Number two is now 6 years old without any problems. They are built to a very high standard and clean very effectively.

They're are not cheap but they are reliable. Part of the price you're seeing now is likely due to the weak GBP.

I've already said! Read the manual and follow all the recommendations! But what does the manual say that is of such great importance if I don't read it my machine will break? I'm nit being snippy,I'm genuinely asking.

Mixing my darks with whites shouldn't make a machine break,what else is there?

I bought a which best buy bosch washer dryer. Its very good (no space for a dryer).

I dont think you can rely on a better brand lasting longer.