AIBU to ask neighbours not to use washing machine late at night?

[ILoveMyMonkey]

So new neighbours moved in a few weeks ago and have started putting on a late wash that spins at about 10:30 at night. The problem is that the walls between our houses are ridiculously thin and the spin cycle sounds like a chinook helicopter is inside our house. Last night it woke my son up, it really is horrendously loud.

We didn’t get on well with the previous neighbours and 2 separate attempts at asking them to keep the noise down (they really were noisy and had no consideration at all) was met with utter contempt and made them worse so DH thinks we shouldn’t say anything to these new neighbours as he feels it won’t actually achieve anything, whereas I feel it might be worth a try.

So...
AIBU - don’t say anything they won’t give a crap and can do washing regardless of how it affects you.

YANBU - say something they might not realise how shit the walls are and most people are considerate of how their behaviour affects others.

God people are so inconsiderate

@Rukaya gosh there’s no holding back your acid tongue is there ha ha . Are you a noisy neighbour . I still think people should be considerate of others - I don’t think we’ll ever agree on that one though.

Mmmmm I try to be considerate and am more considerate than my own neighbours. But you can beep a car horn until 11pm. I think a 10.30pm spin on a machine is acceptable and one of those things you will have to deal with. It's not midnight...still quite early really. Otherwise, they will have to race to get their machine on after work etc and no one lives like that to avoid a washing machine noise well before 11pm! I know it must be annoying though.

I wasn’t going to demand anything. I just think that when you live in close quarters with people it’s common courtesy to think about how you might affect their lives and peace.

But where do you draw the line? She's not drilling holes into the wall or having a rave at 2am - she's washing clothes. That's a perfectly normal thing to still be doing at 10pm.

If a neighbour came round and asked me not to do laundry at 8-9pm at night, I'd think they were quite mad!

I'd get round there and tell them you had problems with the previous noisy neighbours and you're not going to take any crap from them either. You've sort it once and you'll do it again. Dont let these people walk all over you OP

@Rukaya gosh there’s no holding back your acid tongue is there ha ha grin. Are you a noisy neighbour

I have no idea what you imagine is acidic in my measured response.

I can't stand noisy neighbours, which is why I live in detached.

I think you're not being U to not want to have to hear a washer at 10.30, no...but you would be U to ask them/tell them about it because it's "only" 10.30. if it were midnight, or 5am, fair enough, but it's not.

And you obviously can't go and suggest that because she's a SAHP she should find some other time to do it.

@VeganVeal

I'd get round there and tell them you had problems with the previous noisy neighbours and you're not going to take any crap from them either. You've sort it once and you'll do it again. Dont let these people walk all over you OP

Don't be so silly. They are using a washer that spins at 10.30 not holding 300 people acid house raves at 2am among the rhododendrons.

@Cactus1982

Why is that so Mumsnetters are so intolerant normal neighbourly noise? There was a thread the other day from someone who was whinging about the noise her neighbour made when she put her children to bed. I mean who even complains about stuff like that?

So no, I wouldn’t say anything. 10.30pm isn’t even that late and might be the only time they are able to do a wash. It’s part and parcel of living close to other people that you have to put up with stuff like this. The fact you had problems with other neighbours suggests that maybe you are little oversensitive and need to develop a bit of resilience.

I sometimes wonder you’d all cope if you lived next to really noise people. As in loud thumping music at all hours of the night etc..

This.

It's a washing machine, not a disco. Going round and morning about something as trivial as that is probably just going to make them dislike you.

@VeganVeal 😂🤣😂 that really made me chuckle thanks.

@Geamhradh - I’m fairly certain veganveal was being sarcastic.

I'm with you OP. I think so many people assume by you speaking to the neighbour it'll end up being an aggressive show down - generally not the case when you're just having a nice chat with a new neighbour! I've lived somewhere like yours before and it was horrific. You sound reasonable so if you did ever decide to raise it with the neighbours, I'm sure it would come across well.

@ginghamstarfish

Sorry but I can't get over a 2.5-3 hour wash! Surely no need for that length of time, don't modern machines all do a proper wash in an hour or so?

I'm gobsmacked too, @ginghamstarfish.

My machine has an 18 minute "quick wash" setting and I rarely need to use any other programme. If I reduce the temperature to 30 degrees, it only takes 15 mins.

@MaMaD1990 thank you so much for your kind comment. I was starting to feel like the wicked witch of the west for a bit - even though all I did was ask for opinions, I haven’t actually done anything .

[quote ILoveMyMonkey]@VeganVeal 😂🤣😂 that really made me chuckle thanks.

@Geamhradh - I’m fairly certain veganveal was being sarcastic.[/quote]

10:30 is not that late, most adults are not asleep at this time. Kids bedtime shouldn’t really be taken into account otherwise we would all have to live in silence from 7pm.

So, someone gets home from work around 7pm, does a couple of things until 8 then puts the washing machine on, which brings it to 10:30-11. So maybe 11pm as a cutoff for the spin would be more realistic?

I think when you start moaning about someone’s washing machine being on at a certain time because it’s too disruptive to your own life it’s probably time to move.
Nobody is forcing you to live where you do? If you can’t handle general living noise from other people you’re not suited to where you are living

Living so close to each other is so typical of the UK that I wonder why houses are not built with sound proofing... Anyhow, we had a noisy neighbour and it was frustrating. We just put up with it though and learned to live with it. Also meant when we were noisy we didn't feel so bad about it haha!

We've now moved to a detached house so noise no longer an issue but realise that's not an easy option for most.

If the noise is so unbearable then a friendly word would be the best thing. Last thing you want to do is piss them off and it becomes hostile. I'd much prefer noise and smiles out of the two 😁

The real issue here is the quality of the building.

Op I have had really really noisy neighbours before (I once had to ask them to turn down their music as Dd and I couldn't hear each other speak in the same room!!) and I know the anxiety that I felt just waiting for the next round of noise. But a washing machine comes under every day living.

Good luck.

@Fieldsofstars
I agree with you but moving takes time and finances. People in mn seem to act as though it can happen overnight.

I’m feeling as though the level of noise created by the spin isn’t coming across clearly- the actual wash was fine, can barely hear it, all god with that but the spin was extremely loud as though a jackhammer was being used in our house. It wasn’t a nice soft gentle spin it was one of those that moves the machine across the entire room.

Decent people know that washing machines are loud so don't use them that late at night

I don't think 10.30pm is late at night, though? It wouldn't cross my mind to have the spin cycle 10-10.30pm. 11.30pm-midnight, yes absolutely. I'm pretty sure that's why the noise stuff cuts off at 11pm.

My neighbours have beside and below have absolutely washed clothes pre-midnight. It's really not THAT loud, and I have one of those modern paper thin wall flats too. I can hear the people downstairs unplugging an appliance and their TV if I don't have music or my TV on.

I'm really not sure why so many people are bothered by every day noise. And I'm even more confused about why these people buy flats / terraced / semi detached homes!

Of course it takes time and finances. It’s got to be better than complaining about someone else’s washing machine and trying to ask if it’s acceptable to dictate to someone when they do their washing though.
It doesn’t matter how loud their machine is spinning, perhaps they’ll sort that issue soon anyway.

10:30 isn’t late for a washing machine to be on. Maybe they’re healthcare workers trying to wash scrubs every evening after work or they have a refluxy baby/potty training toddler?

My neighbour who moved in above me changed the layout of her flat so her living room was now above my kitchen,hence my washing machine (in the remotest corner of my kitchen beside an outside wall and against my internal wall) now became a problem. She asked me not to put it on late at night, I agreed. No drama. No need for any. I assume she didn’t post about it on MN at the time, I certainly didn’t see it. Just a little bit of neighbourly interaction.
Maybe your previous neighbour has put you off OP, but I’d say, go for the chat!

@marchez

Nobody uses their timer on their machines?

I'm WFH now, but when in the office I would set mine to start at 230pm, and when I get home it would have 10 mins left so I could empty it .

Surprised people don't switch it on until they get home.

Does it really surprise you that not everyone has machines with timers on them?