AIBU to want a quiet washing machine that doesn't take days to finish a wash?

[1WayOrAnother2]

My (loud and annoying) washer is on its way out. After a tough life fighting sin and stains from animals, children, sportsmen and soldiers, it now struggles to get dirt or soap out of anything.

I'm searching for a quiet washer that will do a normal wash and get things clean in a reasonably short time.

Is this not the definition of the hot-potato of the washing-machine world? I thought there would be queues of me looking for this very item but research so far suggests that I am alone and unreasonable.

-I can look for price (surprisingly varied)
-I can look for colour
-I can search for sound ratings (72dec is good apparently) but not on all machines.
-There does not seem to be any kind of fair rating on how long a wash takes though. (Some sneakily offer an amazing 15 min wash ... but for a dolls-house-load and they avoid mentioning that it takes 5 hours for a normal one.)

Am I unreasonable to seek such a wondermachine and, more importantly, has anyone found one?

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MNHQ

I've got a fairly old AEG which has variable everything on many programmes and a 20 min quick wash (1/2 load). A standard 40 degree full load takes as little as 1.05 and 45 mins at 50 degrees. I love it and am dreading the day it needs replacing as I've seen a lot of threads complaining about long washing times, supposedly eco. I don't want my clothes sitting in water for hours on end, that can't be good for the life of clothes, can it?
Thanks for this thread which has given me hope that there are still "normal " machines out there. It sounds like a Miele might be my next machine, just hope it's not soon.

We've recently bought a 10kg load machine because we do a lot of laundry.

Can it actually manage to do 10kg without the belt stinking of burning rubber? Oh no, of course not. I'm still having to split it into 8kg loads otherwise it can't bloody cope.

And, a 60 degrees wash takes up most of the day.

Our 9kg Bosch has a 30 min quick cycle and you can actually press the "fast" button on that one so it only takes 15 min - but it is only recommended for very small loads of very lightly soiled items, I wouldn't use it to wash a proper load (I used it the other day to rewash a shirt that had got a sleeve inside out and this all bunched up in a shorts wash, had never had that happen before and wanted to make sure it was clean).

A cottons 60 load takes 2.5hrs (you can press the "fast" button but then the load has to be smaller) and synthetics 40 is 2hrs (for things like children's clothes, leggings and so on, on "fast" that cycle can still take the same amount).

Basically I think you still need a decent length wash cycle to get most things properly clean (bedding, towels, underwear, tops etc.). Cheeky Wipes specifically state not to use fast cycles with their wipes because they don't clean well enough, obviously not everything is that dirty but it's definitely a trade off.

@fussychica

I've got a fairly old AEG which has variable everything on many programmes and a 20 min quick wash (1/2 load). A standard 40 degree full load takes as little as 1.05 and 45 mins at 50 degrees. I love it and am dreading the day it needs replacing as I've seen a lot of threads complaining about long washing times, supposedly eco. I don't want my clothes sitting in water for hours on end, that can't be good for the life of clothes, can it? Thanks for this thread which has given me hope that there are still "normal " machines out there. It sounds like a Miele might be my next machine, just hope it's not soon.

Yes, what happened to the 50 temperature. Haven't seen it for years'

Yes the LG one is excellent as it doesn't have massively long cycles, and my go to cotton cycle is no longer than my previous washer's one

All of them are liars. And get worse with age.
55min my arse. It was 76 last time! I know because I timed it because it made me paranoid and I needed the confirmation it's not me😂

I have 10kg/6kg hoover washer dryer, it's loud though, but has programmes from 15 min to 4 hours or so and temp from 15 to 90.

My 10 year old washing machine recently broke and I had to replace it. I was utterly shocked at the length of washing cycle these days. My old machine took 1hr 15 mins for a 40 degree cotton cycle and the equivalent on most other machines was 3.5 hours!!

I looked into it and it's an environmental thing.

I went for a Bosch (same make as my old one) that has something called "speed perfect" which reduces the 3.5 hours 40 degree cotton wash to 1.5 hours. Also has a 15 min short cycle (if used with speed perfect). It's fine but I still prefer my old one.

It also has a 9kg drum so I can at least get big loads done.

I don't really understand the environmental aspect of having lo g cycles as surely it uses more electricity and it can't be great for your clothes

We have a new Haier and it is so so quiet. Never known anything like it. It was advertised as the quietest machine on the market and I just thought 'yeah yeah bet it isn't that great", but you barely even notice it is on. Even on full spin.

@woodhill

I don't really understand the environmental aspect of having lo g cycles as surely it uses more electricity and it can't be great for your clothes

I never managed to wash commercial cooking stains on the hour one. 60 and 2 hour cycle here. I prefer that to adding extra chemicals. I've never used the 4 hour one for anything though. I am not even sure what would that be used for🙈

Oh the Haier cycles are appropriate to the amount of washing in it. It weighs the washing before telling you the cycle length after you start it.

My Bosch washing machine had got so loud (I think the bearings were going) that it was quite literally ear-splitting to stand in the same room.

I've just bought a Samsung Series 6 too. So far I love it, really quiet, plenty of programmes around the 60 minute mark (and you can flex the time up or down on each program), a hatch for forgotten items and...best of all (I really need to get out more), it has an app that I use to set the machine or tells me the time remaining on the wash.

I can also recommend the LG with direct drive. When using the kitchen I have to check it's on because it's so quiet.

The longer cycles don’t use as much electricity as you’d think and they save a lot of water. But because they use less water they need to agitate for longer. I think I read something about more microplastics being released from synthetic clothes on longer cycles so it’s swings and roundabouts.

I miss a 50C cycle. Useful for the occasional blitz of ds2's stinky and stained clothes when they can't benefit from sunshine. Too many washes on a 60 degree cycle destroys the elastic and fades things.

And my 3.5 year old Siemens is getting loud. Doesn't help that our kitchen floor isn't level. Also doesn't help that it's probably done 4000 loads in its short lifetime.

My Samsung is quiet, has the ads sock facility and has a fast wash. It also spins brilliantly.

I'm very pleased with its washing because it has a huge drum.

It does however play a silly song

Shamelessly placemarking so I can come back to this later.