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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why must my neighbour have her washing machine on so early?

243 replies

ohthatbloodycat · 29/08/2021 10:10

Since 9am this morning, it sounds like a Chinook helicopter is landing on my bedroom ceiling. By her own admission, there is no underlay beneath it and the noise is really quite something.
I would sympathise if she was a mum who needed to get the kids' uniforms on to wash, and then hang them outside to dry.
But she lives alone with no garden, and no outside drying area at all. Her washing could be done at ANY time of day.
I've already mentioned this to her and it makes no difference. In all other respects she is a good neighbour, so I don't want to rock the boat.
I am a single mum of 3, who works hard through the week. My kids are at their dad's place for their fortnightly weekend visit, and I'd just have loved a Sunday lie-in. Not even the bloody cat woke me up this morning! Grin
AIBU?

OP posts:
User56439876 · 29/08/2021 14:03

People that do washing early haven't generally got up that early as there is a delay start on most machines, if you wanted to go out at ten, you would have to put it on earlier that nine

icedcoffees · 29/08/2021 14:08

@TerriblyNaice

Mumsnet is hilarious when someone even suggests they don't like being woke up from a morning 'lie-in' 🤣

OP you should have realised that by 9am you should be at the aga, wearing an apron and making brunch for your apple cheeked children.

I think the point is, while OP is allowed to be annoyed that she was woken up, it would be unreasonable for her to tell her neighbour she can't use the washing machine as a result.
Lily78123 · 29/08/2021 14:18

Sorry, but 9am is not early.

Xenia · 29/08/2021 14:21

9am is a lazy lieabed. I get up by 7am every day even weekends! By 9am I am two hours in....

grapewine · 29/08/2021 14:25

Go up and nicely give her time limits 8-7 on weekdays, 9-7 on Saturdays, 10-7 on Sundays would be reasonable

If you did that to me, thinking it was at all reasonable to give another adult time limits for washing clothes, I'd tell you where to go and shut the door in your face.

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 29/08/2021 14:29

I put a wash on at 8 as I need it finished by 9 when my mum starts work. She works from home in teams meetings and it isn't appropriate to have a washing machine going in the background.

DifferentHair · 29/08/2021 14:38

Honestly if it's making you miserable just offer to replace her old machine for a new one with a low sound/vibration mode and spring for some underlay. It's non confrontational and she might realise just how disruptive you are finding it and either accept your offer or change her behaviour.

Buying your neighbour a washing machine sounds loopy but it is a LOT cheaper than moving and less likely to cause drama than complaining about someone doing something perfectly normal at 9am.

lannistunut · 29/08/2021 15:09

@Givemethatknife

In a flat that is antisocial - does she know how loud it is though?

Go up and nicely give her time limits 8-7 on weekdays, 9-7 on Saturdays, 10-7 on Sundays would be reasonable

I know lots of others have commented on this but seriously would you really dare to do that?

You would get Hmm from me if you said something like this. Who made you the washing machine warden?

melj1213 · 29/08/2021 15:33

But she lives alone with no garden, and no outside drying area at all. Her washing could be done at ANY time of day.

Having limited drying space actually restricts washing times for a lot of people - myself included.

I am your neighbour in this situation when DD is at her dad's (50/50 custody with alternate weeks) We live in a first floor flat with no garden/yard to dry laundry outside and no space for a dryer.

I work 12-10pm Tuesday to Saturday so I am out of the house from 11.30am-10.30pm every day and my washing machine only has 3/6/9 hr delay options. So I either have to set the machine literally at the last second before I walk out of the door to work so that the 9hr delay + 2.5hr cycle would finish just around the time I was getting home at 10.30pm (which means it runs late in the evening) or I set it as soon as I get home from work so that the 9hr delay + 2.5hr cycle finishes by 11am so I have time to hang stuff up before I go to work (which would mean it runs early in the morning). The other alternatives would leave wet washing sitting in the machine for hours which I do not want to do on a regular basis (I have done it as a one off when I've set the wrong timer but while the clothes weren't mildewed or ruined they definitely didn't come out as fresh as they usually do)

When I get home from work on Saturday night I throw all of my work clothes from the week into the washing machine on a 9hr timer delay so that it starts up at around 9am Sunday morning and is done by 11.30am. My work shirts are just black polos so they dry pretty quickly but my work trousers, fleece jacket and body warmer etc are thicker/heavier materials so can easily take a full 24hrs to dry properly.

I have a tiny flat where the only space there is room for an airer is the living room. If I put an airer in my kitchen, bathroom or one of our bedrooms you literally would not be able to get into the rooms, whereas the airer in the living room takes up the open space but it's just inconvenient rather than an actual obstacle (eg to watch TV the airer has to be put in front of the dining table but for mealtimes I have to move it in front of the sofa to access the table and then move it back again at the end of the meal so I can get past the sofa to take the plates to the kitchen etc)

I accept the fact that Sunday/Monday I have to have the airer set up in our living room to get my laundry done but Tuesday- Saturday life is too busy to be constantly having to navigate moving the airer backwards and forwards every day.

IceLace100 · 29/08/2021 15:46

@insancerre

Why do people live in flats and complain about noise from their neighbours Flats are cheaper than houses for a reason
Ultimate smug comment.
beboopbadoop · 29/08/2021 16:32

@OhGiveUp thats strange, whereabouts are you? Here in Berlin we are not allowed to and people complain to the house managers - our neighbours got a formal warning! There are also quiet times during weekdays that everyone is supposed to adhere to (although most people only take notice on sundays).

Macncheeseballs · 29/08/2021 16:36

Notbingcanhurtme, so it's not an appropriate noise to hear in the background of a teams meeting? But OK to wake people up?

beboopbadoop · 29/08/2021 16:36

@OhGiveUp -
blog.lingoda.com/en/what-is-ruhezeit-in-germany/

JesusIsAnyNameFree · 29/08/2021 16:53

@Wingingit15

Completely fine in my book. It’s a normal household noise and she’s entitled to do washing. If my kid three up over their bedding at 3am - it is going on then.
Yeah, you can't do that unless you live in a detached house.
Wingingit15 · 29/08/2021 17:26

@JesusIsAnyNameFree I’m not detached but the kitchen doesn’t back into a living space and the washing machine is quiet.
I do wonder how many people commenting on this live in a detached house though and are detached from the reality of life

maddiemookins16mum · 29/08/2021 17:35

When I lived in a flat with no outside space, I used to do little and often washes as otherwise I’d not have enough space to dry everything indoors.

JesusIsAnyNameFree · 29/08/2021 17:39

@Wingingit15

Guilty as charged. I know a couple of people in terraced houses though and it sounds terrible.

OhGiveUp · 29/08/2021 17:59

@Beboopbadoop NRW. We have the quiet time in the afternoon too though.

OhGiveUp · 29/08/2021 18:05

Pressed send too soon...
Each of the states may differ though.

ParistoLondon · 29/08/2021 18:11

9am isn't early at all.

ABCDEF1234 · 29/08/2021 18:57

I'm with your neighbour. If someone told me doing that washing anytime after 6.30 (maybe 7 on a Sunday) was not suitable for them and asked me to do it later in the day I would think they were a lazy neighbour who needed to stop staying in bed so late and pay 0 attention to their request. I wouldn't be giving up my days activities/plans so they could be lazy.
I would be careful complaining as another option for your neighbour is to put it on overnight whilst she sleeps ready to dry as soon as she wakes up

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 29/08/2021 19:08

9am isnt early. I would always want to get the washing on first thing so I can hang it up to dry before heading out and about for the day.

sammylady37 · 29/08/2021 19:23

@Givemethatknife

In a flat that is antisocial - does she know how loud it is though?

Go up and nicely give her time limits 8-7 on weekdays, 9-7 on Saturdays, 10-7 on Sundays would be reasonable

GrinGrinGrin

If you tried that here you’d be met with a resounding “fuck off” and a door slammed in your face

DelphiniumBlue · 29/08/2021 19:24

I think 9 is early for a Sunday.
I be also think the neighbour could put something under the machine to reduce noise transmission, and it would be perfectly reasonable for you to mention it ( in a face to face conversation, not a text/ note)..