To use a 1h 39m cycle for all my washes?

[RtHonNicolaMurray]

I read a Reddit thread last night on this topic and the vast majority of commenters were using a 30 - 45 minute cycle for all their clothes. Some people even using a 14 minute cycle which I find really surprising - I can’t imagine my clothes would be clean after such a short wash!

I use a standard 1:39 cycle (Miele’s “Minimum Iron”) @ 30 or 40 degrees, or a 2:30 cottons cycle @ 60 for bed linens. Am I absolutely overdoing it?!
For context we’re a household of two adults, one (very small, non-shedding) dog and two short-haired cats. Fiancé works outdoors and does lots of DIY and we both exercise a lot, so lots of sweaty gym clothes to wash. I am by no stretch of the imagination a clean freak, so very surprised that I’m the outlier.

YABU - 30 minutes is plenty to get your clothes clean
YANBU - Hour and a half is pretty standard

It heats the water up faster and agitates more. Longer cycles heat the water more slowly and do more soaking than agitating.

I am currently washing our clothes for 30 minutes at 30 degrees. This is fine for our needs.

I do towels at 60 degrees for over 2 hours.

The 30 minute wash isn’t cleaning their clothes, it’s designed for refreshing one or two lightly soiled items quickly.

A washing machine won’t be getting up to a temperature that is hot enough to wash their clothes effectively and it definitely won’t be rinsing out the detergent of a full load on a 30 minute wash.

Bedding towels etc… need to be washed at 60 to kill dust mites, anything less and the dust mites survive

My daily wash cycle is 1 hour 15 mins and I use this for most things. The only shorter cycle is 15 mins which I never use.
Does everyone really wash towels and bed linen at 60? I wash mine at 40.

I also have a Miele and I use the express wash most of the time. I change it from 20 to 30 mins and it does 40 degree wash. If I need to a longer wash (maybe whites) then I use the auto programme which is 1. 39.

I only use the l really long washes for 5h4 dogs bedding and the maintenance clean.

I do think the standard of the machine has a lot to do with it. After my last Miele gave up the ghost (after 24 years) I bought a Samsung eco bubble. I hated that machine so much, that I sold it and bought another entry level Miele again. The short wash on the Samsung did not get clothes clean like the Miele express wash.

Most of mine is done on a 38 minute cycle at 40 degrees as it’s the cheapest and the clothes are perfectly clean. OH’s work clothes are done on a 60 minute 60 degree wash.

Modern washing powder is designed to work at low temperatures . So you can wash at 30 degrees and save 40 percent of the electricity and it will be clean. I have tested this on urine soaked bedding and it has all come out clean and fresh. Read up on the cool was challenge by aruel.
As others have said the shorter washes are less cost effective .
As the cost of electricity is going through the roof I am a firm convert to cool washes and it is better for the environment as well.

I only use the short cycles if something is slightly stained or needs a quick freshen up. My short cycles vary from 15/30/45 or 59min. I usually use my mixed load for everything and thats 1h55m at either 30/40, 60 degrees for towels and bedding. My eco wash is 20 degrees for 1hour 30min. My washing machine also weighs the washing in the drum and adjusts the wash time.

For most I do a 44min wash at 40. But do do a 1 hour 40 min wash if it’s really dirty, underwear, towels

@safariboot

YANBU.

In many cases shorter washes use more electricity. And personally I don't trust them to properly rinse out the detergent.

omg really? I thought I was being good by using the shorter cycle.

I could lower the temp, have by and large ditched the 60 washes. I use eco wash too so dare I say it might not be so advanced as some of the 'nastier' liquids. hence higher temperature...

feels like a can't win.

I don't have a washing machine. Do I win five pounds?

As a PP have pointed out, the short washes are designed for less weight so won’t clean a full load properly.

My standard wash is 1.5 hours. A mixed load is 1hr but I hardly ever use it as doesn’t seem long enough.

Only use the 15 minute quick wash to freshen up my shopping bags.

Our eco setting takes longer and I understand it is more.energy efficient as it is soaking the clothes at low temperature rather than using lots of hot water to get them clean quicker.

40 degree quick wash for everything except bedding and towels. I did try the 30 degree wash, but I have a messy, craft loving ten year old and it didn't cut the mustard.

I have a Miele and use the Quick Wash or whatever it's called, and it takes an hour which I think is more than enough.

Especially for workout clothes, which I wash the minute I finish working out, I don't think it needs any longer as the sweat hasn't had a chance to get ingrained.

I use a mixture of washes.
Short, cold washes for swimming kit to rinse and freshem and pre-wash very dirty items that either go in for a longer cycle with other items, or cleaning rapidly.
30⁰C-40⁰C 51min wash for standard clean (depends on if it's mixing different peoples' clothes)
40⁰C-60⁰C longer washes for towels and bedding depending on their use.

I'll kick-start with shorter washes and then do the longer ones while the dryer is busy as it takes longer. In better weather I can partially dry the clothes then air until fully dry.

My washing machine seems to have no cycle shorter than 2 hours 40, which seems bonkers! When I get home this evening I’m going to get out the manual and search for a shorter cycle (woo- I really know how to enjoy a Monday evening..)

Our new Miele takes a million years for the standard 40 deg programme - 2 hours 39 if the 9kg drum is full! But it is high capacity. I don’t think longer cycles necessarily use more energy. And I think newer machines seem to have longer and longer standard cycles.

I see a lot of people on threads and IRL complaining about eco wash cycles on dishwashers and washing machines being excessive eg 4+ hours.

I was also sceptical about having the machine that long. But they really do work. They use less electricity and water than shorter cycles.

I also find them to be effective and quieter.

And using 30 degree washes rather than 40 or more saves a significant amount of electricity

I do a 30 min 30degree wash for things like pjs and maybe a T-shirt that’s not heavily spiked etc. DPs clothes go on a 60 min 60 degree wash as it’s mainly gym and work clothes. Not dirty just sweaty and they always come out clean and smelling fresh. I will wash towel on our 1:30 cycle when needed but usually they go in the hour cycle too.

I use various settings but the most useful setting on my machine is the delay start timer. I would never buy a machine without that!

I use a thirty minute 30 degree quick wash for clothes that have been worn a couple of times, a 45 minute 30 degree was for underwear, towels and bedding. Things that are new or I think might shrink I wash on a 20 minute cold wash. Nothing gets filthy. I can’t imagine what would need a 90 minute or 2 hour wash.

Yanbu. I use the 40 degree cycle that takes about 1hr 40. If I use the half an hour cycle ots for new clothes or something that I need washed ASAP.

Only use the 15 minute quick wash to freshen up my shopping bags

I imagine they are dirtier & have more germs than your clothes though tbh. Sitting at the end of the checkout being filled & hung on trolley/in the trolley. There was a study that found a shopping trolley has more germs than a toilet door handle!