To hate the eco wash on washing machines?

[listsandbudgets]

I don't mind them OVER NIGHT... but today it's sunny, I'm at home and I've got a pile of washing that looks close to hitting the ceiling so decided to get a few loads done... out on the line and back in the cupboard

I've accidentally put on the ecowash - at 11am and the damned thing is still going and going. It's a nearly 4 hour cycle so not going to finish for at least another hour.

I understand it's cheaper but not all of us have enough time to wait 4 flipping hours just to get a load done... Watching all the lovely sunshine while my washing keeps spinning about in the wet..

Grumble grumble!!

Yes also whenever I use the eco-wash the clothes come out smelling not all that fresh (It’s a new machine). I don’t use it now.

I'm with you on this, my washing also smells stale after an eco wash, as if it has been sitting in dirty water. Over 4hrs here too. I am sceptical of company's green credentials regarding this, yes your washer may have a zillion A energy ratings, but only if you use a certain wash, which invariably is rubbish or inconvenient.
I've also gone back to washing at 40 and 60, because at 30 washing starts to smell damp really quickly whilst on an airer.

That said, I use the eco setting on my dishwasher every night, yes it's long, but it does a good job.

Other wash cycles are available - you could just use one of those.

YANBU - It's shit. It takes ages and doesn't actually wash the clothes properly. I'd rather just shove them all in my old bath water, given them a swizz around and rinse - probably much more eco-friendly and cleaner than my washing machine eco setting.

Oh yes. Same here. DH uses it and cant understand why I don’t.

Did you miss the bit where OP said "accidentally"?

It may be cheaper for electricity or water, but it can leave you time poor and to many (like you) that's valuable too.
I don't use my ecowash, I put everything on the quick 30-minute wash and have it out drying and done.

I've done this so many times OP. Mine has a dial and the normal wash and cotton wash are one notch away from each other. If I had a pound for every time I've accidentally started the wrong cycle...

The (almost 4h) ecowash is my standard programme. I use white, wool/hand-wash and sport as well. My machine has about 1000 programmes, including steam. No idea what the rest are for.
Everything in our house that has one goes on the eco option.

Yanbu. Mine is pointless. 3 and half stupid hours to do an eco wash.

I need clothes washed and on the washing line. Not wasting half the day in the machine. I probably use it a tiny number of times a year during a heatwave. The cycle creases clothes too so it's no good for out of the house clothes.

I've done the same as the eco setting is one notch away and my eyesight isn't the best!
Clothes came out smelling musty too

Nope I use the quick wash every time. For the white bedding I sometimes wash twice. First wash with vanish type bleach at 30c then washing powder for the second wash.

I'm not hanging around for hours

I do just about everything on ‘mixed load’ at 30 or 40 deg. which takes about 1 hr 20. It all comes out fine.

I don’t know who designs the wash cycles on some washing machines. My old Bosch was brilliant as there was a wide variety.

Hotpoint on the other hand- bar super quick 30° that washes off nothing there’s another quick one that lasts 45 minutes most of which is taken by rinse and washing in cold water bar last 5 minutes where the temperature apparently rises to 40° 🙄

Next “quickest” wash cycle-over 2hrs 🤦‍♀️

Totally agree and for some weird reason my eco cycle makes black leggings look like they have little white bits all over them. This doesn’t happen on the other cycles and there are no tissues in there or anything! Weird.

I'm not sure what washing machine you've got but could you not have turned it to drain and spin then started again? It wastes a bit of detergent and fabric conditioner maybe, but at least your washing will be on the line a lot quicker. I never use the eco wash, it doesn't wash properly and doesn't smell as fresh either.

Same here, mixed colours 40° 1hr 25. Perfect 😁

Eco wash programme on my machine is good

I set the timer the night before, so it's all washed by 10am

It will do, it just might use twice as much energy and water as the eco wash, which works on soaking, not agitating. But you have to check your machine to be sure, as they're all different.

Eco washes work fine if you put them on overnight or in the evening the previous day so they're ready to hang out early in the morning.

The eco wash is shit. It doesn't rinse clothes properly, so we have to rinse them again anyway, which isn't very eco.

My issue with eco wash is it doesn’t really tell you what the eco credentials are. Less power? Less water? What?

I stopped using eco wash cos clothes were coming out stained. For ages we thought it was the actual washing machine and tried various cleaning techniques. Still stained. Eventually tried it again on a normal wash cycle (1hr20) and haven't had stains since!

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER I use a similar cycle to you normally. Over night I don't mind the ecowash ready to hang up in the morning but on a day like today I want to put the wash on, go and do the shopping and come back to hang it up ready for next one. If that costs a bit more so be it - at least I won't be using the tumble drier or making the house damp.

Mine is also a dial and wash I usually use is programme 8 and ecowash is 9 so they're right next to each other

@chattyness You're a blooming genius... seems so obvious now you say it but it never crossed my mind... going to try that to see if it works next time.

So much lovely wind and sunshine out there

That's very long - I usually do a mixed load cycle on my machine at 40c, or can adjust temp down to 30c, 20c or cold. A standard wash is 1hr 10 minutes, the rapid one (less eco) is 45 minutes, the eco setting is about 1hr 25 minutes.

I wouldn't be waiting 4 hours something either.