To be 38 and unable to do my own washing

[Laundryhelp45678]

I don’t know if I’m being stupid but I’ve had a Bosch washing machine for a few years now and I literally can’t turn my washing machine on and I certainly can’t wash things well in it, so I’m washing clothes (really badly) in the sink! Laundry is a basic life skill and at my age this is really embarrassing!

I mean it turns on for me eventually but I’m literally there pressing the weird button thing for ages until eventually it works (I average about 7 attempts). I could be stood by the machine feeling like an idiot for ages!

Once I can get the machine to turn on, all my stuff comes out soapy and my towels come out hard as a rock. I mean I don’t need to buy sandpaper because the towels will do that job perfectly well!

My towels come out with holes and rips as well and this happened from the very moment we bought this new machine!

I’ve tried changing detergent and softener and using less but it hasn’t helped.

I can’t do laundry like a normal person, I dread using the machine and not being able to turn it on and worry about it ruining my clothes so I’ve literally been washing my clothes in the sink for the last couple of years (I still wash towels in it thought because I just can’t be bothered to wash them in the sink).

It never used to be like this, I had a Zanussi washing machine and it worked fine, you could load clothes in, press start and they would come out without holes, clean and not full of soap, which was great because we all have far bigger things to worry about than washing right?

I reported these problems to Bosch including showing pictures of the rips in towels in the first year of having the machine, an engineer came out to look, they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. For the last 2 years Bosch have just fobbed us off saying it’s user error (which may very well be the case LOL) and delayed doing anything about the issue despite numerous chases from ourselves. They eventually sent another engineer who said the drum was faulty and causing the holes in towels (didn’t explain why I was having the other issues with it though). But they had fobbed us off and delayed things for so long that the diagnosis from this second engineer was made after the machine went out of warranty (clever tactic from them I guess) so they are no longer obliged to do anything to help us. But even if I get the drum fixed, it’s not going to help if I can’t get the soap out of my clothes and turn the machine on first time.

Is the Bosch brand just more entry level and cheaper quality or something? Is that why the customer service is so bad? Or am I just useless at laundry? Do I just cut my losses and buy a more upmarket brand like AEG or Zanussi?

Unsure on my model number but I know the sensor panel you speak of as my Bosch has one. I found the eco setting did wash the guts out of stuff a bit much so just chuck most stuff in on a 59 minute wash instead of over 3 hours and it’s totally fine.

To add I use 50% of the recommended detergent amount and once a month I do a very hot wash of 60 degrees with towels or stuff that will be fine to give it a good clean out.

You have been leaving it, as you now wash clothes in the sink.

My tuppence worth…

• read the instructions again, including the troubleshooting section
• Identify the 2 simplest programmes - one for 40 and another for 30 degrees - and use only those

if this doesn’t work, get the SIMPLEST most basic Zanussi machine.

• You don’t want a machine with 2 dozen programmes or lots of different buttons
• and definitely no ‘sensors’ of any kind.

Keep it simple!

ETA: do an empty run with your existing machine first to clean out any soap residue…

Get a new washing machine and read the instructions it’s really not that hard on any machine

Same. I started out with a much more expensive machine and over the years realised the cheaper the better. Fewer things to go wrong!

Op get a cheap entry level machine without sensors, just basic controls and features.

If it helps, I have written down instructions for the microwave but end up using the quick touch 30 second button, even when I need10 mins in there pressing the 30 second button twenty times rather than try and actually "program" it.

I can't understand how it's putting holes in towels.

Presumably because the drum is faulty?

A well known car dealer sold us a car that was faulty. I spent hours on the phone trying to get them to awknowledge the problem and get it fixed (it was still in warranty). Eventually I spoke to Which Legal and they sent me a legal form to fill in. Within 10 mins of emailing them that they were on the phone talking to me (first time anyone had called me back). Within 2 weeks the car had been collected and money returned. If you have proof that you gave them a chance to fix it within the warranty period and they did not you can do the same I'm sure.

Not sure about how to stop towels getting ripped but regarding the sensor buttons maybe, (if you don’t already), it would help if you give them a wipe over with a micro fibre cloth regularly- I imagine if you have soap/grease/whatever residue on your fingers it would build up on the sensor buttons over time making it more difficult to use them x

When do you put the tabs in op? I only recently learned that you’re meant to put them in the drum first, before you put the laundry in - perhaps if you don’t do that, its worth a try, as before I did that they used to get stuck near the door/seal of my machine too. That made it better but in the end I swapped to gel that you put in the lid in the machine, which has worked out a lot better. I hate my (not Bosch!) machine too, so I can understand your frustrations!

I’m sure Op knows it’s basic stuff which is why she’s on here basically saying she’s concerned that she can’t do it. Lots of people struggle with lots of day to day things. I hope you wouldn’t have that attitude toward someone with learning difficulties.

I don't buy that.

Holes would appear in all the clothes. Towels are quite robust compared to shirts, pants, tops etc.

And if the drum had sharp edges a quick run round with your fingers would find them.

Towels would not get rips in them from the machine due to learning difficulties on the part of the user, because washing machines don't have a "shredder" setting that can be picked by mistake.

They did half explain the button but no one has told me if it’s temperature, touch, motion so if I knew what it was trying to detect that would help but no one knows!

The button pressing - one firm press, then wait, they do take a bit of time to respond, much longer than any other device i find.
No idea about the ripped material though, thats never happened here.
Everything has got very complicated though, we had a new kitchen a couple of years ago, oven, fridge, washing machine, dish washer all wanted connecting to the internet/an App. Just can’t see the need, and fortunately they seem to work grand without being online! They should wait till us old people have all died before introducing new stuff…

Leave an accurate and well written review on trust pilot about the service you've had and ongoing problems.

Mention model number.
All interactions and outcomes.

Yes with the old machine I could put them in wherever but when I got this machine I realised it was a put tabs in first machine. But this doesn’t help, somehow they get pushed to the front, wedged into the badly designed door and get stuck there until the end of the wash which is why I think the towels come out soapy and then they’re hard when they dry.

I was told that the seal along the drum was opening up mid wash and catching on fibres on the towels which were then creating holes

Don’t use tabs then ….🤷‍♀️

Our Miele has touch buttons. You just tap them or hold for about second to choose various options for each program. BUT once you've done that you also have to press START (another tap button) to activate the machine.

Are you missing out a step?

I know there’s so much stuff they add in that is just not needed and doesn’t help the end user in anyway.

Il try being more patient with the button.

As others have said on here maybe I should go for something as basic as possible next time.

At this stage I'm a firm believer in the basic models from now on. Having had Bosch and others with bells, whistles, timers, lights, digi displays, apps and a million programs, few of which I actually used, I went for a basic Indesit model last year.

A dial for the program and a dial for spin speed, it has a delay button too. But that's more or less it. It is a beauty and so easy to operate without having to check the manual! I use the 40d wash (no. 4) for everything. Takes 55 minutes, 1,400 speed spin and job done. I can re spin if I want (handy in Winter).

I don't know how long we will be able to get the basic models, but they are great, and fewer things to go wrong aswell.

I got a Bosch in January and have no issues. Just read the instructions.

Why wouldn't you try a liquid or powder instead? Why just tolerate soapy towels for two years without trying a basic detergent swicth?

I think you have the same model as me and I also use the number 4 wash for everything.

This is clearly bollocks