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?

To be fair in my old zanussi I just left it on a 40 cotton wash on the dial so 90% of the time I just put things in and pressed start.
i think I used silk wash once.

Ask Bosch to send someone out with the correct detergent and the appropriate temperature of hands and put on a wash. They must stay until it is complete. If they are right, you’ll accept the issue is yours. If they are wrong they must replace the machine.

Not a chance they will do that.

I had a fridge freezer that was similarly broken that tye manufacturer were dicks about replacing. After extensive research I learnt that if a product is not fit for purpose you should contact the retailer (not the manufacturer) noting that it is not fit for purpose. I was offered a replacement and when that inevitably also broke I was then entitled to a refund. You should try the same - in the meantime I'd buy a new machine, whilst you fight with them about it. Life is too short.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/return-faulty-goods/#:~:text=You'll%20have%20legal%20rights,t%20match%20the%20seller's%20description

Are you washing underwired bras in the machine?
Have you done a maintenance wash?
Are you overloading the machine?

There are instructions online for many makes .If it is so difficult ,perhaps a new one? My BIL is an engineer .He says that you should buy the most basic model you can.Less to go wrong and most people only use 1 or 2 cycles anyway

If you reported it to them within the warranty period then they have to repair or replace it. They can't just delay sending an engineer out until after the warranty period expires and then claim nothing can be done because the warranty period has expired.

However, the fact that this has been going on for years and you have been washing clothes in the sink (wtf!) suggests that you have been doing anything to avoid confronting the problem. Even in situations where you are clearly in the right and they are clearly in the wrong, if you delay dealing with it you can find yourself without a leg to stand on anyway. I get it, I've been there. (I have ADHD, do you?)

You have two options. Either keep fighting or cut your losses and buy a new machine.

If you want to keep fighting it then I suggest you get ChatGPT to write your letters. Just input all the relevant information including all the dates of your previous correspondence and get it to spit out an angry letter. It takes a lot of the brainwork out of having to correspond with these people.

But stop washing your clothes in the sink FFS.

I've got a Bosch washing machine and it's great. My previous WM was also a Bosch. No issues.

However, I once used tabs/pods, the ones that look like giant boiled sweets, and on two occasions the tab got thrown into the door seal as soon as the machine started. I realised it was because I was putting it on top of the clothes and not far enough back into the drum. We usually use laundry sheets so I wasn't used to tabs.

The start "button" is a digital touch thingy on ours. You need to press it lower down than you think you have to. Yours might be the same? Try varying the place you press it.

But yes, but a new machine!

Awful what this machine has put you through @Laundryhelp45678! Sounds like you’ve tried everything. Time for the humans in your home to seize back control 😆

Of course you can do your own laundry! You did it fine before, with your previous machine/s. And you’ve been doing it by hand!

As PPs have said, Bosch certainly aren’t the cheapest machines and are supposed to have a good rep. But, if neither of you can use it easily and effectively, despite all the efforts you’ve gone to, and Bosch customer service has been unable to help you properly, I suggest you get a new machine.

If it’s out of warranty, you could try a part-exchange deal? You wouldn’t be able to sell it secondhand without an electrical check.

I’d never buy anything digital, with touch buttons or any gimmicks, for a domestic appliance. Manufactuers only do that to justify charging more. A functional and long lasting washing machine shouldn’t cost that much. Manual buttons are far less likely to go wrong and easier to fix. Look for tried-and-tested models that’ve been around a while and have good reviews. You should be able to tick the boxes of functionality and design to fit your kitchen.

I trust the buyers and section staff at John Lewis. If you go into a store, I’ve found they really know the products and listen to your needs/budget, then talk you through the options. You can then research more online, look at reviews etc, before you purchase. They used to price-match if you find the same product cheaper elsewhere, though not sure if they still do so. I’ve also found their customer service/in warranty repairs very good.

I recommend environment-friendly liquid, as it doesn’t leave soap behind. Plus, regular empty cycles with white vinegar and soda: https://purdyandfigg.com/pages/how-to-clean-washing-machine-with-vinegar-and-baking-soda.

Happy laundering for the future! 🧺

Then you know what the problem is and you can solve it. Stop using tabs and use liquid or powder in the drawer. I’ve had a Bosch washer/dryer for several years and never had any problem with it. If you’re washing clothes in the sink and leaving a perfectly good washing machine standing empty then that’s on you. Look for the model number and then go online - you’ll be able to find the operating manual from several different sites. Read it, and if you still can’t manage it, then just get another machine - something simpler to operate.

Have you read the instructions? Most machines have washing programmes and you don't just press a start button and hope. If it's a digital starting system you are probably running through options and choosing the wrong one every time. Instructions can be found online. Bosch are a good make, so it really sounds like user error. Since you've had the machine some years it would be ok to have a new one if you really don't get on with this one (though built-in obscelescence is a driver of pollution).

Two options - buy an insurance policy that comes with repairs and/or free replacement if they can't fix it. We did this with a faulty fridge. DH was willing to just chuck it out and spend nearly £1,000 on a replacement, but we bought a £9.99 a month policy and they came and fixed it and re-gassed it to make it last longer.

Or, just concede defeat and buy a new one. It sounds like you've got a duff machine, or it's been damaged through misuse.

I have a John Lewis branded washing machine which are made by Electrolux (AEG and Zanussi). You can get an 8kg, 1400spin A rated machine for £399. £30 for installation and take the old one for free.

Plus, because it's JL, you get 3 year's warranty included.

https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-jlwm5845-freestanding-washing-machine-8kg-load-1400rpm-spin-white/p112606117

Dont even waste your words on this... im sure op knows. 🤦‍♀️

Insurance won't come and fix an appliance that was broken before buying the policy. It's a total fluke that they fixed your fridge.

Would you ever say these exact words if a school mum / colleague / friend of a friend asked you the same thing as the OP? So unnecessarily unkind. Easy to do anonymously behind a screen - but why?!

Honestly, your behaviour makes absolutely no sense - instead of just buying a new machine, you’ve been washing everything in the sink? For years?

Do you not see how utterly ridiculous that is?

I’m not the poster you’re responding to but honestly, yes, I would. It’s absolutely ridiculous behaviour.

Wow

Wowza

First of all, just a heads up, all Bosch appliances are shit. I should know, I've bought enough of them over the years and lived to regret it. But when I am standing in the showroom they always seem like the best one, so I decide I must have just been unlucky in the past, that that model was an anomaly and I give them the benefit of the doubt. Within six months I am swearing and kicking the thing and shouting at myself for never learning my lesson.

In your case it really sounds like the machine is faulty and Bosch should have dealt with this properly a long time ago.

You'd literally say 'grow up!' to a colleague if they expressed they needed some help to do their washing?

For the sake of your sanity (and your clothes) I think you should admit defeat and just buy a new machine, a fairly basic model with push buttons. I hate overly sophisticated and complicated machines. I'm very much in the Kiss camp - Keep It Simple Stupid.

I would probably say similar too. Grown adults with jobs don't usually need years of help to do their washing. It's the kind of story I'd struggle to respond politely to.
Sort of thing I'd expect from my MIL who has spent most of her life without electricity and running water and wouldn't know where to begin.

Honestly, yes.