Would it be acceptable to ask my upstairs neighbour not to do this?

[feedmefudge]

I live in a Georgian flat. Over the years, I have become accustomed to hearing my upstairs neighbour’s every footstep and that’s fair enough. It’s not like that can be helped and she’s a good neighbour. We get on fine.
However her washing machine is directly above my bedroom and the noise from the thing is unbelievable, as there’s no padding underneath it. Normally I wouldn’t notice but I’m a teacher off on holiday now. I also have the new strain of Covid. The worst of the symptoms have passed, thank God, but I am still suffering with a bad cough. Her machine has woken me twice this week shortly before 9am. I know that’s not exactly early! But it’s hard when you’re up in the night with a bad cough and might like a lie-in!
She is retired and lives alone. She can’t hang out her washing, as she has no garden, so could really do it anytime.
WIBU to ask her to use her washing machine slightly later in the holidays?
Thanks 🙂

You can ask. You say you have a good relationship so why not. She can only say no.

Sorry but I don’t think you can ask someone to not do their washing until after say 10am. I would get your point if it was making noise before 8am, but it’s not reasonable to expect her not to do normal household things at a time that most people are awake.

Ask her. I wouldn't mind in the slightest and would oblige - it's a totally reasonable request when living in a flat.

Sorry but noise shortly before 9am is very reasonable. She's already being a considerate neighbour.

You could ask if she could put an anti vibration rubber pad underneath it? They’re pretty cheap.

That's what happens when you choose style over substance in housing

Whilst I sympathise with you not being well and understand the annoyance - having lived in a downstairs flat and had the noise from the upstairs washing machine - I think you are being unreasonable.
If she was using the machine late at night or in the early hours of the morning I think it would be OK to ask her to use it at a different time. But honestly just before 9a.m. is not early.
If yoh complain about this to her then I think you risk your good relationship with her. Especially if you approach it from the point of view you express here that because she's retired she can do it any other time because she has nothing better to do!

Thanks everyone. Appreciate your views. I should add that it’s the spin cycle that wakes me. It sounds like a helicopter landing on my bedroom ceiling. So it would be fair to assume that she’s actually starting the wash at 8am or thereabouts.

Not necessarily, My new machine has a 17min turbo wash and a 25 min wash that ibuse regularly

I’m an upstairs neighbour in the same set up. One half of the downstairs couple also work in a school!

I generally do my washing around 8am, they are out of the flat by then. In the holidays I check if I can hear them moving around and/or look out to see if their car has gone! I then put my washing on at whatever time.

I like to think I’m considerate. As your neighbour is retired and it’s only for a set block of time, I would definitely ask.

You can ask as a favour - 9am is a reasonable time but she might be willing to shift it.

9 is fine. Sorry your struggling with sleep but neighbour is already being considerate.

Hers is an old Miele.

rather than “for the holidays “ I would ask if she could run it a little later for this next week or so as you a poorly

leave a note and say that you don’t want to risk giving her anything

You know her well enough to know what brand of washing machine she owns but not enough to just have a conversation with her 🤣

😂
Yes, as well as being beautiful, it’s not like the building’s been standing for over 200 years.
I am honestly perplexed at why you’d bother to post.

She may be retired, but that doesn’t mean she’s at home all day everyday. Maybe she’s leaving the house at 8:30 to meet a friend or run errands, and needs to get a load in first.

More than happy to do that. I just couldn’t figure out whether I was being unreasonable to bring it up 🙂

Why not?

Take over some chocolates, be polite, and just ask. It's the grown up way.

i live in a country with strict rules about washing machine noise/use in shared buildings.

And even here (not before 7am, not after 10pm, not between 12 and 2pm and never on a Sunday) 9am would be seen as perfectly fine.

How is your neighbour to know that you are ill and had a bad night? It's just one of those things and you'll have to try to doze during the day.
Hope you feel well soon

I’m an upstairs neighbour and it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest if you came and asked the question. I don’t do any chores until I hear my downstairs neighbour up and about and always let him know if I’m planning on moving furniture or doing anything noisy. You have to be considerate when living in a flat.

No harm in asking. I wouldn’t mind at all and I would ask you when would be the best time for you if I were her. This being Mumsnet, of course, there will be people saying they would put their machine on at 5.30am because you’re a CF!!

I'd definitely mention it to her. Most decent people would take note and be horrified that they were causing disturbance when the issue could very easily be fixed to the satisfaction of all concerned. I'd imagine that she doesn't realise the impact on you.

No need to make a song and dance out of it. Approach her and explain how the noise of the spin is vibrating through your ceiling. I'd have her in to listen to it also and make a joke out of it. Most things can be sorted with honey not vinegar (and a bit of compromise together with a mat underneath!😊)

I'd just ask if she minded if you bought a rubber pad for her to put under it. Say you appreciate that shes doing nothing at all wrong, its just noisy from downstairs.

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask. She may say no but there's no harm in asking at all.