New Bosch washing machine | 3 hours and 50 minutes cotton cycle | WTF?

[ThisOldThang]

Our old Bosch washing machine gave up the ghost. The cotton cycle took around 90 minutes with extra rinse selected.

The new one has a 3 hour and 50 minute cycle.

How is that acceptable to anybody?

From what I've read it's all due to water efficiency. I live in Britain. We've got shit loads of water falling from the sky. This isn't an arid Greek island.

Am I unreasonable to think this is total bullshit and not what any family needs? Which morons allowed this to happen?

And it’s the energy and water its using, more to the point

Mines is the same. Pretty much everything goes on a fast (55 min) wash. I’m not convinced by the 15 min one. Then an extra spin (11min) at this time of year as drying indoors. I don’t bother if putting it on the line.

I used the mixed cycle. It takes 1 hour

Mine is about 3.5hrs, Doesn't bother me as I'm not sat watching it. Chuck washing in, go out/ to bed/ do something and then come back and empty. I have 3 kids 5 and under so do plenty of laundry, honestly have never understood people complaining about cycle length.

The fast washes are only supposed to be for like 3 shorts not a full wash. Your clothes won't be getting clean, the fabrics will have detergent build up on them. Plus they'll wear out quicker if you're using lots of agitation vs soaking.

I had an old Miele at the last house which did a load in hour (RIP MIELE) on the “auto” setting and moved house to anew Bosch. When we first moved we used the “mixed load” 58 minute wash but the cotton cycle is a revelation. The clothes are super clean and nearly bone dry. Socks are so white!!

we also have a Bosch heat pump dryer which is miraculous because every thing goes in it!

Great for one wash but what about the 3 others I’m trying to get done on a weekend and hung out? We generally have one sports kit wash, one school uniform wash, a grown up was or two, plus a house hold wash (towels/bedding) a week. We generally only have the weekend to get it all done.

Yes similar here, no way do I want each wash to last a few hours, god almighty

Yeah I was racking my brains back to physics lessons and thinking this.

I have a baby clothes one 2h12 m. Never used-no baby. I use 2 programnes: the 40 degrees snd 60- that's it. It sounds like my dishwasher. The eco programme is the longest of all.

For those of you putting your washing machine, dryer and dishwasher on when you aren’t home, check your insurance in case of fire. My friend appliance caught fire but luckily was home. Was told had she not been, insurance wouldn’t have paid.

What’s a duvet setting @Happyjoe ?
I don’t think I have that on my washing machine.
What brand do you have.

Like others I do the three hour plus overnight eco to save energy/cost.

Even aside from electricity our water bill has gone up by so much lately even though our use has fallen, so we're highly motivated to cut use.

I have working and tested smoke alarms for those saying about fire. I'm not sure I'd tumble dry at night.

This isn't an arid Greek island.

I'm in Yorkshire, and while we have had some rain recently our reservoirs are only just over 50% full, when at this time of year they should be over 70% full. We have had an exceptionally dry spring and summer this year and there is no sign of our hosepipe ban being lifted any time soon.

Ours is a Bosch washer and I use the 3 hour hygiene wash for towels and bedding. The rest of the time I use the one hour mixed load wash.

I have a Bosch Vario Perfect which is about 7 years old.

There is a speed perfect button when selected a 30c 1400 wash goes from 2h 28 to an hour. I do have a 15 min 30c program but only does 1200 max.

Who has time to do a wash cycle of 3 hours plus? My kitchen is one room lounge/diner/kitchen and I want to limit the noises.

Well most of them have multiple options. My cotton one is 2.5hrs but I have a short button which reduces to an hour. A 20 min express cycle etc etc.
The point is if you're watching the pennies on the electric front, these eco cycles are brilliant

Do you have Mixed Load? The instructions suggest that for most things - it’s an hour at 30/40

A Siemens engineer who visited advised me against using the eco setting and instead advised a 40C wash with additional water. This takes the cycle down to 1hour and 14 mins instead of almost 3 hours. I add anti-bacterial in at the same time as detergent. Only towels get the full treatment and I never use softener.

I use my Bosch eco cycle all the time. 3 hours 17 minutes. It’s not as if you have to stand over it.

I wonder if the washing machine efficiency ules were drafted by politicians that believe it makes a difference.

One annoying thing about my washer is that the buttons are touch sensitive. A few weeks ago I was in process of lowering the blind above my washer whilst it had a load in. Heard a beep and looked at the washer and noticed I caught a button and the time left increased from 40 mins to 2 hours. Knew which button I caught but it wouldn’t deselect. I was annoyed.

Also, at the risk of sounding stupid, what are you all doing while the washing is on! Presumably not sitting there watching it.

Put it on in the morning or overnight. Or use the fast setting.

I got a Bosch machine recently and although it says 3hr37 when I start a standard load, it weighs it and shortens the time quite a lot if it’s not full. Full is 10kg and I’m often doing smaller loads than that (mainly as it still seems so wrong to me to have such a huge basket of washing all going in!). If I do have a big load it takes the full time but often it’s no more than about 2 hours

Also not everyone has the luxury of running a washing machine at night. If live in accommodation where it’s all one floor, it’s difficult.
Even at my parents’ previous home, the utility room was below their bedroom and DF awoke on the spin cycle

You don't have to watch it for the 3 hours. Most people do other stuff in that rime.

My new machine, I only hear it if I'm in the same room, and it's still quiet. It's a great improvement on its predecessor in that sense, but it was 18 years old when it died.

I've never used the rapid cycle, except for once or twice in emergencies. Three hours is doable - you just learn to work around it. I don't want to use any more water than I have to