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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Help! Quickest cycle w/machine for disabled dad

28 replies

cappy123 · 06/09/2015 13:59

Hi there

I bought my dad a washing machine and we did a wash trying to find the shortest cycle. No exaggeration, it took 3 hours, we timed it. My dad, who can get quite stubborn, refuses to use it again because of the length of time and how much that might cost in leccy.

But where dad is increasingly frail and needing more and more care, he's able to get out to the laundrette less and less. So he's simply not washing his clothes. If I can get him a machine with the shortest poss cycle then it'll be easier to convince him to get his carers/cleaners to put it on for him.

Any recommendations please of what might be suitable makes and models? Sorry I can't remember the make of his one. Thanks

OP posts:
SomethingOfTheNight · 06/09/2015 14:06

I have Bosch Wash & Dry Avantixx, it has 15 min wash cycle at 30 degrees or 20 min cycle at 40 degrees.

Best of luck.

purplewhale · 06/09/2015 14:09

Does the machine he has not have shorter programs? Most do. Mine has a 30 minute one. The standard wash is 90 mins

NeuNewNouveau · 06/09/2015 14:12

My Bosch also has a 15min programme but I would say it's a really quick rather than a great wash.

So it was ideal for yesterday when DS wanted to wear jeans that had mud on them and time was tight. A 15min wash got that off as it was easy but I have occasionally used a 15min wash on 'worn' clothes and it doesn't remove grease marks or thoroughly clean odours so I'd not want to use it all the time.

The standard wash is 1hr and you can reduce that to 48mins if it is not chockablock.

NeuNewNouveau · 06/09/2015 14:13

It also has a magic pause button so you can stop it and add something if you've forgotten. Now that is amazing!!

5678group · 06/09/2015 14:14

Find out what machine he has and mumsnetters will find a short cycle on it! I'd put money on it. :)

rabbit123 · 06/09/2015 17:43

Quick washes almost always skip a rinse and do a short spin only.

Beko do a model with a "daily" cycle, that does a full 7kg or 8kg load with a full spin. It takes 39 minutes on 30 degrees, 45 on 40 degrees or 55 on 60 degrees. Not too expensive either, so it won't break the bank.

ao.com/product/wmb714422-beko-washing-machine-white-34471-1.aspx

BaggiesBaggies · 06/09/2015 17:51

I have a Bosch machine that's about ten years old now but has a 'refresh' programme of 19 mins, mixed load 35 mins (plus 12 to spin) and 'standard' 40° wash is 1 hour 10 mins. Energy efficiency is good. I would recommend Bosch as they must have even faster ones now. Mine has lasted well.

WeAllHaveWings · 06/09/2015 17:56

Samsung Ecobubble has a 15 minute cycle but as rabbit says it has only one rinse and a short spin so clothes are noticeably wetter and it doesn't touch any stains.

Daily wash is 1:03mins which is ok, can extend to 1:32 mins by adding a soak if washing is very dirty (which I wouldn't expect to use too much leccy as it just sits there when soaking with an occasional drum rotation).

It has loads of options to reduce/increase number of rinses/spins etc so reduce/increase times.

rabbit123 · 06/09/2015 18:00

Another thing to note is that quick washes are normally only designed for small loads. The express 40 wash on our Miele is only suitable for half loads, whereas the Beko daily quick cycle will do a full load.

We had a Beko prior to our Miele. It didn't have the daily quick cycle as it was a very basic model. We only paid about £180 for it as we needed a washer cheap and quick, but we had it for a good 6 years with heavy use before it packed up and the wash results were fine.

Snoopadoop · 06/09/2015 18:20

My Bosch VarioPerfect has a quick (30 min) and a super quick (15 min) cycle. Most others are around the 1hr 30min mark.

MrsMummyPig · 06/09/2015 18:25

I can recommend the one rabbit linked to. Lots of short cycles to choose from.

PotteringAlong · 06/09/2015 18:30

I have a Hoover one - it has a 15 mins, 30 mins and 45 mins option and the standard wash is 1 hour 50 mins

MrsMummyPig · 06/09/2015 18:30

The Beko has a pause button too. I use it often for the one sock that always seems to escape on the way to the washing machine and is discovered on the stairs only after I've pressed start.

rabbit123 · 06/09/2015 18:36

PotteringAlong, 10kg and a 1500 spin seems a bit much for 1 elderly gent lol.

I'm just looking at a few Bosch machines online and every one I've looked at so far says the quick wash is only for half loads.

PausingFlatly · 06/09/2015 18:42

The major energy consumption is in heating up the water.

Newer machines use less water (so less energy) and then allow the laundry to soak for longer. That's the reason the longer cycle is longer.

If you want to investigate this with your dad, get one of those plug-in power monitors (useful to have for yourself anyway, and some libraries lend them) and see how much different cycles take, and maybe compare to your own machine.

PausingFlatly · 06/09/2015 18:44

That said, it may be useful to have a short wash so the carer can put the load on and hang it out in the one visit, depending what the visit-pattern is.

PausingFlatly · 06/09/2015 18:45

With the power monitor, you could actually cost each wash and compare to a laundrette visit...

PotteringAlong · 06/09/2015 20:33

I didn't think of that; I just know it's quick! Smile

wowfudge · 06/09/2015 20:44

The blurb does say that machine has a rapid wash programme. We have a Beko - very flexible as you can set different temperatures and spin speeds for most of the programmes, plus it has pre-wash, extra rinse, anti-crease and something else.

Lweji · 06/09/2015 20:51

I have a Hotpoint that has a 15 min and 30 min cycle. It also has an overnight programme that he could set in the evening and collect in the morning.

Surely you can check the manual on the one you bought to see which cycle is fastest.

Hangingbasket14 · 06/09/2015 22:12

I have the Beko mentioned by rabbits, it's very good, the 15 min cycle is more of a freshen up cycle though but perfectly sufficient for things that aren't really dirty. I tend to use the 'daily quick' cycles that start at 39 minutes for a 30degree wash and go upwards to 50degrees.

TheHouseofMirth · 06/09/2015 22:24

My MIL has an Indesit which has a 15 minute programme which spins at the maximum speed. She uses that programme for everything.

Original poster
cappy123 · 10/09/2015 12:25

Thanks guys - apologies for the delay in replying, I've been embroiled in my dad's move and am packing with him now as we speak.

His machine is an Indesit 9kg IWE91281. I just found the online product description online and - I didn't imagine it - it does take 187 mins!

homesource4u.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=943

If anyone has this machine is there a much slower cycle (40-60mins)?

OP posts:
wowfudge · 10/09/2015 13:43

You can get the manual for it online - page 9 has the wash cycles and timings. 185 mins is the 60 degree cotton cycle. Our Beko equivalent programme is around the same length but I only use that once a week for towels.

The mix coloureds 40 degree programme takes an hour and 40 mins. That's pretty much the programme I use most in the Beko though I drop the temp to 30 and often reduce the spin speed to avoid creasing outer wear.

Can't say that I'm aghast at any of the programme times - them seem very normal.