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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Washing machine cycle times....what?!! (And recs!)

22 replies

Mapletreelane · 27/10/2020 19:34

After 11 years my trusty Bosch washing machine looks like it is giving up the ghost. I've been looking at new machines and am shock at the cycle times. So a 60 degree wash is looking between 180 mins to 275 mins. What?! Is this a thing now with modern machines? I see it is due to low water and energy consumption, but what would I do on sunny day when i do all the sheets and towels? How do you cope?! Current cycle time for 60°C wash is 90 mins. I'd have to get up about 4am! Slightly #firstworldproblems. Would also welcome recs for quiet 8kg 1400 machines under £600 thank you

OP posts:

HeronLanyon · 27/10/2020 19:40

I totally agree. I think my current machine would take around three hours if ever I dared to do a hot White cotton cycle. It’s one of the most baffling things I’ve ever known. I remember looking in shock at the instructions and then I timed a test run because I just though ‘they’ Must have got it wrong.
I then buggered up my machine by trying to shorten it all by doing something - everything now adds 30 mins to every cycle. In fact I really hate my washing machine.
Friend has a great Hotpoint with short cycles and quiet. Will try to dig up model.

Original poster

Mapletreelane · 27/10/2020 19:44

@HeronLanyon thank you! Glad to hear it's not just me! It's just not practical for busy lifestyles. Thought I was going mad looking at the times

OP posts:

Nix2020 · 27/10/2020 19:47

I've just bought a hoover machine, it's got a quick wash which is 4 4 minutes and the clothes wash well. I'd look for the quick. Wash settings as that's the setting your likely to use.

tapdancingmum · 27/10/2020 19:50

I have a Hotpoint (model number WMFUG942) which I like. I do sometimes use the proper cycles but most of the time it's on the 60 minute fast wash where you can vary the temperature. The standard cotton one is 175 minutes and the one for bath towels is 140. The only problem with the fast wash is you are only supposed to put 3.5kg in when if you use the proper cycle you can put the whole 9kg in. It's quite quiet as well.

Gibble1 · 27/10/2020 19:53

Funnily enough, I spent Sunday looking at new machines too as mine is nearing it’s end.
I am just going to buy a newer version of what I have currently (which is a Samsung eco bubble). The washes are listed as incredibly long but I use an everyday wash with 40° cycle and it does it in 1hr 02.
I suppose all other machines will allow you to tweak the spin and temperature on each cycle but boy are they long cycles!

tapdancingmum · 27/10/2020 19:53

Norugratsatall · 27/10/2020 19:56

My AEG machine has a 'reduced time' function. So every programme has 2 or 3 different time length options. It's fab!

1990s · 27/10/2020 19:57

I have a newer Bosch, and yesterday I realised if I pressed the clock thingy it would reduce the time by loads! I found an illusive hour wash and everything. So worth considering that if it has the reduce time function thing it’s probably fine.

Mizydoscape · 27/10/2020 20:10

Most modern machines have a delay timer so we load up the machine the night before, turn it on and put on the delay timer. When you wake up in the morning your washing is done then you're free to hang out first thing.

Dilbertian · 27/10/2020 21:01

I'm very happy my John Lewis WD1614 (an AEG but you don't pay for the name). Its Cottons cycles can be anything from 1 to 5h and it's not unreasonably noisy. Our bedroom is right over the kitchen, and the boiler often wakes me when the heating goes on an hour before our alarms go off, but the washing machine never wakes me when we put it on timer to be ready to peg out in the morning.

Original poster

Mapletreelane · 27/10/2020 22:49

Thanks all. . Some research for me then! Honestly I could live without fridge or oven for days, but the washing machine going is Def con 1 level! Thank you and happy washing.

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MitziK · 28/10/2020 00:13

The reason we bought a Hoover was because of the 15, 30 and 45 minute washes. If it's a full load, it goes onto the 59 minute daily instead.

Think it's 8kg. Might be 9. 1600 spin as well.

Worth £300 in my opinion.

MJMG2015 · 28/10/2020 00:21

@Gibble1

Funnily enough, I spent Sunday looking at new machines too as mine is nearing it’s end. I am just going to buy a newer version of what I have currently (which is a Samsung eco bubble). The washes are listed as incredibly long but I use an everyday wash with 40° cycle and it does it in 1hr 02. I suppose all other machines will allow you to tweak the spin and temperature on each cycle but boy are they long cycles!

Be careful.

There was a thread on here a couple of weeks ago & someone replaced 'like for like'
Except they'd updated the machine in the meantime & it no longer did her 'usual' wash.

I'm putting in a new kitchen & need to out in an integrated machine, I'm dreading it. I live my LG, but they don't do an integrated machine. I'm dreading looking forward a new machine that is as quiet and doesn't take 3 hours to do one load.

AlwaysLatte · 28/10/2020 00:46

We put one of our washes on at night, all finished by morning :-) although we do have to put a couple more loads on during the day - you can put the important stuff on overnight.

Thecobwebsarewinning · 28/10/2020 11:34

I’ve just replaced my aged Miele with a new trendy Miele and was surprised to discover the same thing. Cycles take up to twice as long as previously. Consequently I very rarely run a full length wash but generally opt for the short option which is available on most programmes. The short wash is still long but better than waiting 150 minutes. Everything seems just as clean and fresh as before. I‘ve also found the 20 minute wash programme useful.

Incidentally, I got a new Miele dishwasher about 2 years ago and the cycles on that are lengthy too. The intensive programme is 3 hours long! If I use the normal cycle and the quick option it’s still 90 minutes -ain’t nobody got time for that!

Thesuzle · 28/10/2020 11:41

Don’t get my one, Bosch exceeel 7 active water, too many programmes, it decides what temp you can wash on, beeeeeps for ages when finished , drives me mad.
Does have a 15m quick wash, but you wont get the temp up high.
I think cycles have been made longer because we are all supposed to be doing cooler washes, which is in fact not good for your machine as smells and bugs dont get a hot enough blast to kill them

babblingbumblingbandofbaboons · 28/10/2020 12:03

LG direct drive machine - no belt so virtually silent and lots of options for short/medium/long washes. My parents model was about £500.

lepardprint · 28/10/2020 14:10

I have had my undesit innex for 6 years and no problems ( I know they have a bad rep) but I'd honestly recommend. So many programmes on it x

suziedoozy · 28/10/2020 14:15

I’ve got an indesit (my second despite others comments I love it).
Has two 59 minute washes for everyday (30 / 60 degrees)
Then a 20 and 30 minute express washes.
I occasionally use the longer washes but mainly the two everyday ones work.

Unless I need to pre wash the ‘nappy bags of joy’ that come back with from nursery with god know what on (toddler) then I use a quick wash for just them and put the rest in for an everyday wash.

I’ve had this model for 5 years, previous one for 13 (builders killed it off!) and more than happy with it

WombatChocolate · 28/10/2020 14:27

Most machines will offer a faster wash, but it might not take a full load in that time and it will cost about 3 times as much to do the fast wash. This always surprises people because they think fast must be cheap. But the machines then have to heat the water faster and rotate more and that costs more and uses more energy.

The standard programmes are long so that they are greener...using less energy (heating slowly over a long period) and letting the water do a Lot if the work instead of motion.

You can opt for lots of short programmes but it isn’t very green or cost effective. You might or might not be bothered about that.

Personally I put a load on before bed on timer delay. I don’t use the eco setting which reduces the temp to 30 but wash at a standard 40 which takes 3 hours and finishes as I get up, so I can hang it up (outside in summer, round Aga...not green at all....in winter). I sometimes have to do a 2nd wash and if it’s a summer day and I want it to go outside I will use a 1 hr fast wash so I can get it done I time to be hanging out by 10/10.30. Very very occasionally I use the 30 or 15 min wash which only seems to manage 3kg, but I do the majority of washes on the standard slow wash.

I agree that these machines don’t suit families which need to do 3 washes a day really, unless you constantly use the speeded up programmes....,but perhaps those non-eco programmes are no worse than the shorter orotgrammes on our old machines which suited us better.

Original poster

Mapletreelane · 28/10/2020 14:31

Thanks all. Amazingly the fab washing machine man has repaired for £70 so I've still got 60°C wash in 90 mins at moment. But really interesting comments suggestions so will start researching ready for when it does finally go. Appreciate this is all about low water and energy usage but not always so practical with our busy lives! Thank you .

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MarieInternette · 29/10/2020 17:11

I have just bought a Blomberg. It’s has an 11kg drum and 1400 max spin. Was very reasonable compared to my last Hotpoint washer. It will do a fast full load (at your chosen temperature) in half an hour. Brilliant. It has lots of cycles which can be run at a shorter option but the fast full load means I can rattle through my laundry in no time. Can highly recommend.

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