CatieB Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Firstly I apologise for the very mundane subject but I think I need to be bought up to date. Some of you will have seen that Ive had to get a new washing machine. It has made me and hubby realise just how poorly our old one was and clearly not performing. HOwever we are shocked at the time it takes on new machines to wash clothes (I googled it and now know its to do with efficiency etc) I have to say we generally used to just bung most things on a 40 degree wash but to do this on my new one takes over 4 hours!!!! WOW. It is CONSIDERABLY shorter to do a 30 wash. Do you all use 30 successfully - what about for bedding and underwear? Again I apologise for the boring old fashioned question and thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Yikes! My machine is 12 years old so I'm clearly out of touch. I wash most things at 40 degrees, but I always do bedding and towels at a higher temperature. My machin allows you to vary the temperature so I pick a 'daily load' programme with a short cycle and then just up the temperature to 60. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatieB Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Olly thats what I used to do too..sounds a similar machine. I think mine was a similar age, we were trying to work it out as it came here from our last house and that was 9 years ago. I have to say though, that whilst it takes an age we have been pleasantly surprised at how clean our clothes now are. We are clearly pressured to wash lower, according to some blurb I read it takes 40% more energy to wash at 40 than 30. Thats quite some figure and I wonder if its correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 My old machine gave up after about 15 years, the new one is barely a year old and is triple A rated. It doesn't take 4 hours, possibly about 1.5 or 2 (not really taken much notice!) I wash at 40, absolutely everything, except the very delicate or some sports fabrics. I must have some sort of inbuilt resistance, 30 just doesn't seem enough for towels or bedding I wait to read with interest, although I know in Australia for example, a cold wash is not uncommon and they don't all drop dead of some nasty disease! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Mine is a few years old but is supposedly energy efficient and it doesn't take nearly that long . I reckon well under 2 hours but there's a "quick cycle" option which is about 1 1/2 hrs. I wash mostly at 40 too but there is a lot of sweaty sports clothing in my house ( ) which really needs a 50 wash. I do whites/bedding at 60. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 I hope the machine has dried it and ironed it in 4 hours! Delicates I wash at 30 or 40 depending, but 30 is fine. Bedding and underware go at 50 to 60. 30 to 40 degrees won't kill any bacteria, maybe just give them a nice polish... Detergent won't kill them either, it's temperature you need! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 I have read various articles about sick laundry. People who wash bedding towels tea towels etc with under wear at 30 degrees are exposed to a high bacteria load. I don't wash under 40 degrees and have a Miele washing machine that is over ten years old. A full load can take over two hours, four hours sounds ridiculous. I always wash bedding, towels and tea towels at 60 degrees and work and school shirts too to keep them fresh. Washing machine start to smell if you don't do hot washes periodically too. I do use napisan in washes containing bedding and with the towels we use in our office that I am responsible for. The napisan keeps that machine fresh too. I am going to have to replace my machine soon and intend to buy another basic Miele they seem to have changed very little over the years and are pretty bullet proof too. There seem to be so many adds for stain removers and laundry sterilisers these days which to me shows that you need high temps and big box old school detergent to keep things bright and clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 My machine is a year old & does a 40 wash in 1 hour & 20 mins. I certainly couldn't manage with 4 hours I was everything on this one programme, apart from the dogs bedding which needs a much higher temperature once a week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 I have a 9kg Beko machine which is about 2 years old. I can do a 9kg wash at 40c in 38 minutes. A 30c 9kg wash takes 28 minutes and a 60c 9kg wash takes 58 minutes. There is a super quick wash at 30c and takes 14 minutes, which I use very occasionally. Towels and bedding I wash at 60c. Everything else is washed at 40c. I add Napisan to 40c washes containing underwear. My machine also has lots more programmes, most I would never use - baby and toddler clothes wash which takes over two and a half hours why?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatieB Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Im grateful for the replies, youve made me feel normal. I was made to feel like a dinosaur using 40 or above. Still with such long wash cycles Im not sure I will be doing so now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 I have an LG (which is a direct drive machine) which must be well over 10 years old now - it works out the weight of the clothes so the cycles vary depending on what is in it - I do 40 degrees for everything except whites and bedding and towels which go on at 60 and a 60wash is usually just 1 hour 20 at the most heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 I have a newish washing machine, most of the programmes take 2-3 hours. I use lots of the various programmes as I have options for bedding, whites, cottons, synthetics plus can alter the temperature as needed so can reduce a 40 deg to a 30 deg. My machine has a delay start button (in hours) so I can load the machine and set the programme then delay it so the load finishes when I get back from work. All my programmes have a digital display showing how long the programme takes then counting down the remaining time. The machine was a reasonably priced Hotpoint, I love it. If the washing is to be line dried (especially on a sunny day) then washing at lower temps is fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 I have a Zanussi as recommended by my appliance repair chap; while I miss the more manual aspect of the controls on older machines, this one is fabulous. It is about 6 years old, and going strong *touches wood*. Most things get washed on a 40deg programme using bio laundry liquid + white vinegar, whites go on a 60deg wash with Napisan added to the usual detergent. 4 hours is excessive, I haven't timed mine, but I think it takes about 2 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 I'm going to get a Whirlpool washing machine next ...... Why? Watch . Worth watching till the end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Boys! I am seriously impressed that it kept going after all the bits had dropped off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 That was brilliant = would not like to try it though. My machine also has a delayed start so I can ensure its finishing as I come in form work too - saves creases but I usually do mine at the weekends or evenings anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 My machine is a Whirlpool, and it wasn't very expensive at the time - I know it wasn't new when I moved here eight years ago, but I found the receipt recently and was surprised it had lasted twelve years. I think it's heading for the s"Ooops, word censored!"yard as the front is rusting and it's starting to get very noisy. I'd definitely get another one if they do something similar, mine also has delayed start which is great as I don' t like running it when I am not in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I like the delayed start and would def make sure any other machines that I get in the future have this option. I put on a wash in the evening and set the machine to finish around 7/7.30am so I can get it out on the line first thing. Our current one was from John Lewis....their own brand. Mainly because I could't face trawling through the millions of options out there and knew they would be competitive!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Mine is a John Lewis one too for obvious reasons! I really like it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I don't think I'd be happy with a washing machine that took 4hrs to do a wash either! We have a 3yr old Bosch Washer/Dryer and it has a good variety of programmes, from a 15min quick wash through to a 90 degree cotton wash. I generally use 40 for most things, but for towels and bedding I have a 60min power wash that is 60 degrees. Mine also has a delay thing on it and will apparently wash and dry a whole load, but I've yet to work out after all this time how to set it to do that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Mine also has a childproof lock which I dont know how to set but my daughter has a similar machine and used it when she was here - I had to remind her to remove it when she went away!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
