Washing machine settings

fedupfreda

nesssie1702 wrote: »

Most of my washing is done through the night when I'm on Economy 7 Electric, so it works out cheaper that way. My dishwasher comes on then too. Both appliances have timers built in which is really handy.

I used to do this too - until my previous washing machine developed a leak overnight and we came downstairs to a flooded kitchen :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: NEVER AGAIN.

Now I get the washing ready the night before and DH switches it on when he gets downstairs at 6am. We get an hours worth of Economy 7 that way - and the washing is ready to go on the line at 8am :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

oystercatcher

fedupfreda wrote: »

I used to do this too - until my previous washing machine developed a leak overnight and we came downstairs to a flooded kitchen :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: NEVER AGAIN.

Now I get the washing ready the night before and DH switches it on when he gets downstairs at 6am. We get an hours worth of Economy 7 that way - and the washing is ready to go on the line at 8am :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

My friends washing machine actually caught fire, luckily she was in the house at the time.

Oystercatcher

zippychick

I have only learnt how to use the delay button on my machine which is great!

I always wash towels, sheets and underwear on 60 - just as habit i got into and what I was taught to do by me mum. Everything else goes 30-40 degrees on normal wash around 2 hours. I must admit its once place i never think to try and save money. Then again i do tend to wear stuff for an hour then it goes in the wash, so probably lots of rooms for saving anyway!

It is confusing though. So many people dont know its recommended to do bedding and towels at 60

mrs_thrifty_2

Hello, I use Tesco's value auto powder and wash everything on 30C economy cycle - takes 40 mins. Haven't noticed any problems.

OMR

We wash everything in cold water & would never consider doing anything else. Our machine is a dual fill, but it allows you to choose the temperature you want for any of the cycles, so I can choose synthetic & then pick 0 degrees, or wool & 0 degrees etc. I use the cheapest powder I can find in Lidl & the results are excellent. I don't know why we hot wash in this country; my sister's machine in Australia has always washed in cold. I initially wondered about needing a cold water detergent, but on advice from someone in that industry, all our detergents contain the magic ingredient that allows them to dissolve happily in cold water, but they just don't tell you about it. (I should say that we did not have this choiceof temperature on our old machine, but most modern machines do have it, it seems.) So try it! Stuff the electric companies! :dance:

redmel1621

The washing machine ads always confuse me, because they all go on about washing at 30 degrees now...My machine doesn't have a 30 setting. I wash everything on 40 (with two lines underneath) which I think is meant for delicates. The cycle take about an hour(ish) and i've never had a problem with it getting clothes clean.

I would NEVER leave the washing machine on overnight though!! A few of the house fires on the news were caused by washing machines, and a house a few roads down from me was set alight overnight because of a washing machine There was the mum and 3 young kiddies asleep at the time, thankfully a neighbour was just getting back in from night shift and saw the smoke coming from the back of the house, they were all saved but the baby did have a short stay in hospital due to smoke inhalation!!!! It really hit home how unreliable electrical items can be!!

Mel x

Justamum

OMR wrote: »

my sister's machine in Australia has always washed in cold.

I've seen those top loading machines on Neighbours, and I had one the same in South Africa. I was horrified at the amount of water they use!!! Considering both countries are prone to drought you would think they would go for something a bit more water friendly.

I think an economy wash in cold water is equivalent to giving clothes a quick swish in a bucket tbh. The water needs to agitate in and out of the fibres to wash properly, and a short wash does not, in my experience, do that, which is why I've gone back to the longer washes. In particular the whiff from underarms (and my DD1 is 12 and gets very whiffy!) doesn't go on a short, cold wash.

OMR

Justamum wrote: »

I think an economy wash in cold water is equivalent to giving clothes a quick swish in a bucket tbh. The water needs to agitate in and out of the fibres to wash properly, and a short wash does not, in my experience, do that, which is why I've gone back to the longer washes.

I agree about short washes; I only use them when I'm desperate. I use full-length washes but in cold water. Have been doing that for almost 8 years, 2 teenaged kids, 2 adults, it works really well. I did try to use Soap Nuts, but they really don't seem to work well in cold water, so I've gone back to detergent. Shame. I'd really like to have used them.

csarina

I always wash sheets and towels on a 60 degree wash with a fast spin, everything else gets washed on 40 degrees.

I use Tesco cheapie washing powder and soda crystals mixed together, our machines are cold fill only. Vinegar in the machine conditioner thingy.......my whites are brilliant.........I am having to buy a new washing machine, I have chosen an Indesit, cold fill, 1200 spin with a temperture control and A rated... I have had indesit machines before and they have been very good.

basmic

Did an experiment last night - I did a wash with no temperature, then at 30c.

Both washes contained exactly the same load, and exactly the same wash settings, other than temperatures. I just started the 30c program, once the one with no temperature had finished.

According to my plug-in meter, the wash with no temperature consumed the following:
0.124kwh
0.91p

The 30c, consumed the following:
0.505kwh
3.73p

So assuming the average household might do one load per day, using exactly the same settings and wash load I have used, they potentially stand to make the following savings every year:
139.065 Kw/year
1029.3p or £10.29

The above costings were based on my secondary tarriff, including VAT - which is actually 7.38465p/Kw, but I have rounded it up to 7.39p for my plugin meter.

For the sake of £10/year savings, I think I will persist with washing at 30c - but washing my bedding/undies/towels at 60c.

Those interested, I used a Bosch Logixx 8 WAS32466GB, with the Easy Care wash cycle and Aqua Plus enabled.