Looking for a new, FAST washing machine

kittyl48

I’m having a new kitchen fitted and need to get a new, fast washing machine.

I’m really struggling with the reviews from Which and other consumer websites as they seem to put an undue premium on efficiency / economy and noise.

I don’t care how noisy it is (it’s going to live in a utility room), and I don’t care if it costs £20 more per year to run. What is really important to me is that it can clean well, and clean *quickly* (and preferably is reliable).

My current model is an old Bosch, which I bought on a tight budget as a re-conditioned second-hand model 5 years ago, so it must be 10 years old if it’s a day. It has a common ‘wash anything’ Easy Care cycle which is 47 minutes long for a 40C wash. It’s great. I can do 3 or more washes per evening when I get home from work. And there’s longer, hotter cycles if I want to wash anything particularly grubby. Problem is, it's ancient, and it's had the repairers around a couple of times already. It's time for a new one.

My partner had to buy a replacement washing machine last year for his old flat and went for a cheap Bosch as it was soon to be sold. It washed OK (no real complaints) but the shortest normal cycle was 1hr 05 and that was with ‘speed save’ mode on. Cottons and other cycles were well over an hour and a half. There was a 30 minute wash option but it didn’t appear to do much and I didn’t really trust it to do anything more than rinse/wash sports gear.

Lots of the reviews I've found for new washing machines report washes of over 2 hours! I cannot live with that! And that's just the user comments sections - most of the actual reviews don't state the programme times.

I need a good, *quick* machine that’ll last and is future-proof. I’m a 30-something woman living with her partner. If I can’t cope with washing machines that take over an hour a wash now, what on earth will it be like when I have small kids generating even more washing and I really, really don’t have the time …!

I have a good budget – willing to spend £600/700 for the right machine.

Any help much appreciated. Thank you

getmore4less

Stick the first wash on before you go to work(delay timer) it will be ready when you get home.

2 people full loads will not be that many washes a week.
I get 3 weeks worth of my stuff in 3 washes.

A bit of planning and you don't need to have fast washes.

daveyjp

I don't believe anyone without children is so time short that 10 minutes extra from a wash is life changing!

However our Siemens has programmes which run from 15 minutes to over 3 hours. A quick cotton wash is about an hour, but 35-45 minute cycles are available across the programs.

anotheruser

My £200 Bush from Argos has a 30 minute quick wash...

jenny-wren

We have a Bosch Exxcel 8kg machine. A standard 40C wash with 1400 spin takes 60 minutes. If you select the 'speed perfect' option it cuts the cycle length to 48 minutes. It has a delay start function too so you can put a load on in the morning you can set the machine to finish around the time you get home.

It's 3 years old, no problems so far.

paddypaws101

Good luck with your search!
I recently upgraded my machine and had exactly the same struggle trying to find something with decent length and temperature washes.
I don't think I succeeded particularly well but I think the options are getting more and more limited every year and we are all being pushed towards 30/40 degree washes that last hours.

theonlywayisup

Our Miele has a 20 minute cycle and washes perfectly. It has their TwinDos and capsule dispensers so no washing powder to dispense. You may need to up the budget a little.

This is ours http://www.johnlewis.com/miele-wmr-561-wps-freestanding-washing-machine-9kg-load-a-energy-rating-1600rpm-spin-white/p2541187

Similar :

http://www.johnlewis.com/miele-wkg-120-freestanding-washing-machine-8kg-load-a-energy-rating-1600rpm-spin-chrome-edition/p1139222 5 year guarantee and a years supply of their twindos detergents.

You may find it cheaper elsewhere I don't know.

Or without the twindos and appears to have an Express 20 wash http://www.johnlewis.com/miele-wda101-washing-machine-7kg-load-a-energy-rating-1400rpm-spin-white/p2641263 or with 5 years warranty http://www.johnlewis.com/miele-wda111-freestanding-washing-machine-7kg-load-a-energy-rating-1400rpm-spin-white/p2116049

ic

My AEG has a 20 minute cycle, but that is only meant for 3kg washes - the drum has a capacity of 8kg. The main cotton wash can be trimmed down to an hour. Truth is it never takes as long as it threatens as it weighs the wash and reduces the time to suit automatically. The main eco wash option threatens nearly three hours. A full main wash typically runs in an hour and a half without pressing for any time save options.

missbiggles1

Why do you have to do all your washing on one single night of the week - why not just do one wash per evening on 3 different days?

paddy's_mum

Almost every Fire Brigade in the UK warn strongly and forcefully AGAINST using a washing machine while there is nobody present in the home to tend it.

Keep your house insurance up to date and hope that it is valid if your washing machine sets your house ablaze!

EssexExile

The great thing about washing machines is that if they catch fire the drum melts & all the water runs out & puts the fire out.

More seriously, in 15 years of repairing them I never came across one that did any damage by fire, other than to itself.