2022 Frugal Living Challenge

willow_loulou

I have a hand wash tub for small items like swim kits. It’s basically a salad spinner set up. I chuck in warm water, detergent and let it sit for a minute to dissolve then pop the clothes in. Turn for a minute or 2 and let it soak whilst I do something else. Then it’s cold rinsed. I use the water from my hot water bottle - I save it in a 5 l water bottle over a week in the winter. The water drains out the back door to wash down the dog area. A faff but it’s worth it 

otb666

we dont have a washer dryer (couldnt find a cheap black one) So we got washing machine only but tbh as long as has long spin they come out quite well and just put on clothes horse for a day to dry. Its  years old now 

Beko  6Kg Washing Machine with 1400 rpm

otb666

correction Beko and 4 years old

spudsmum

cw18 said:

150 mins!!   When my son did a couple of washes for me he mentioned that his machine takes 2 hours, and I thought that was ridiculous....

I'm not happy that the shortest wash on my current machine is 54 minutes, and am looking at machines that have a 28 minute cycle - some of them even have a 14 minute cycle, although the load limit on that is 1.5kg (in a machine that has a 9kg drum).   Would be fantastic for a couple of swim kits though, as in the past I've had to keep them hanging around until I had enough to merit running the machine

The machines at the launderette are only 26 minutes.   When I went 8 days ago I set it going, nipped round to the Community Pantry before they closed, and got back just a couple of minutes after the washer finished.   It meant I was much later getting home than I would have been without needing to get my washing done, as I'd have been nipping into the shop anyway    On my previous visit I'd gone back into the office and done some prep for the following Monday, which I'd normally have stayed on to do anyway.   The location of the launderette is why I've not minded having to use it too much - though having use of my car on a Saturday does make it easier (otherwise I'd have to lug it around in a large backpack - not bad going, but not so nice coming back when it's heavier due to being wet!)

I wash everything except towels and bedding on eco 30 which is 28 minutes. All of the other programmes are at least 2 hours - We do at least 2 loads every single day so I have no time to wait for that!

My washer is a hotpoint I bought it from curry's and I paid "extra" for a better one but I've never really liked it since I bought it. It's always been glitchy and temperamental.

Bluegreen143

The 14 minute cycle on my machine doesn’t spin it very well so it’s still sopping wet, and it’s 12 minutes to then run a spin cycle. So I find we’re just as well running the 28 min cycle in the end, the 14 minute one feels like a gimmick rather than genuinely useful. I always run the quick wash, it’s 28 mins for a 30degree wash, just over 50 mins for a 40 degree wash and just under an hour if you set it to 60.

I don’t think washer driers ever dry that well. We have a separate dryer, it’s a condenser rather than vented but it’s really good. Usually takes two hours to get a load completely bone dry.

Edit to say, we do a load a day here! Would love to do less but I have very mucky children 🤣 who spend a lot of time painting, playing in mud, still spill food on themselves etc.

atrixa

I bought an Indesit Mytime in 2020 for £229. 8kg with loads of different cycle options. I tend to use the long eco setting on 40C for most things, although it does have a few quick wash options that are all under an hour if I have a load that isn't too mucky. It's only gone wrong once when a colour catcher sheet (I do mixed loads to get the most out of it) got stuck in the filter. I'm hoping that if I maintain it properly I'll keep it for a few decades.

Edit to say that it was from AO. Fine apart from they can only install them if it's an easy link up from a previous machine, nothing more complicated from that. They ended up refunding the installation fee and I had to call out a plumber to get it sorted. 

cw18

Bluegreen143 said:

The 14 minute cycle on my machine doesn’t spin it very well so it’s still sopping wet, and it’s 12 minutes to then run a spin cycle. So I find we’re just as well running the 28 min cycle in the end, the 14 minute one feels like a gimmick rather than genuinely useful. I always run the quick wash, it’s 28 mins for a 30degree wash, just over 50 mins for a 40 degree wash and just under an hour if you set it to 60.

The lowest temp on my current machine is 30.   I always use that with the highest spin (1200) and the 'quick wash' setting - and that gets me my 54 minute wash.   I guess something has to give to get a wash down to 14 minutes, and the spin is the obvious place.   But if I only use it for a couple of swim suits plus the microfibre towels I use then it may be OK - especially during warmer weather when I can hang outside

My very first machine was a washer/dryer due to space limitations.  It was OK for drying (apart from the fact it could only dry half a wash load, so in order to run it during my Economy 7 hours I could only ever wash a half load at a time) - but it was also very good at putting holes into T-shirts     35 years on and the washer/dryer my son has (provided by landlady as it's a built in applicance) does exactly the same !!!!!!!!!

Since I split to two machines, I've always had a vented dryer.   My current one (only my second) hasn't been used in 5 years, but I'm loathe to get rid 'just in case'.   I have the space for it, so I don't think hanging onto it is a problem.

Jellytotts

I'd love to know how some people are only doing one load a week.  Bedding is one load each week (only one kingsized bed to do) (2 loads every other week when I change the pillow protectors and mattress protector), towels and bath mat are one load a week.  Dish clothes and tea towels/reusable kitchen clothes (we don't use paper towels) are one wash and then at least 2 clothes loads a week, every other week for throws and cat blankets.  Washable door mats get done every 2 weeks too.

The 28 min wash on our Beko is excellent and is temperature variable, so 28 mins for 30 degrees and then goes up with increased temperature.  

Chopped loads of scrap wood last week so the fire is burning well, mixing it with some decently seasoned wood.  Only had the heating on for an hour in total over the past week.  Have swapped to single lamps rather than 3/5 bulb overhead ones.  Being far more mindful with the electric and generally trying to shrink the costs we can.

cw18

Jellytotts said:

I'd love to know how some people are only doing one load a week.  Bedding is one load each week (only one kingsized bed to do) (2 loads every other week when I change the pillow protectors and mattress protector), towels and bath mat are one load a week.  Dish clothes and tea towels/reusable kitchen clothes (we don't use paper towels) are one wash and then at least 2 clothes loads a week, every other week for throws and cat blankets.  Washable door mats get done every 2 weeks too.

I average just over 1 load a week (often do 2 on a week off, when I actually have less need to wash for clothing - my uniform takes more machine space than my leisure wear).  It was more before I lived alone - my son would generate at least 2 loads of clothes and towels by himself!!!

I only do bedding every 2 weeks, which is what my Mother did when I was a child (but admit to sometimes stretching it beyond that).   I have a top sheet under my quilt, which means I don't need to wash the quilt cover as often.   I only wash my pots a couple of times a week, so that's only one towel which doesn't need a lot of space.  My personal towels (washing and showering) are microfibre, so one set of those isn't much more space than a pair of leggings.  Bathmate is done very infrequently - basically when I feel it needs it.  No pets here, and I've never heard of washable doormats....

Floss

Jellytotts said:

I'd love to know how some people are only doing one load a week.    

I live alone and go by the maxim of "if it's not dirty, don't wash it" as much to be mindful of unnecessary energy use so I only do 2 washes a week on average.

All my clothes are aired after wearing & I wash when I have a load of either whites / lights / darks I air my bedding daily & use a top sheet so wash sheets & pillowcases every other week (being the only occupant of a kingsize bed allows swapping over of pillows 😉) & duvet cover every 4 weeks. Towels again are used by just me & get washed alternate weeks with sheets. 

I certainly don't have time or inclination to wash door mats every 2 weeks, more like if they really need it which with a proper coir door mat outside both doors isn't very often. I wash mattress & pillow protectors every 2 months when the mattress gets turned, and the 2 cat throws are shaken outside daily & refolded - they are washed every month when she gets her flea treatment.