Loud washing machine and neighbor relations

Our bathroom was above the kitchen of one of the flats below, and everytime they cooked we got the food smell in our bathroom.  I once asked DH if I had bowel trouble if the smell would fill up their kitchen  (ewww!), and he said no because the smells go up, not down.

The last apartment I lived in was a first-floor unit.  I got the smells from the neighbors upstairs.  They would smoke and burn incense.  It sometimes made my daughter and I ill.  Smells can travel down via the vents.  I was glad when that couple moved out.

As for doing the laundry, I always tried not to do it after 9 p.m. when I lived in an apartment.  I felt it was being considerate. 

I really should look into getting a rug.

BUT. I just found out today that they're moving--due to the extensive damage to their flat from the burst water tank (mentioned above), they've decided it would just be easier to move out than have to deal with all the repairs while they're still living there. They were hit the hardest by the leaking. Basically the water tank burst in the flat above mine, flowed down through my walls and pooled over their ceiling, causing it to cave in while they were away on holiday. They apparently didn't have contents insurance, either, so they're out a lot of stuff. 

Since their landlord/building/insurance company/owner is going to have to fork out for repairs, maybe approach them regarding soundproofing the space between your floors and their ceilings ...offer to pay for half and maybe then that will solve the issues with the downstairs flat - as it most likely could continue to be an issue with whomever moves in after the repairs are complete.