Clothes washers take forEVER? Is it just me?

Is it just me, or do the clothes washers in the UK take a huge amount of time to get the job done? Husband and I bought one in February and I've tried almost all the different settings to try to find one that will get the clothes washed in under an hour. I started a load almost 2 hours ago now and it's still whirring away!

They do take forever, but two hours plus seems a bit excessive - even for UK machines.

I find that the more rinses and the higher the heat the longer a wash takes.

Have you looked at the timings in the instruction book?

Doesn't sound excessive to me.  All of the cycles on mine take hours.  There is one quick wash setting that doesn't take as long, but it doesn't clean as well, so I only use it for basic stuff that just needs a little help and doesn't have stains and such.

Your experience sounds about right to me.  Our washer takes 2 hours and 10 minutes for a standard load.  The delicate cycle take an hour.  There is also a 30-minute wash setting.  I've always assumed it takes more time than a standard U.S. washer because it draws less energy, but that's only my guess.

It has a "delay start" setting, so sometimes I set it to start several hours later so the clothes don't sit there waiting to be hung up.

Mine has a 29 minute short cycle, but the cycle I use most frequently takes about 2 hours. I can adjust the time within limits and if using cold water, it takes less time.

My washer is about 1 year old; I'm trying to remember back to the one I had when I last lived in the UK. I swear I don't remember the cycles being so long, but then again, my memory isn't what it used to be. 

I also have a 30 minute wash cycle on mine...but it doesn't spin the clothes as fast so they come out much wetter than normal. I have a rapid wash setting that seems to cut the wash time down to about 90 minutes and I'll use that sometimes. They do take forever though. I like to set the timer for ours to start it going at about 5 AM so by the time I am awake, its done and I can hang them up....hopefully outside!

Nope, it's not just you. I had a hard time adjusting to that when I first came here as well. A full hamper takes all day to do; otherwise I am doing laundry every other day for a family of 3 adults. Add to that problem is the fact that the washers are generally considerably smaller so obviously one needs to do more loads!

Two hours does seem really excessive, though. Our standard cycle takes 1 hour, 20 minutes. The "quick" setting takes 55 minutes.  It's a Hotpoint washer, about 4 years old.

My DH once accused me of BSing him when I told him I had done 4 loads of laundry in 3 hours in the US.  He said it was impossible.

Don't get me started on the dryers. I rarely use mine. Takes forEVER to dry a small load. Even "finishing off" a load that is mostly dry takes 25 minutes. Total waste of money.

My 40 degree wash cycle is well over 2 hours.  The quick wash is 30 mins in cold water.  This drives me mad because the quick is insufficient for most things, and the full cycle is far too long.  Meghan, I sympathise. 

My washer shortest setting takes 30 minutes or so.. Longest setting is the whites and thats 2 hours. White wash was always the longest at home, though never paid attention to cycle times there. Depending on what goes in the 30 minute wash is depending on how much water is rinsed out at the end cycle. Jeans and heavy cottons always retain water, so throw it in for an extra spin (mine is about ten minutes) just to get the excess water out.

Its a 6 year old hotpoint washer/dryer in which the dryer has broken on it (we're going to get a new one with my other halfs bonus) an does the job.

Um, does EVERYTHING in the UK take forEVER? Is it just me? 

Actually, don't even bother answering that. I know it is me. I'm from 'Instant Gratification Takes Too Long' aka New York City, so I totally KNOW it is ME!!!!

 

New machines take longer because they do use less energy. They're meant to be that way.

I also have a 30 minute wash cycle on mine...but it doesn't spin the clothes as fast so they come out much wetter than normal.

Check your machine and see if you can just re-run the spin cycle. I think most have speed settings for the spin cycle too. So you can ramp up the RPM's thereby flinging off more water.

I've got a lovely brand new washing machine and its super eco friendly -it takes 3 1/2 hours for a 40-degree cycle - but it does a super job - so I'm not fussed.  I usually load it up before work and delay time it that way I don't need to care too much about how long it takes. 

I've just had a look at mine:

Synthetics - 1:40
Baby clothes - 2:40
Woollens - 0:59
Handwash - 0:44
Mixed fabrics - 1:50
Cottons Eco - 2:40
Cottons - 1:57
Dark care - 1:31
Time saver - 0:28

I rent a flat, where the kitchens are too small for washing machines. Our landlord has several in the basement.

None of the machines are brand new, but there's one probably 10 years old (an old workhorse) and the rest are probably about 5 years old. All of them on a regular cycle take just under 2 hours for a 40 degree wash.

As for the dryers you guys have mentioned, are they condenser dryers? We have a standard tumble dryer (it is a year old) and a load with a pair or two of jeans, a towel, assorted other bits, etc. takes about an hour to dry completely.