Why the hell is the washing taking longer than it says on the display again?!
31.5.2024
Translation: Megan Cornish
Do you often find yourself standing in front of your washing machine waiting for it to finish a supposedly timed cycle? The washing machine whisperer from Miele explains why one minute can turn into several.
«Time is what the clock says,» as Albert Einstein once said. OK, Albert, we understand that time is relative. The running time of a wash cycle on our machine is relatively unsatisfactory. It often takes several minutes for the display to count down to one minute. So, I have to quote Dutch writer Cees Nooteboom:
Time has always been confused with the instruments that measure it.
When it takes longer
Just so we understand each other correctly, I don’t really care how long a wash cycle takes. I don’t control it. I just noticed on two occasions recently that there seems to be something wrong with the time calculation on our washing machine.
One day we had a real mountain of washing to do, as can happen in the best of families. I started the first load and set an alarm after the end time indicated on the display of our washing machine so that I could start the next wash cycle straight away. When my alarm went off, the wash cycle was in its final stages, but still in full swing. And it carried on running for a full 12 minutes.
The second time, the mid-cycle display of the washing machine showed 19 minutes left while I was doing something else in the bathroom. A few minutes later, I was astonished to still see an illuminated blue 19. What’s going on?
Why it keeps taking longer
I quickly find the cause of this time distortion on the internet. But I want a more precise and, above all, more expert answer, so I turn to Roman Berther. He’s PR & Events Manager at washing machine manufacturer Miele and lets me know straight away that it’s probably my own fault, because:
«Longer washing times are usually due to user error.»
Well then, let’s find the reason – or rather the reasons:
1. Too much washing
Washing machines come in different sizes, with their respective capacities varying accordingly. Ours, for example, holds eight kilogrammes, which is probably the most common option nowadays. But that doesn’t mean that I should wantonly stuff the washing machine full. Basically, the fuller the washing machine, the longer the wash cycle. Miele expert Roman Berther illustrates this with the practical example of a quick wash programme: «Loading the washing machine with a lot of laundry and selecting a wash temperature of 40 degrees Celsius when the water inlet temperature is very low (for example in winter) extends the heating phase and with it the entire wash programme.»
Source: Simon Balissat
If possible, make sure the washing machine isn’t full to the top. As a rule of thumb, leave a hand’s width of space free at the top when loading the drum. This will allow the machine to work optimally. Incidentally, too little laundry in the drum is also suboptimal, at least from an economic and ecological point of view.
2. Too much detergent
Another common reason for a longer wash cycle is too much detergent. «If the machine detects residual detergent after the rinse cycle, an additional rinse cycle with fresh water is started to thoroughly wash the clothes again,» says Roman Berther. I was embarrassed to realise that I’m guilty of this. I’ve also thrown two detergent pods into the drum instead of one. After all, more means better and cleaner, right? Well, too much detergent definitely creates more foam in the machine, requiring more rinse cycles to get rid of it again.
Some modern washing machines by Miele and other manufacturers are so smart that they can also take care of the detergent amount. But our machine at home is a long way from that. I also like these detergent pods… not to eat, of course! (website in German)
3. Imbalance
The last minute of a wash cycle often takes longer. In most cases, the cause is a so-called imbalance: the laundry is unevenly distributed in the drum, so the washing machine vibrates and shakes during spinning. Roman Berther: «An imbalance in the machine can cause an unpredictable amount of time for the laundry to be redistributed. Especially if this happens before the last spin step, a machine needs varying amounts of time to redistribute the laundry and avoid imbalance.» This protects the washing machine and extends its service life.
The best way to avoid an imbalance is to load the laundry evenly into the drum and distribute heavy items such as bed linen well. What you definitely shouldn’t do is overload the washing machine. Which brings us back to the first reason behind a wash cycle taking longer.
Source: Roman Berther
Good reasons for the longer wash cycle
If you don’t overdo it with the detergent and the laundry, there’s a good chance that the duration of your wash cycle will match the time on your machine’s display. Some washing machines also automatically adjust their remaining running time depending on their contents. According to Roman Berther, Miele models do this in the first ten minutes of the wash cycle. If you want to be on the safe side, take another look at the display.
If, for example, you live in an apartment building and have exactly one day a week to do your washing, time is undoubtedly a crucial factor. If, like us, you have your own washing machine, things are a little different, not to say more relaxed.
Source: Simon Balissat
There are good reasons to consciously decide to wash your laundry for longer. If you wash using an eco programme, it’ll take longer for the laundry to be clean, but you’ll save a lot of energy because the machine works with a reduced water temperature when washing and rinsing. «On average, a fully loaded Miele washing machine uses about half as much energy in eco mode as a normal wash cycle,» says Roman Berther. «A hot water connection boosts the energy saving potential even further.»
Our washing machine doesn’t have a hot water connection. Instead, I’ve made a firm resolution to use the eco programme more in the future. And to pay even less attention to the length of the wash cycle than before. For both the washing machine’s sake and my own. And in the spirit of both sustainability and slowing down.
Header image: Simon Balissat
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.