Jon Bentley is concerned that waiting around for white goods appliances to do their job is becoming the new normal
I’m dreading the day our 17-year old Bosch dishwasher packs up. It has a handy 35 degree Celsius 30-minute wash that works very well. We often use it when time is short. The latest Bosch dishwashers however don’t have such a program. At their quickest they make you hang around for an hour (and boost the temperature to 40 degrees). I raised this with a Bosch European product manager at IFA recently. He said the newer programs use less water and are more environmentally responsible and that I should get used to thinking that quick equals an hour rather than 30 minutes.
It’s not just dishwashers. New heat pump tumble dryers take longer to dry than traditional, vented or condenser ones. We recently tested an Indesit washing machine on the telly programme I work for and the cottons cycle lasted four hours. That’s ridiculous!
The thing is the manufacturers are cornered both by regulations, which set ever higher standards for energy and water use, and customers who are liable to be put off by a poor energy rating and incensed if even the slightest stain or food detritus remains at the end of the cycle. It’s not surprising cycles are getting longer and longer. Time is the one area that gives.
But should it? Forgive me for injecting a cautionary note but fire services normally advise that you shouldn’t operate white goods like washing machines or dishwashers while you’re out or asleep because of the risk of fire. You should be awake and present, keeping an eye out for telltale wisps of smoke and burning smells. With today’s lackadaisical white goods, if you’re of a fearful disposition, you might have to book a whole day in, just to monitor a load or two of washing.
Happily, there are some appliance manufacturers who are bucking the trend
Personally I’ve always been slightly sceptical of this particular piece of precautionary advice; I’d actually prefer
