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The Time Arrived

Our washing machine has been threatening to die for about six months or so. There’s been a lot of banging and crashing going on, a lot of making its own way across the laundry floor, plus the occasional refusal to spin properly so when I open the door after a cycle, the washing is still wringing wet. I guess the bearings have gone but because I wasn’t proactive in getting a repair done, the damage took its toll and finally, today the machine expired. It was getting on in years, though, and had put in a lot of hard slog. A bit like me. 

Part of me isn’t too upset for being lackadaisical in my machine care, because I’ve actually been wanting one with a slightly bigger load capacity. This is mostly because my small ginger friend, Nell, has caused the need for some hefty throws for the sofas which have been a challenge for the old machine to deal with. Thus, I set about the ordering and purchase of a new washing machine, and in doing so, fell down the overwhelming Rabbit Hole of Consumer Doom.

I can testify there are at LEAST 1.5 trillion million squillion different models of washing machine in our 21st century world. And I can also confirm that 99.9% of them have features that are superfluous to my needs, things like ultra quick washes in case I ‘forget to wash my lucky work trousers’ (honestly, this was cited as an advertising feature!) or I need a blast of steam at the end of the programme to make ironing easier. What???

 My washing machine needs are simple : a white wash, a colours wash, a wool wash. A fast spin. A large capacity drum. An eco wash facility. That’s it. Any simpler and I’d be down the nearest river pounding my laundry between a couple of rocks. 

I don’t know why laundry has to be so complicated these days. I remember, as a child in the early 1970s, helping my Gran, aunts and Mum with their washing. It involved twin tubs and mangles. Sometimes a spinner. Simple machines that cleaned clothes perfectly well. I suppose the excuse nowadays is time. Everyone is so busy, busy, busy and washing clothes is a low priority way to spend that time. 

Anyway, having located a suitable washing machine that met my simple needs and was under £400, I put in the order and was confronted with a list of ‘optional extras’ before I could complete my purchase. Did I want next day delivery, or the day after, or next week? All on a sliding scale between £20-£30. But then did I want a specific time slot on my chosen delivery day because if I did, that would be £55.

And then did I want the delivery people to unpack the new machine, disconnect the old machine, install the new machine, take away the old machine? £60. Or maybe just install the new machine? £30. Or just take away the old machine? £25. Or just unpack the new machine? £5. Seriously?? A £5 charge just to take a washing machine out of its packaging?? All in all, if I chose to have all the top end options it would have added £115 extra to my final invoice. Ridiculous. When we bought the last machine, it was from a local company who delivered it on the same day, free of charge! And they took the old machine away with them because they were doing a run to the tip as part of their delivery day. How times have changed. And not for the better.

But hark as me being all nostalgic for good customer service and value for money. The new machine is arriving tomorrow some time between 7 a.m and 7 p.m. I expect it will be dragged up the driveway as far as the point where block paving ends and the gravel starts where it will probably be abandoned because ‘our trolley doesn’t do gravel,’ leaving Andy and I to drag it over the gravel and into the laundry. Andy will have already disconnected the old machine and moved it out of the way. I shall unpack the new machine and sort the debris into our various recycling bins. Andy will plumb in the new machine as he has done so with all our previous machines. And I shall pop in a load of washing to welcome the new machine to Damson Cottage.

I shall probably also make a vow to do all those things you SHOULD do on a regular basis with a washing machine like running an empty hot wash every month or so, and giving the detergent drawer a regular clean with something bleachy. I could even schedule these events on my calendar, couldn’t I?

Ha! Who am I kidding? Waste my time wiping down the outer casing of a washing machine every other Thursday? That’s not going to happen. 


Comments

Anonymous said…
It’s never the good itself that is expensive. It’s the so called “value add”. When you buy a printer for 40 and the ink cost you 65 then you know you are being had and that you can’t do anything about it.
KJ
12 January 2024 at 00:16
Denise said…
KJ, I think it’s becoming worse, too. Don’t get Andy started on printer ink! It’s one of his bug bears.
12 January 2024 at 08:20
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