Washing machine noise

[HelenAnne]

I live in private flats that are really close together no soundproofing.

My bedroom is between two kitchens, one directly above me and one above me but to the side.

I know people have to do washing that?s absolutely no problem, but I?m just wondering what would be the latest time it should be on.

Normally the Noise people wouldn?t investigate but if it was on, say 11.00pm and past, surely that?s too late.

One washing machine is quite loud and feels like my room is shaking. It?s only for a couple of minutes during the last spin cycle but that couple of minutes has disturbed me sometimes.

If I?m not asleep already and because everything is quiet, it?s louder as there?s no other noise to block it out or surround it.

The other machine is quite smooth most of the time and wouldn?t wake me up whatever time it was on.

Both households seem to run loads one after the other most times... probably a coincidence but I often think they synchronise watches.

Both have kids as well, so surely if they don?t think of anyone else, at least think of their kids.

There is no excuse to have a machine on past a certain time, especially in this situation we find ourselves in as there are lots of people currently unfortunately not working in the current times.

I understand clothes and other fabrics have to be clean, but surely there?s guidelines.

It may be that they don?t realise there is a bedroom underneath or they don?t realise how noisy the machines are.

The problem is that we are not on good terms with one household and the other hasn?t been residing there long, so she may not be aware... but surely it?s common sense and social decency.

Just would like to get some advice if possible please.

Thank you

Helen Anne

[first mate]

If either are healthcare or keyworkers they may need to be washing much more frequently.

Additionally, if their water is metered water charges drop after a certain time.

In normal circumstance, some of us have neighbours that roll in at 12 or later from the pub and start to play loud music. So I get where you are coming from.

[tomskip]

Yes, it's inconsiderate. People who live in attached properties must realise their washing machines can be heard in other households?

[JohnL]

Spin noise depends to some extent on positioning (of the feet), vibration and age.

My 10 year old Hotpoint is quite noisy on spin but when I replace it (soon as it's drying has stopped working)I expect much less.

[IlonaM]

I live in an old conversion and washing machine noise can be a real issue if on too early or late. Personally I don't run mine before 9am or after 9pm, but one set of neighbours regularly does. There are rubber mats and absorber feet you can use under washing machines to try to mitigate the noise, especially the vibrations. Unfortunately at the moment the Noise Team is working from home and not making visits, but they are available on the usual number/email to talk to. Have you tried approaching your neighbours to see if they realise their disturbing you in your bedroom? Maybe they don't realise just how much noise is transferring through walls & floors to your flat.

[HelenAnne]

Thanks for the replies.

As far as I am aware they are not key workers.

One household rarely goes out and the other only goes out to take the dog for a walk and combining with their own exercise, but sometimes the son goes out with the dog.

It?s not that they have it on, it?s the times they sometimes have it on.

I myself am a key worker but only working once or twice a week at the moment to ensure that the nursery does not have too many staff and children, as we can?t do social distancing with these young age group.

I?ll monitor it and see how it goes.

We don?t have a washing machine as it was plumbed in wrong and leaked from behind.

We didn?t realise until 9 months later when an awful smell was coming from my inbuilt wardrobe. All my stuff in there was ruined, bags, shoes and half my clothes.

Mum hasn?t wanted the machine plumbed in since cos she?s scared of it happening again.

Anyway my point is that when we did have a machine she mostly used to run it around 2-4pm, never at lunch time, never before 9am and never after 7pm.

The earliest was around 9.30 and the latest I think was 6pm.

I understand there may be more people than 3 in a flat and if you have children of course they need clean hygienic clothing. I wouldn?t have this any other way.

The thing is as well, we don?t know for sure which household has the noisiest machine... the one that really vibrates as the flats were designed in a weird way, so we don?t want to accuse and then be up for any kind of slander xx

[OLori]

Hello, so I've just moved out of a place with what I would call nightmare neighbours.

Firstly in answer to your question, according to different boroughs/councils, using washing machines and domestic appliances outside of daytime hours i.e sunrise (07.30 - 18.00)is classed as antisocial behaviour. In this instance, if they are repeatedly using the washing machine, especially around night time, then you will have a case. In this instance, if you haven't already, get in touch with your councils noise and nuisance team and they will send an officer round to assess the noise from your home and will then intervene and speak to your neighbours.

Secondly, and this is where I'll have to play devils advocate with you. Basically I found out that what I thought was a washing machine/dryer from my neighbours who, like you were using their washing machine in the early hours of the morning and basically throughout the whole day, intermittently, was actually because it wasn't a washing machine that we were hearing.

Our ex neighbours were actually excessive cannabis users, growing cannabis in their flat and the sound was an extractor fan, which sounded like a washing machine. I hope this is not the case with your neighbours, but after going through this whole terrible nightmare, there is a lot of research and statistics to show that there are many people growing cannabis etc in their flats, as it's not what people expect.

Hopefully something in what I've written will be of use, (I hope not the latter!)

Good luck!

[HelenAnne]

Thanks OLori

It?s definitely a washing machine or tumble dryer.

It?s too loud and has a vibration not to be anything else.

It?s not all the time they do it, but when they do, we surely know about it.

We did have people next door who were cannabis users but they moved out last year.

The two households in question definitely would not do anything of that kind.

I was thinking of writing a note, not accusing... just asking whoever it is if they wouldn?t mind not using it past 10pm, I know that?s still rather late but I rarely get to sleep before 11 anyway, so it wouldn?t bother me then.

The only thing is both households have kids who are I would hope asleep by that time. So surely even if they don?t care about disturbing others surely they wouldn?t want to be the reason their kids are sleep deprived.

We are thinking about reporting but I noticed that when they do run the machine, it?s normally a Friday or before a long weekend.

It?s almost like they think oh well they can?t report us for a couple/few days and by that time, no-one will bother coming out of we will have forgotten about it xx

[beck]

Have you spoken to them or left them a note to explain the impact it's having on you?

Maybe they just don't realise or aren't the sort of people who think things through.

I would definitely try a friendly approach first before reporting them

[Sue]

OLori Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Firstly in answer to your question, according to

> different boroughs/councils, using washing

> machines and domestic appliances outside of

> daytime hours i.e sunrise (07.30 - 18.00)is

> classed as antisocial behaviour.

Using a washing machine after 6pm is classed as antisocial behaviour? Or, say, a hoover. Really? 6pm??

And "daylight hours" vary during the year, surely?

I believe Southwark Noise Control specifically excludes domestic appliances as a reason to call them out, unless I have misremembered.

I would have thought before 10pm was reasonable unless the noise was really loud?

Good luck with sorting it out though, HelenAnne, I agree a friendly note would be the best first approach.

[HelenAnne]

I mentioned this to my Dad and he said that he wrote a friendly note years ago when we were having similar noise problems with banging and loud voices and loud footsteps late at night and into the early hours.

When Mum found out about the note Dad told me she went off her rocker at him, and the note didn?t do any good as the noise still continued.

I always wondered why the noise got worse around that time and now I know.

Where we live, the owners of the building don?t check up on every complaint you make, they say they?ll follow it up but unless you chase them, you never hear back.

And even if you do hear back the general response is ?We are still not finished with the investigation,? then that person dealing with it tends to fall off the face of the earth as next time you phone, someone else is in charge and knows nothing about your issues.

It?s ridiculous xx

[Chick]

Why don't you just talk to them?

[HelenAnne]

Chick Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Why don't you just talk to them?

Easier said than done as we are not on the best terms due to years of disagreements over where the noise is coming from.

They don?t seem to understand that just because they own the fiat they think they can do whatever they want.

They still have to comply with the rules xx

[Chick]

Good luck.

[PnB]

I always do my washing around 6am, whilst im getting ready for work, so it can dry during the day. If anyone complained about me doing something natural like that in my own home, id be very unimpressed. Saying that, the only fair thing to do would be to retaliate by blasting some music against the wall you share, then you are even.

[HelenAnne]

Retaliation will just fuel their fire.

From now on, I?m making a log of every noise they make at times when it should be quiet, such as sleep time.

That way, if we do have to take it further, there?s a detailed log and maybe that will be enough to make our housing people act and take it seriously.

They have just been merrily banging away from 5pm and only just seemed to have stopped now... no they just started again.

Granted it wasn?t loud banging but all DIY should stop (for us) at 6pm... that I?m sure of

xx