Bosch Maxx Lifestyle
category: front loading washing machine, manufactured by:Bosch
We bought a new front loading washing machine in late 2008.Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10
(a combination of good wash with incomprehensible instructions)
After more than a year I am now happy that this washing machine does get clothes clean. No worries there -- now. For the first few months, I struggled.First, it's a front loader. I'm tired of kneeling down, throwing something in, watching it fall out again. And -- the well known problem -- once you press Start, there is no going back. No changing your mind. No pause to add just one more item to the wash.
Next, it's supposed to be energy efficient. Also -- according to the woman at the customer service help desk -- it's water efficient: less load, less water. I've been recycling grey water, catching used water in the laundry tub. As far as I can tell, any size load uses just as much water. No water efficiency there... Is there any truth in the energy efficiency claim?
That same customer service lady told me to always leave empty space at the top of the washer; to not fill it "too full" of clothes. No mention of that in the instruction book. Which brings me to the instruction book.
Wash score 8, instructions 4
Here's how I think the instruction book was written:- A bunch of German Laundry Engineers put the washing machine through its paces. They all understood water circulation, detergent chemistry, the adhesive properties of various categories of dirt. Not one of them had ever washed a load of their own washing. Not one of them had ever watched "a real person" do a load of laundry.
- These Laundry Engineers calculated the most efficient and effective ways of cycling water and detergent through clothes. Probably published several papers, in the Monthly Journal of Laundry Engineering.
- They then documented the best wash cycles in a very compact and language-independent form. Failed to test their documentation standards on real people.
- And totally failed to explain which cycle is most appropriate in which washing circumstance.
Bosch botches laundry manual
The cover page says, "Read these instructions before switching on the washing machine! Also follow the separate installation instructions. Follow the safety instructions on page 11!" So I need to read these twelve pages. Plus the separate and missing installation instructions. And the best place to start appears to be on page 11.So I start with the safety instructions on page 11...
Most of it seems fairly standard: Some pointers on safe use of an electrical appliance; warning of the risk of posioning (sic) from detergents; an instruction to not climb on the washing machine. I'm a bit worried by the warning, "Caution when draining hot detergent solution." I use cold and dry powder. Where is this dangerous "hot detergent solution"?!
I skip back to page 9: Detergent-solution pump. This tells me how to drain a "Detergent-solution pump". What?! What is a "Detergent-solution pump"? When would I drain it? Why would I drain it... whatever it is?! Whatever it is, it does seem to introduce a "Risk of scalding!" -- which is a new risk, not mentioned in the Safety instructions of page 11.
Oh well, back to page 11. "Risk of explosion"... Perhaps I should avoid using this machine. It seems to be very dangerous. Specially since I have not been properly trained in its use.
Ah... forget it... Let's just follow the instructions for use...
Page 2: Your washing machine
"Congratulations..." Okay, I made a good choice. Must have, the instructions tell me so."Environmental disposal: Dispose of packaging in an environmentally friendly manner" -- with a picture of a wheelie bin -- with a big X through it. What? Do not put the packaging in the bin? What am I supposed to do, dump it on a vacant block?
Okay, ignore that, too. Let's see how to wash clothes with this washing machine...
"Programmes". This looks good. It's a list of all the pre-set combinations of wash/soak/rinse/spin cycles. Yes, a list... with instructions to "see Page 7" for a detailed overview. (By the way, this short list of programmes is split across pages 1 and 2. Just for your reading inconvenience.) So, I turn to page 7.
The first line of page 7 says, "See also page 6".
Page 6 is "Important information". Including -- the second section -- "Before washing for the first time".
Enough!
I close the instruction manual. Shove in some dirty clothes. Click the selector knob to "Mixed load". Put laundry detergent into one of the three possible spaces (hoping that I picked the right one) and press go... (Actually, it's worse than that because the "go" button is touch sensitive. Sometimes it ignores the touch. Sometimes it flicks on and off several times, if it's feeling really sensitive. But that's another issue.)
Then I walk away and hope for the best. And start to read War And Peace, because it's much clearer than the instruction manual, and makes a lot more sense.
email nickleth at gmail dot com. |
3 comments:
My feelings exactly!!!
Has anyone found detailed explanations of what each cycle does and how they differ?
I am in a real quandry because I have a load that doesn't "fit" any of their "load types"......
I have laughed and laughed at this review. At least I'm laughing now instead of having hysterics. I had it for less than a month and the door wouldn't close. The Bosch expert I called came out and said "Oh yes, they do have trouble with the doors". So why don't Bosch address that problem and fix it. Apart from the same issues (especially with the instruction book) I have now had this machine for three years and still can't get the "spin" cycle to go on it's own if I just want to spin a woolly I've hand washed. It makes all the right noises of spinning, but the article of clothing just sits there in the bottom of the spin bin. I'll never get another one.
Hello Jeanie,
Thanks for your comment! Glad it helped reduce the hysterics. Here's the good news: We still have the same washing machine and it still works. (No thanks to the instruction books.)
A key secret seems to be: do not fill more than half full. With plenty of space the wash seems to work. Pity that doesn't seem to be in the instructions.
Though there is one problem. Some material shows a distinct change in colour between wet & dry. That is, when wet the colour is much darker than when it is dry. So it is very clear that some clothes spend more than an hour being washed -- and do not get completely wet!
I do a load of washing. Take the clothes out, hang them on the line to dry... and find that some items are already, partly dry. That is, a complete wash cycle has failed to wet the entire item. Good grief, this machine is supposed to *clean* clothes?! Still... it only happens now and then.
Meanwhile... there are more than a dozen wash cycles available. With no clear explanation of when to use them, I use just one. Plus the occasional "15 minute quick wash" because -- whatever else it is -- it is quick.
Solid German engineering. Incomprehensible German instructions. At least the door of *my* machine closes :-)
... Nick
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