Your washing machine isn't lying about the cycle time - here's what you actually did wrong

I love throwing a load of laundry on for a quick 30-minute cycle, just to keep the never-ending pile of dirty clothes under control. 

But there have been so many times where, after a while, I'll hear the washing machine still going – and let's be real, the 30-minute cycle goes on for a lot longer than that.

We've all been there. You say you'll leave the house as soon as you've hung out the washing, but the cycle just goes on and on, going well past the program time displayed at the start.

Well, it turns out there's a good reason for this, and you might actually be the problem. (Sorry.)

"Washing machine programs will often give times that seem like they are a bit misleading," Matthew Steen, Director, Reviews and Testing at Choice, told nine.com.au. 

"However, they are there for guidance only."

Washing machines have electronic sensors that help the device make a lot of decisions based on what it detects. 

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Steen explained there are several things that can change program times and why. 

"The load size and type of clothing/materials being washed; this challenges the balancing function of the washer," he explained.

"Bulky loads often change times as the washer detects unbalancing impacts.

Sheen also explained the temperature can affect the load time. 

"People's water supply can differ in temperature and some take longer to heat up if they are using a warm or hot wash," he added. 

"Water pressure – some people have high or low pressure from their water supply which means it takes a different amount of time to fill the washer."

A surprising factor is using too much detergent.

"The amount of detergent can create more suds, and the more suds means more rinses that need to be utilised to remove the detergent," he adds. 

The best way to keep your washing machine program times on track, well, it's an easy one to do, follow the manufacturers guide or manual. 

"Different machines use different sensors," Sheen added. 

"Different programs can have different load size requirements." 

Now, here's where it comes in that you might be the problem with the load time, and it's because you're overloading the machine. 

"We often underestimate the amount we can put into a machine," Sheen said. 

"Washing machines are tested to a full load to be sold in Australia and the average size of a machine is roughly 7kg. That's a LOT of clothes.

"If you often think you overfill your machine, put your full dirty load into a laundry basket and pop it on your scales. You might be surprised at how much you underfill your machine."

The other bit of advice for keeping things on track is to really be mindful about how much detergent you are using. 

"We've tested at different levels of detergent and adjusting your detergent to use less on less soiled clothes would only lower dirt removal marginally, and will cost you a lot less in the long run in terms of detergent costs," he said.

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