Two minutes.
In the scheme of things, it’s a really little thing to mar the otherwise extremely positive experience of a washing machine. The problem is, it’s the last part of the experience, so however good it was up until that moment, this is the feeling you take away with you. It’s so frustrating that I often forget to empty the machine for hours.
What an earth am I going on about?
My Hotpoint Ultima machine beeps, loud and clear, when it has finished. Except that one of the designers thought it would be funny to, having grabbed your attention and drawn you to the machine, keep you waiting for two minutes before they allow the door to unlock. Barred by a little keyhole symbol!
Two frustrating minutes.
‘Ha ha, Gotcha!’ it screams. Or maybe, ‘this is to show you how safety conscious I am’. I don’t know, it doesn’t speak my language!
Why not beep when the machine is ready rather than two minutes early?