Choose a setting that suits your needs: delay the start, aim for the cycle to finish at a particular time or control a compatible appliance remotely. Check exactly what the setting controls and what you need to use it. The Sarthe Fire and Rescue Service recommends not scheduling or using heat-generating washing machines or dishwashers when nobody is at home.
If you want to plan a cycle around a predictable time you’ll be home, check whether the setting refers to the start or finish time. Schedule it for a period when someone is at home, in line with the recommendation from the Sarthe Fire and Rescue Service.
Remote control may be worth considering if you want to operate a compatible appliance. Check which actions are available, how to activate the feature and what you need to connect. Remote control does not mean it’s recommended to run an appliance in an empty home.
If you’re at home for part of the day, choosing the right time may matter just as much as scheduling the appliance. ADEME includes working from home in its occupancy scenarios. Also consider noise and your neighbours: according to Service Public, excessive noise can be penalised during the day as well as at night.
If you live in France and plan your washing around changing schedules or being out during the day, first check exactly what the feature does. Then consider when someone will be at home and any connection requirements before choosing an appliance.
| Criteria | What to check before buying | Who considers it most important |
|---|---|---|
| Understand the setting | Check whether the displayed time refers to the start or finish, and how to confirm or cancel the schedule. | If I want my laundry to be ready at a particular time, I first check exactly what the delay setting controls. Around 33% of consumers prioritise understanding the setting. |
| Choose a time when someone is home | Check the model’s safety instructions and plan to run it when someone is in the home. | If the home is often empty during the day, I want to plan the cycle without assuming that scheduling makes it safe to run while I’m out. Around 33% of consumers prioritise having someone at home. |
| Control the appliance remotely | Check which controls are available for the exact model, what needs to be activated and what connection is required where the appliance is installed. | When my schedule changes, I want to be able to control a compatible appliance without assuming that every feature is available remotely. Around 17% of consumers prioritise this flexibility. |
| Maintain comfort | Check the stated noise level, where the appliance will be placed and the relevant rules on noise and neighbours. | If someone is working from home or resting, I look for a time that minimises disruption to people in the home and the neighbours. Around 17% of consumers prioritise comfort when people are at home. |
A delayed start or remote control does not guarantee that an appliance can be run unattended. The Sarthe Fire and Rescue Service recommends not scheduling or using heat-generating laundry appliances when nobody is at home.
Choose a time when someone is at home and follow the instructions for your specific model.
You could end up running the cycle at a different time from the one you intended. Samsung France Support explains that its delayed end setting targets the time the wash finishes.
Check the manual to see what the displayed time refers to, and try the setting before planning your day around it.
Remote controls depend on model compatibility and a procedure set by the manufacturer. Depending on the appliance, you may need an app, an account and a network connection.
Check the procedure for the full model number, rather than relying on the word “connected” alone.
Setup can take time: you may need to install the app, create an account and connect the appliance to your network.
Running a cycle at a different time could disturb people in your home or your neighbours. A noise rating alone doesn’t establish whether the sound will be a nuisance in your home.
Check the model’s acoustic data and consider which rooms are in use, as well as your neighbours, when choosing a time.
Worth considering if you want to plan your laundry around a finish time.
Worth considering if you’re interested in app-based settings on a compatible Home Connect dishwasher.
Worth considering if you want to control a compatible washing machine remotely.
Worth considering if you want to find out how to set a delayed start or finish on a washing machine.
This selection includes countertop dishwashers with delayed start and a connected washing machine with a stated scheduling feature.
No image available
Worth considering if you want to schedule a countertop dishwasher to start later. Plan to run it when someone is at home, in line with the recommendation from the Sarthe Fire and Rescue Service.
Built-in 5 L water tank; 9 programmes; stated dimensions of 37 × 50 cm; two spray arms; energy rating D.
No image available
Worth considering if you want to schedule the start in advance. Check the model’s manual and don’t schedule a cycle while nobody is at home, in line with the recommendation from the Sarthe Fire and Rescue Service.
Built-in 5 L tank; stated 12-hour delayed start; stated to be manually filled, with no fixed water connection required.
No image available
Worth considering if you’re looking for a compact dishwasher with a stated delayed start. Check the model’s instructions and bear in mind the Sarthe Fire and Rescue Service’s recommendation to have someone at home.
Stated capacity of 3 place settings; 7 programmes; digital display; 24-hour delayed start; stated noise level of 56,3 dB; energy rating C.
No image available
Worth considering if the stated capacity of 6 place settings suits your usual load and you want to delay a cycle. Follow the model’s safety instructions.
Stated capacity of 6 place settings; 7 programmes; digital display; 24-hour delayed start; automatic door opening; stated noise level of 47 dB; energy rating D.
No image available
Worth considering if you’re looking for a connected washing machine with a stated scheduling feature. Check the app’s functions and plan to run the cycle when someone is at home, in line with the recommendation from the Sarthe Fire and Rescue Service.
10 kg capacity; 1 400 tr/min spin speed; Wi-Fi; stated delayed start of up to 24 hours and control via the hOn app; AutoDose; steam; energy rating A.
Scheduling alone does not establish that this is safe. The Sarthe Fire and Rescue Service recommends not scheduling or using heat-generating washing machines and dishwashers in an empty home. Choose a time when someone is at home and follow the model’s manual.
In the procedure explained by Samsung France, the setting targets the time the wash finishes, rather than simply setting a delay before the cycle starts. Check that this feature and its instructions apply to your exact appliance model.
Electrolux France’s procedure requires you to install the app and have an active Wi-Fi connection. You then select a programme, activate the remote start option and confirm it; available controls depend on the model.
Read the model’s manual and safety instructions before setting up the app. For the Bosch SMS6ZCI11F, the brief documentation mentions settings in Home Connect, but it is no substitute for the full manual and does not, on its own, confirm that you can schedule the appliance to start at a particular time.
No. In France, noise that causes an excessive disturbance to neighbours can be penalised during the day as well as at night, according to Service Public. Consider your neighbours and local rules; running an appliance during the day is not a blanket exemption.