# How early is too early?



## Peirre (Jun 29, 2015)

I was up earlyish this morning so after breakfast I set about setting up the PW and moved the caddy of cleanliness into the car, drag out the 25m of hose and do the job, as the car is on the street the plan was to give the car a simple snowfoam, iron detox, and PW before it gets too warm. I didn’t start the actual washing and PW until after 8am, and was done before 9am. As I’m dragging the PW hose back to reel it in prior to drying it off, a newish neighbour who’s been here less than 6month is propping up his fence across the street about 40m away and comments about me making too much noise early on a Sunday morning, he quotes some regulation about noise before 9am, he then also noted that the last time I did it (which was 3 weeks ago during the heatwave) I washed the car at 6:45am. The PW is on the balcony of my flat so the sound of the K10 is projected in the opposite direction from his place, so the only real noise he can hear is the actual water coming out of the lance. My question is am I in the wrong doing things at 8am onwards to avoid the heat of the day on a Sunday or is he just being a twunt???


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## Barbel330 (May 3, 2016)

Depends if you care about what your neighbours think of you I guess. I don’t know what the official rules are about making noise but I personally don’t tend to do it too early as I’m aware that not everyone around me is awake early on a Sunday morning. A weekday would be a different story as people are awake and going to work but a quiet Sunday morning I’d certainly be more careful. I don’t really have a set time when I would do it but I wouldn’t really get my PW out in my street before about 9am on a Sunday I suppose🤷🏻 Would I be annoyed if a neighbour was doing his car at 8am? Probably not as I fully understand why they’d be doing it so early 😬


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## Ctreanor13 (May 1, 2019)

Probably best to check with the local council as to the legality of times etc. But can't really help as I live in the country and nearest neighbour is about half a mile away


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## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

If it only takes you an hour, I’d just push back to 9am to start. Hopefully heat and sun doesn’t impact too much by then, you get to do what you want to do and at 9am neighbour wouldn’t really have a leg to stand on.


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## WRX (Jun 24, 2019)

I also prefer to get mine done early to avoid the heat. Generally on a weekday I’d be happy using a pressure washer from 0730. On the weekend it would be 0800 on a Saturday and at least 1000 on a Sunday. That’s roughly the normal times but if my neighbour had ****ed me off I’d have no problem firing it up at 0600 on a Sunday morning to fire a warning shot their way.


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## sevenfourate (Mar 23, 2013)

I live in a modern hemmed-in housing estate. And like to get up at 5 or 5.30am this time of year to clean and avoid the heat / water marks etc.

That often means i may snow-foam / blast under the arches, clean wheels and rinse etc on a Friday night. Then do normal 2BM wash - rinsing with a hose Sat / Sun morning early. And wax; tyre gel, seal trims blah blah after. Thus keeping the noise down early doors. At that time of peace and quiet early on a weekend - i'm well aware of the noise i'm making if i use a pressure washer. Every neighbour down my road seemingly sleeping with windows open makes me even more concerned with my actions.

Often a Friday evening will mean hoovering time inside the car(s) too. Because they are as; or more noisy than the Pressure washer......


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## mbarn (Mar 2, 2019)

It’s too early.
I’m up by 7 most weekends due to my daughter, but I wouldn’t dream of using a mower or PW pre-9 on a Saturday and pre-10 on a Sunday. 
A lot of people work hard during the week/like to stay up later on weekends, so should be allowed to sleep in, even if you or I don’t.

All my neighbours are the same, barring one guy who lets his feral kids out who scream and shout at 6am in summer. Funnily enough, no one takes his bins out when he goes on holiday, or helps him in any way shape or form, yet the rest of us would help each other with anything willingly.


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## James_R (Jun 28, 2007)

Weekdays you sometimes cant avoid noise.
Builders start building early, bin men coming round at 630am etc etc.

Weekends are different its time for people to have a lie in and relax a little bit in the morning.

I never use the PW or even the hose before 9am on a Saturday or Sunday.
Sunday I try to keep PW until after 930. If someones not up by then, its not my fault.

But yeah 8am may be pushing it a bit with the PW on a Sunday.

Bloke had the hedge trimmer out this morning at 915am and I actually looked at the clock and thought it was early to be making that noise.

I'd go down the @sevenfourate route and do your noisy bits in the evening after work.
In the summer I sometime clean the car and don't pack up til 9pm.


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## Stoner (Jun 25, 2010)

My rule is that I don't use the PW/vacuum before 8.30 during the week or before 9.30 on the weekends. If I want to start cleaning before that time, I start on the interior and then use any remaining time to prep my stuff etc.


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## TakDetails (Apr 25, 2020)

Depends if you care & if your neighbours will make a small thing big.

I used to start at 7am &
None of my neighbours complained (to me) 

Didn’t know how much noise I may have been making in the morning till one morning one of my neighbours was having work done and all I could hear is drilling & shouting early hours in the morning. Obviously a PW isn’t as loud but still can be heard so started at 9am instead.


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## GC#65 (Nov 8, 2014)

Personally, I wouldn't before 9ish anyway.
Here is a link to government advice on how councils deal with noise nuisance.
Typically, the Noise nuisance is considered between 11pm & 7am. So, your neighbour with his "regulations", does have a very mild point. But noise would have to be measured within his property and so on.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/noise-nuisances-how-councils-deal-with-complaints


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

A power washer makes a right racket. I don't kick off until 9.30am with the noisy stuff.

You have to be fair with your neighbours.


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## suds (Apr 27, 2012)

It can also work both ways - if you like getting up early, as I do, I wouldn't be too happy if a neighbour was a noisy 'night owl'. And, then there are neighbours who play loud music in their back garden- if it was classical music I wouldn't mind but....


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## Peirre (Jun 29, 2015)

To add a little bit more info, we live the flats are all ex-warden monitored pensioner flats occupied by the over 50’s we’re 100m from a main road with a petrol station across from us, and there’s a residential nursing home next door where there staff shift change at 7:30am/pm so there’s quite a high level of background noise day and night. The major of the neighbours who are are normally up at 6-7am daily however this guy is a groundwork who is out of work due to the pandemic so he pretty much has nothing to do all day. 
As I live in a 1st floor flat the PW sits on the balcony outside of my bedroom window with the hose run from the bathroom to the PW, my neighbour in the flat below will probably get the vast majority of the noise, but he’s an early bird and has stated there’s no issue.
I can’t really do anything after work due to the long hours I work, I leave home at 4:30-5:00am and don’t get home till after 6pm which means I’m in bed by 8:30-9pm Monday-Friday, so there just enough time to eat, shower before bedtime


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## ianrobbo1 (Feb 13, 2007)

I've got a neighbour that works nights "as I did" and he gets to bed about 7am, we all know his hours, and with one exception keep the noise down in the mornings, two Sundays on the trot he started cleaning the two cars he owns, we "the nice neighbours" all knew what was happening, his nasty neighbour got the message when he started complaining to us about his night working neighbour, he was left in no doubt whose side we were on and altered his noisy ways pretty quickly afterwards, I don't start a power washer before 1 pm, as I don't "do" mornings.


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## Lexus-is250 (Feb 4, 2017)

I think realistically waiting an hour to 9 am at the weekend isnt too much to ask. I dont do anything before 9 at the weekend dispite the noise from the main road at the front of the house. 

The overwhelming feeling is that your probably starting a little too early. 

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## Nick-ST (Mar 4, 2013)

Yeah I definitely wouldn't be using the PW before 10am on a Sunday. 9am on a Saturday. 8am on a weekday. 

Even if you don't want to like your neighbours it is always worth not making enemies where you live if that makes sense


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## Peirre (Jun 29, 2015)

I accept the consensus of the masses and will endeavour to amend my timings


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## wish wash (Aug 25, 2011)

7am to 11pm for domestic 

Building work is, 7-30am to 6pm, over you need a permit
No noisy work on Sundays or bank holidays.


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## Gas head (May 28, 2010)

Nick-ST said:


> Yeah I definitely wouldn't be using the PW before 10am on a Sunday. 9am on a Saturday. 8am on a weekday.
> 
> Even if you don't want to like your neighbours it is always worth not making enemies where you live if that makes sense


A lot of codes of practice give the hours for noise between 10.00am and 7pm on Sundays and this includes domestic activities, I certainly wait until past 10 on a Sunday as Nick says above, for most people Sunday is a lie in day and in the hot weather folk have their windows open


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## garage_dweller (Apr 10, 2018)

Certainly wouldn’t be out with the pressure washing at 8am on a weekend. It’s far too noisy, I like my neighbours and it’s not about caring what people think, it’s about respect. 

I’m always up really early, usually out on the bike for 6am if the weathers fine and I’d love to be out doing the car early but it’s just not on for me. Even just using a hose would still disturb people. 


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

i'm sure the council will have some guidelines on their website, i know ours does. personally i'd not be starting work till gone 8.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

I'd go off my head if a neighbour was using a pw at 8am on a Sunday!


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## virgiltracey (Apr 19, 2017)

Nick-ST said:


> Yeah I definitely wouldn't be using the PW before 10am on a Sunday. 9am on a Saturday. 8am on a weekday.
> 
> Even if you don't want to like your neighbours it is always worth not making enemies where you live if that makes sense


This is my rule too. Having Neighbours that like you is worth its weight in gold.

I left my garage door open the other week (late on an evening, lights on, all my power tools on display...) and my neighbour popped over, locked it and took the key home to make sure it was all safe for me.


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## canada16 (May 26, 2020)

This kind of annoys me. I have a neighbour who lets his yappy little dog out at 7am on the weekend which is my only time to relax and have a lay in. 
Why dont you book a day off during the week and do it then instead of the weekends, its seems some are making people unhappy to suit themselves. Its your car, do it on your own time. 
I am not trying to be rude, but you need to care about others around you, not just water spots on your car. 
If its going to be a scorcher on the weekend I will wait until later in the evening to do my car or wait until its a cloudy day to do my car.


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

What would his neighbour think if he started up a raspy V8 engined car on a cold start at the same time or earlier on a Sunday morning hypothetically speaking, would it then mean he can’t leave his home and go out anywhere until 9am? I’m just throwing the cat amongst the pigeons.


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## Juke_Fan (Jul 12, 2014)

9am Monday to Saturday and 10 am on Sundays is my general rule of thumb. Normally out about 20 mins earlier than that setting everything up.

We have the early morning wake-up call of a yappy little dog at 7am most mornings, just because that neighbour is a prat doesn't mean I have to be. That said, one day I might track the yappy little rat down and skin it alive :lol:


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## mbarn (Mar 2, 2019)

Soul boy 68 said:


> What would his neighbour think if he started up a raspy V8 engined car on a cold start at the same time or earlier on a Sunday morning hypothetically speaking, would it then mean he can't leave his home and go out anywhere until 9am? I'm just throwing the cat amongst the pigeons.


A car is noise for a minute barring on a really cold winters day. A PW is sustained noise for a lot longer.


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

mbarn said:


> A car is noise for a minute barring on a really cold winters day. A PW is sustained noise for a lot longer.


Good point mbarn, not thought of that, was thinking along similar lines as to noise times etc and type of noise.


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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

virgiltracey said:


> This is my rule too. Having Neighbours that like you is worth its weight in gold.
> 
> I left my garage door open the other week (late on an evening, lights on, all my power tools on display...) and my neighbour popped over, locked it and took the key home to make sure it was all safe for me.


I agree. You don't know the value of good neighbours until they're gone.

Saying that the neighbour did start putting together a kids climbing frame at 6am last year! But even that wasn't enough to annoy me to much. He was trying to make the most of the day and I can appreciate that.

I don't get out of bed until 9am on my days off so not an issue I have! Love a lie in.

The comment of taking a day off to wash the car is a poor shout. Most people only get 20 days holiday.

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## Kenan (Sep 7, 2015)

My problem is at the other end of the scale. I don't get to detail untill the evenings in the summer, bit normally like to have finished any machine work by 8. 

My car has other ideas as decided to do an alarm test last night just after half one


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