Anyone that knows me will contest the fact that I am an introvert.  As much as I love my family and the noise and joy that brings, I need my solitude too and in a world of noise, be that digital and sensory sound it can be really hard to find moments of quiet in my day.

For me, it is all about balance and making the most of the quiet when I can.  There are quite a few things that we have done in our home to make it more comfortable for me.  I am really lucky that the husbeast is an introvert too and he really understands my need to search for the silence.  Our home is often filled with noise and the quieter times really help me cope with the loudness that bringing up two boys brings.  So we might be all chaotic and loud at breakfast time, but when the boys have made their way to school I sit and read for 30 minutes in total silence, no radio in the background, just me and my book.

Some recent research commissioned by Whirlpool for National Quiet Day (14th September) confirms that I am not the only one searching for silence as 80% of adults say that peace and quiet is important to them.  But finding that quiet in our own homes can be harder than you think what with dripping taps, noisy neighbours, and ticking clocks (which I banished from our home)!  Washing machines were far and away voted the noisiest kitchen appliance, with half the population ranking them louder than food processors, blenders and kettles.  I have to agree that I used to find the noise of the washing machine an annoyance when I used to work in our kitchen as we do not have a utility room.

Whirlpool has introduced “The innovative ZENTechnology ™ , in the new Supreme Care range of washing machines, which  offers the quietest spin cycle on the market*, meaning people can get on with life, undisturbed by the sound of their washing machine.  We have been putting this to the test with the Whirlpool Supreme Care washing machine in white FSCR10432 and guess what the loudest part of the wash cycle is actually the water fill! Seriously we couldn’t believe just how quiet it is without compromising on performance.  There is no need for us to only run the machine when we are not in the kitchen or shut the kitchen door.  It is ace.

So how is it so quiet?  The ZenTechnology™ combines a new direct drive motor with improved appliance design to minimise vibration.  It even has foam strips that you place under the machine as stability really helps.  So at a 1400 rpm spin, the washing machine is exceptionally quiet, coming in at only 68 decibels, which is only just above the level of normal conversation.

For me having quiet appliances in my home is key as it means I can relax and find my silence and with open plan living becoming more and more popular a quiet washing machine is a real bonus.  My kitchen really is the heart of my home and I can sit with my morning pot of tea and read even if the washing machine is on.  We can congregate and cook as a family and no one has to shout to be heard over the spinning washer.  If the boys are in the sitting room with their mates, I can sit in the kitchen and not feel bombarded with noise.

5 Tips for finding moments of quiet in your day

1. Turn off the TV and radio. Do not leave it on in the background. In fact, I really find that having time away from technology helps me a lot.  We have sign-off Saturday or Sunday and disconnecting really helps me reconnect with my family and my inner calm.
2. Wear noise reducing headphones. If I am walking the dog and do not want to be interrupted I have started to wear really large noise reducing headphones.  Sometimes I don’t even plug them into my phone!
3. Reconnect with nature.  Try spending 10 minutes outside walking the dog, or going for a walk if you do not have a dog, can really help you find a quiet moment.  Get used to turning your phone on to silent.  This was my saviour when the boys were off over the summer holidays.
4. Ask for silence.  I let my boys know when it is quiet time and they are fine about it and will put on headphones if they are listening to anything or find something quiet to do.  When they stopped napping as young children we introduced the concept of quiet time.
5. Practice mindfulness.  I started meditating when I had my mastectomy and then stopped, but recently took it up again using guided meditations.  Ten minutes allows me to really refocus on the rest of the day and calms my mind even with noise going on all around me.

Do you have a need for silence? How do you cope with everyday noise?  Do you have quiet time in your home?  I know I was so upset when the boys stopped napping when then were little as that was my quiet time.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you in collaboration with Whirlpool who sent us the Whirlpool Supreme Care washing machine in white FSCR10432.

* ZENTechnology™ has the lowest noise level on the market. Up to a 10kg load at 1400rpm (status: December 2014)