What are the halochas regarding washing clothes at home on Erev Shabos?
Answer:
Ezra enacted that clothing should not be washed on Friday, to allow time for other preparations. This is ruled by the Shulchan Aruch (252).
However, it is permitted to place laundry in the washing machine, which does not demand much labor, and which works automatically (see Shemirash Shabbos Kehilchasah 42, note 13).
One should not wash clothes by hand on Friday, however, one can be lenient for children’s clothes that get dirty frequently, and were not included in the original enactment.
It is permitted, where there is a need for it, to turn on the washing machine on Friday before Shabbos, and allow it to continue during Shabbos. This should be avoided where possible (based on the Rema 252:5), due to the noise made by the machine on Shabbos, but is permitted where there is a need (see also Pri Megadim, Eshel Avraham 21).
Even allowing for a halacha that we do not hold Shevisas Keilim, are you not concerned that allowing the machine to carry on washing involves heating up water on Shabbat, usually at higgher temperatures?
Although water will be heated on Shabbos, this is not a concern, because no human action is involved.
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