Washing Machine Done Notification

Easy 20 min

Never forget the laundry again! This guide shows how to get a notification on your phone (or via speaker) when the washing machine is done - based on power consumption.

🤔 How Does It Work?

Washing machines use a lot of power during washing (500-2000W) and almost none when finished (0-5W). By measuring power consumption we can detect:

State	Power Usage	Description
Off	0W	Machine is off
Standby	1-5W	On but not active
Running	100-2000W	Active wash/spin
Done	1-5W (after high)	Was high, now low = done!

Simple principle

When power consumption drops from high (over 10W) to low (under 5W) for more than 3 minutes = washing machine is done!

📦 What You Need

Component	Examples	Price
Smart plug with power monitoring	Shelly Plug S, NOUS A1T, TP-Link KP115	$20-35

Important: Capacity!

Washing machines can draw up to 2500W. Make sure your smart plug is rated for at least 16A / 3680W!

Recommended Smart Plugs

Model	Max W	Protocol	Recommendation
Shelly Plug S	2500W	WiFi	✅ Local, reliable
NOUS A1T	3680W	Zigbee	✅ Good price, Zigbee
TP-Link KP115	1800W	WiFi	⚠️ Maybe too low capacity

🔧 Setup

Step 1: Connect Smart Plug

1. Plug smart plug into outlet
2. Connect washing machine to smart plug
3. Add plug to Home Assistant
4. Verify you have a power sensor (W)

Step 2: Find Your Values

Run a wash and observe power consumption in Home Assistant.

Typical values:

Standby:        ~2W
Filling:        ~50W
Washing:        ~200-500W
Spinning:       ~300-600W
Done:           ~2W

Step 3: Create Helper (Optional but Recommended)

1. Go to Settings → Devices & services → Helpers
2. Click Create helper → Dropdown
3. Name: “Washing Machine Status”
4. Options: off, running, done, emptied

🤖 Automation: Basic Notification

Simple Version (Recommended Start)

automation:
  - alias: "Washing machine done notification"
    description: "Send message when washing machine is done"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.washing_machine_power
        below: 5
        for:
          minutes: 3
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: input_select.washing_machine_status
        state: "running"
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
        data:
          title: "🧺 Washing Machine"
          message: "The laundry is done!"
          data:
            tag: "washing_machine"

Better Version with Status Tracking

automation:
  # When machine starts
  - alias: "Washing Machine: Started"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.washing_machine_power
        above: 10
        for:
          minutes: 1
    action:
      - service: input_select.select_option
        target:
          entity_id: input_select.washing_machine_status
        data:
          option: "running"

  # When machine is done
  - alias: "Washing Machine: Done"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.washing_machine_power
        below: 5
        for:
          minutes: 3
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: input_select.washing_machine_status
        state: "running"
    action:
      - service: input_select.select_option
        target:
          entity_id: input_select.washing_machine_status
        data:
          option: "done"
      - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
        data:
          title: "🧺 Washing Machine"
          message: "The laundry is done! Remember to empty the machine."
          data:
            tag: "washing_machine"
            persistent: true
            actions:
              - action: "WASHING_EMPTIED"
                title: "✓ Emptied"

📢 Advanced: Repeated Reminders

If you (like most people) ignore the first notification:

automation:
  - alias: "Washing Machine: Repeat reminder"
    trigger:
      - platform: time_pattern
        minutes: "/15"  # Every 15 minutes
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: input_select.washing_machine_status
        state: "done"
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
        data:
          title: "🧺 Washing Machine - REMINDER"
          message: "The laundry is still waiting!"
          data:
            tag: "washing_machine"

🔊 TTS Announcement (Google Home / Sonos)

automation:
  - alias: "Washing Machine: TTS announcement"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.washing_machine_power
        below: 5
        for:
          minutes: 3
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: input_select.washing_machine_status
        state: "running"
    action:
      - service: input_select.select_option
        target:
          entity_id: input_select.washing_machine_status
        data:
          option: "done"
      - service: tts.google_translate_say
        target:
          entity_id: media_player.living_room_speaker
        data:
          message: "The washing machine is done. Remember to empty it."

📊 Dashboard Card

type: entities
title: Washing Machine
entities:
  - entity: input_select.washing_machine_status
    name: Status
  - entity: sensor.washing_machine_power
    name: Power Usage
  - entity: sensor.washing_machine_energy_today
    name: Usage Today

🔧 Troubleshooting

Notification comes too early?

Washing machines can pause during wash. Increase for time to 5-10 minutes.

Notification doesn't come?

1. Check that power sensor updates (may be delayed)
2. Verify trigger value (5W) matches your machine
3. Check condition - maybe status isn’t “running”

🔄 Also Works For

Same principle can be used for:

Appliance	Start threshold	End threshold
Dryer	Over 50W	Under 10W
Dishwasher	Over 10W	Under 5W
Oven	Over 100W	Under 10W
3D printer	Over 50W	Under 10W

🚀 Next Steps

📊 Energy Dashboard

Monitor consumption on all appliances.

Set up Energy Dashboard →

⚡ Automations

Learn more about Home Assistant automations.

Your first automation →