diff --git a/wash/src/actor/ActorThread.java b/wash/src/actor/ActorThread.java
index 9a93b3b..b7f992f 100644
--- a/wash/src/actor/ActorThread.java
+++ b/wash/src/actor/ActorThread.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package actor;
 
 import java.util.concurrent.LinkedBlockingQueue;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 public class ActorThread<M> extends Thread {
 
@@ -23,4 +24,8 @@ public class ActorThread<M> extends Thread {
     protected M receiveWithTimeout(long timeout) throws InterruptedException {
         return q.poll(timeout, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
     }
+
+    protected Optional<M> poll(long timeOut) throws InterruptedException {
+        return Optional.ofNullable(q.poll(timeOut, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS));
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/wash/src/wash/control/Wash.java b/wash/src/wash/control/Wash.java
index d39d0f4..086ed44 100644
--- a/wash/src/wash/control/Wash.java
+++ b/wash/src/wash/control/Wash.java
@@ -19,13 +19,34 @@ public class Wash {
         water.start();
         spin.start();
 
-        while (true) {
+        ActorThread<WashingMessage> t = null;
+
+        outer: while (true) {
             int n = io.awaitButton();
             System.out.println("user selected program " + n);
 
-            // TODO:
             // if the user presses buttons 1-3, start a washing program
             // if the user presses button 0, and a program has been started, stop it
+
+            switch (n) {
+                case 0 -> t = new WashingProgram0(io, temp, water, spin);
+                case 1 -> t = new WashingProgram1(io, temp, water, spin);
+                case 2 -> t = new WashingProgram1(io, temp, water, spin);
+                case 3 -> t = new WashingProgram3(io, temp, water, spin);
+                default -> {
+                    System.out.println("Invalid program number");
+                    break outer;
+                }
+            }
+
+            t.start();
         }
+
+        temp.interrupt();
+        water.interrupt();
+        spin.interrupt();
+
+        if (t != null)
+            t.interrupt();
     }
 };
diff --git a/wash/src/wash/control/WashingMessage.java b/wash/src/wash/control/WashingMessage.java
index 0148779..2fe4dd1 100644
--- a/wash/src/wash/control/WashingMessage.java
+++ b/wash/src/wash/control/WashingMessage.java
@@ -8,11 +8,8 @@ import actor.ActorThread;
  * - from washing programs to temperature controller (TEMP_xxx)
  * - from washing programs to water controller (WATER_xxx)
  * - from controllers to washing programs (ACKNOWLEDGMENT)
- * 
- * @param sender   the thread that sent the message
- * @param order    an order, such as SPIN_FAST or WATER_DRAIN
  */
-public record WashingMessage(ActorThread<WashingMessage> sender, Order order) {
+public final class WashingMessage {
 
     // possible values for the 'order' attribute
     public enum Order {
@@ -27,4 +24,42 @@ public record WashingMessage(ActorThread<WashingMessage> sender, Order order) {
         WATER_DRAIN,
         ACKNOWLEDGMENT
     }
+
+    // Who sent the message
+    private final ActorThread<WashingMessage> sender;
+
+    // What the message is about
+    private final Order order;
+
+    /**
+     * @param sender the thread that sent the message
+     * @param order  an order, such as SPIN_FAST or WATER_DRAIN
+     */
+    public WashingMessage(ActorThread<WashingMessage> sender, Order order) {
+        this.sender = sender;
+        this.order = order;
+    }
+
+    // Extract the sender from the message
+    public ActorThread<WashingMessage> sender() {
+        return sender;
+    }
+
+    // Extract the order from the message
+    public Order order() {
+        return order;
+    }
+
+    // Return a string representation of the message
+    public String toString() {
+        return new StringBuilder(order.toString())
+                .append(" from ")
+                .append(sender == null ? "(null)" : sender.getClass().getSimpleName())
+                .toString();
+    }
+
+    // Send acknowledgment to the sender
+    public void sendAck(ActorThread<WashingMessage> sender) {
+        this.sender().send(new WashingMessage(sender, Order.ACKNOWLEDGMENT));
+    }
 }