Consider a routine Saturday afternoon "project" $-$ doing the laundry that consists of the following activities:

Sort the laundry into three load$-$size piles. Time: $\frac{1}{4}$ hour $($this step needs to be done first, but only once$).$

Wash each load. Time: $\frac{1}{2}$ hour per load.

Dry each load, after it has been washed. Time: $\frac{3}{4}$ hour per load.

Fold and put away each load, after it has been dried. Time: $\frac{1}{4}$ hour per load.

If you have three loads of laundry to do$,$ one washer and one dryer, and start at $12$:$00$ noon, what is the earliest time that you can finish?

It is $1$:$00$ p$.$m$.$ Load one is in the dryer and load two is in the washer when the neighbor asks for help moving some furniture. For how long can you help your neighbor without delaying the project completion time determined question $(1)?$