Everything is different in a foreign country. This most definitely includes the mundane, everyday, non-sexy things we have to do to adult well. When the foreign country (meaning the human inhabitants, not the geographical representation of a nation or ethnic state) speaks a language other than your own native language, this adds a level of uncertainty, stress and slowness to a process you might otherwise have been able to complete like a speed machine for years. Multiply this feeling by the number of regular chores and tasks one has to complete, it’s easy to see how immigrant / expat life has hidden stresses and unpleasant sides to the otherwise somewhat glamorous idea of living abroad.
Those of you living on your own or taking over the household for your working partner, I feel you.
If, instead of looking at chores becoming more difficult to do and grocery shopping a new nightmare, we look at every part of living abroad as an adventure, one that is exciting and interesting, I think you might find chore lists to be something to look forward to.
Our chore we are excitedly embracing today: Laundry.
Chores. Blergh.
Doing the laundry is great. It’s great to have clean clothes, clean sheets, clean towels, clean cleaning cloths to clean counters, etc. Germany also likes clean clothes so there are plenty of machines to choose from to get your laundry done. You can even wash your laundry in the tub a lá Little House on the Prairie if you like. Germany won’t mind, even though they never had a prairie.
German machines though do have that “Made in Germany” solid quality so I recommend skipping the washboard. I like having Bosch, Miele, Siemens, the big brands at more affordable prices over here. Generally the washing machines in Germany work like the ones in the US; water and detergent are combined into a spinning drum to clean clothes. There are differences one should be aware of to make the experience less shocking at first glance. One notable difference: all the labels and settings are in German. Another difference: temperatures are in Celsius. Also you can’t put clothing in through the top door into the washing machine, because there are no top-loader agitators. If there are, they must exist on a temporal plane I don’t have access to.
I'll Just Throw a Load in Real Quick.
A very fun thing about laundry in Germany is having no idea how long it’s going to take to get a load done. This is now an exciting timing exercise for you! Is there enough time to run to the store during a washing load without the wet clothes sitting and getting mildewy immediately after you walk out? Or could you leave for a two day getaway in France and come back to the “spin” cycle still going? It’s always a toss-up!
Machines here use less water, heat the water within the machines themselves, and therefore washing cycles take longer. I had a setting on my old washer that said “150 Minuten” and that setting has never been used. Even “Eco” cycles are still well over an hour.
Which, fine, set it to a ridiculous amount of time to wash, turn on the timer signal and then go do something else. This makes sense, and that’s where you’ve gone wrong.
The machine SAYS it will take 1:14 hours to complete, in reality it could be closer to two hours. The timer is only there to give you false hope. Sort of like thinking the line for the bus is actually orderly. My old machine would show 0:01 to go, but I could comfortably start and watch a full episode of whatever I was currently binging on Netflix at the time, before I’d have to get up and attend to the laundry.
My current washing machine has no timer on it, but it does include false labels of the amount of time to wash. Currently the 40 minute setting runs to just under 2 hours or so.
Waiting for the wash to finish is a great way to memorize all the irregular German everything.
I Prefer My Towels Don't feel like pieces of lumber.
You would like to use a dryer instead then I presume. There are dryers in Germany, and they do get hot. Not hot enough to fully dry your clothes, but that would waste electricity anyway.
The dryer also most likely does not have a vent nor need access to an exhaust portal. This is great news for apartments that can’t use vents for dryers, and since venting dryers are most likely not allowed by city zoning laws anyway, don’t worry about it.
Instead, your dryer will collect moisture in a special reservoir located (most likely) in the top left-hand corner of the control panel. This should be emptied out after each load. If you don’t, I don’t know what happens. I assume the dryer will keep sucking moisture into the reservoir until it overflows, leaking everywhere, potentially into the electrical wiring and causing thousands of €€€ worth of damage in a few hours. I also have a slight anxiety and overactive imagination problem.
The dryer will dry your clothes for the amount of time and at the temperature it deems fit, regardless of which setting you choose. My dryer has a “Cotton” setting, which runs for 3:34 hours (I am not joking) and runs at three snowflake’s worth of temperature settings. No actual numbers there. This means I always select this setting no matter what I’m drying, because it’s the first one to be selected when I turn the dryer on*, and I can be assured that I will have no idea how long the dryer will run.
For example: I had three sets of sheets to wash the other day after having house guests. The first two sets were in the dryer for between one hour and 90 minutes, and came out fluffy and dry. The third set went in, on the same setting, and came out after 3.5 hours still damp.
“Surely this wasn’t difficult for you to figure out, and you popped them back in again right?” you are thinking.
I didn’t. This is because I’ve finally learned that the dryer is sentient, and doesn’t care about my drying needs. You can most definitely put the laundry back in, fluff it around so most of the damp fabric is on the outside of the wad of cloth, and turn the dryer back on to the same setting. It just won’t run all the way and it is INFURIATING. I have put laundry back in and started it, seen the timer blinking “1:24” at me, hit start, then watch it turn back off after a minute or two.
What’s happening is the dryer is telling you the laundry is dry enough, as there are sensors inside the drum that measure the amount of humidity inside the machine to determine when your laundry is done.
What else should I know about laundry?
I find detergents here to be quite perfumey and with lots of dyes. I think maybe even more so than in the states, but I’m not one to peruse the laundry detergent aisle in either country. It’s always possible to find dye and fragrance-less, just look a little harder. (Great advice Audrey, super helpful). There are also interesting detergents for “especially soiled” laundry like baby clothes and athletic wear. I have no idea why these things need special soap additives.
The water is hard; in some cities and states it’s really hard. I think Wiesbaden is up there in terms of the calcium and mineral buildup, so it’s a good idea to buy machine cleaner. One bottle is recommended to clean a mashine, but I also only ever use a quarter to half at a time, and I like the results. Because the washing machines are all front loaders, it’s a good to have this anyway, as the inside of the rubber seals for the door can get funky, as can the detergent dispenser itself. I used to run vinegar through myself, till I read I was probably causing damage to the rubber tubing and corrosion to the metal parts.
When you are finished using the dryer, leave the reservoir out upside down on the side of the tub or on the dryer itself, to let any remaining water evaporate. They can get funky inside if left in the machine. Same goes for the washer: leave the detergent dispenser pulled out and the door open. We didn’t leave the door open once, I’ll never forget the smell.
Pictures of my machines and how i use them
American Laundry is Best Laundry?
It’s important to remember to not live in an American-centric world, most especially when living abroad. Laundry is confusing for everyone when we try to do it outside of our comfort zones.
That being said…we do seem to have an advantage on the laundry & general appliance game compared to other countries.
And here are two people who are fascinated by the American top-loader.