The Shock of Doing Laundry in Europe

There are many culture shocks when you come to Europe—and I will comment on some of those at a later time. But one of the biggest is the laundry issue, which frankly, we don’t think twice about in the US. Because we have such big houses (compared to living quarters in Europe), most of us have a separate laundry room with a large capacity washer and a separate dryer—not to mention room for a laundry basin, hanging rack(s), and an ironing board. It takes 30-40 minutes to wash a load of clothes and then you throw them in the dryer so you can fill the washer with another load. Clothes come out of the dryer all fluffy without wrinkles, just as we expect.

And then you travel to Europe and get to meet your first washer—which is actually a combination washer/dryer. This is a picture of mine, which believe it or not, retails for 800 euros ($1,050). It sits tucked beneath a counter and sink between the camper-sized refrigerator (on the right) and the cupboard (on the left) which contains the microwave under a counter-top heating element on which to cook. The heating element has yet to be turned on; but then, you knew that.

Learning how to use these little machines is very confusing especially if you don’t know any French and/or if you don’t have an instruction booklet in English (very common but I have one in this apartment). Each machine is different so even if you've used one before, the next one you meet may introduce some new challenges. You must experiment to determine what kind of wash cycle to use and then how many minutes to set the dryer. Your machine may be running for three or more hours, depending on your choices. Once you press “Depart,” there’s no turning back. You cannot open the door without breaking it with a crow bar! So if you set the dry cycle for too many minutes, your clothes come out permanently pressed IN WRINKLES! Fortunately, since this particular machine is brand new and state-of-the-art, I can set the drying minutes low and then after the entire cycle is finished, I can do an additional drying cycle if necessary.

Of course, not everyone has a washer/dryer in Paris. However, there are laundromats, just like in the US, around the neighborhood. LL Adrian tells a story about one of her friends visiting a laundromat and witnessing a nice-looking young man stroll in. He stripped down to only his t-shirt (which fell only as far as his naval) and threw his clothes into a machine. He then proceeded to sit bare-bottomed on the cold plastic chair and wait for his machine to do its thing. Seriously; true story.

I love renting apartments when I travel now (this is my fourth European apartment, Paris and Rome) and one of the top reasons is the washer/dryer. I won’t rent an apartment without one. You don’t have to bring as much stuff—and when you’re lugging suitcase(s) up 48+ steps, you appreciate this convenience. Of course, I’m missing out on the “show” at the local laundromat….