I sighed.
And thought dreamily of European washers... and the washing advice from Råd&Rön... and the
labeling ... "40 grader kulör tvätt" or "90 grader vit tvätt" sure sounds like music to my ears these days. The standard American washing machines maybe be fast, but the lack of temperature control and huge drums that use water like it was a flooding not only wears your clothes so quickly, they hardly get them clean in the process. I desperately add bleach or soak clothes in OxiClean. Or maybe I still haven't figured out the trick after seven years here .In Sweden I could buy clothes that would last year after year, here I find that clothes fade and get "washed out" after only one season. That is the main clothing problem my husband has. Because I stock up his closet every season, but now the washing machine has done it's part...
Every Sunday when the newspaper weighs four times it's normal weigh, filled with ads, I sit and drool over ads from HomeDepot or Lowe's and their front loaded "European" machines...
Like this one. $1299 at Home Depot (the dryer in the same series is $1059). It has five (5!) temperatures levels, controlled by the machine, NOT by the settings of the water heater in the house.
Sorry - have to go - have to get a lottery ticket!
I have learned to appreciate Swedish washing machines. What I have not learned to appreciate is having to put a number up in the apartment building and wait my turn to wash. What's up with that? Yes, one could get a machine inside the apartment. You are right when you say that Swedish wasking machine are better for the clothes. However, if you use a machine that everyone uses in the apartment building and the previous person did not clean up after themselves as they should--it happens--then it is a pain in the neck to clean it up before you can begin. I like to the fan blowers in some Swedish apartment houses that dry your clotehs. It's easier on the clothes. What is a pain in the neck , however, is that it is so hard to find large clothes here. So hard. Sure, you can go to Nisses or some other special store but the average Swedish store just does not have my size in clothing. And even the socks (strumpor) are one size too small for me in the stores and that is a pain in the neck too. I wonder where Magnus Samuelsson buys his clothes? :)
ReplyDelete