How to Use a European Washing Machine by Jocelyn

Washing your clothes while you travel is essential to be able to pack as little as possible and not smell like you fell into a pigsty. Here Jocelyn gives a brief lesson on how to use a washing machine in Europe for Americans who are not used to the European style washing machines.
Please Note: US Washers tend to be significantly larger than their European counterparts.
Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal
Copyright Mark & Jocelyn Wolters 2018
How to Do You Laundry Abroad
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[@woltersworld]

For Those Wondering Why We Made a Video About Washing Machines: In the US Washing Machines Tend to be Quite Different Than Those Found Outside the US. The "Biggest" Difference is that US Washing Machines tend to be significantly larger and in the US many homes have a "Laundry Room" that is dedicated to holding just the washing machine and dryer. We had received a number or requests asking us to do this video, so we wanted to help our fellow travelers who had asked. I hope that helps!

[@horseplop9]

Great video mark this is interesting. So why is the washing machine in the kitchen also? thx guys

[@RuRaynor]

@@horseplop9 most European homes do not have separate utility rooms as we don't have the space. It's common for washing machines to therefore be in the kitchen because that's where the plumbing is.

[@markmallone7484]

Show us the American machines next.

[@Drewsdad98]

I wish I'd seen this before my last trip to Europe. It took FOREVER to wash clothes over there!

[@woltersworld]

@@horseplop9 combination of that is where the water lines are and where there is space.

[@Panzer-rn5ew]

Literally sitting on the floor in front of the tiny washer in my Airbnb in Iceland googling how to use Euroline washer 😊 Thanks!!!!!

[@sofiajurado6626]

Same but in Spain

[@pisicacutecat4869]

I went to Romania in 2004 and I could not figure out how to use the washer. I couldn't even figure out how to open the darn door. I was so frustrated. I had to wait for my cousin to come home to show me. 😁😁🤪😛

[@ednanonono]

Omg same! But I'm in Finland!

[@uddamsingh1528]

Same but in UAE

[@Taimithepharmacist_]

Meee to but in Walvis bay Namibia! 🥺

[@hlynnkeith9334]

True story: After my first week in Korea, I needed to wash clothes. I had a washing machine at hand in the kitchen. Unfortunately for me, the plethora of controls were all marked in Korean, and I did not understand them. So I called my director. I expected directions over the phone. Instead, he drove to my apartment and stood with me in my kitchen staring stupidly at the washing machine. "Well, what do we do?" I asked. "I don't know." "What? Can't you read the dials?" "Yes, but I have never operated a washing machine." "?" More on this remarkable statement later. At a loss for what to do, the director called the assistant director. He, too, drove to my apartment. We now had three men crowding into my kitchen, staring stupidly at a washing machine. "Well?" I asked the assistant director. Shrug. "Can you work this thing?" "No. I have never washed my clothes." I scanned him from head to toe. He was immaculate. "Who washed the clothes you're wearing now?" "My wife." "And before you were married?" "My mother." This was and is a concise history of who does laundry in Korea. After a few more minutes of the three of us stupidly staring at the washing machine, the assistant director called his wife. Over the course of the next half hour (I do not exaggerate), she talked him through all the settings and ended with starting the wash. Had he not called her, we would have stood there for hours and hours, staring stupidly at the machine. With water pouring into the machine, the assistant director pointed to the button on the far right and warned, "This starts the machine. Don't touch anything else!" I paid strict heed to that admonition.

[@ZemplinTemplar]

Fun. :-D

[@jimmyj1969]

Ha-ha-ha! The same thing would happened in Greece!

[@johanndaart7326]

I know you are half joking, but cmon, 5yo kids can figure out how to use washing machine.

[@hlynnkeith9334]

@@johanndaart7326 Not joking.

[@huusseins]

@@johanndaart7326 I'm pretty sure he's not joking. My 24 years old friend even can't cook a sunny side egg.

[@bbcmotd]

As a European, this feels like "how to use the shower" kind of video, but I understand the reasons behind it :D

[@woltersworld]

We will do one for US washers too so you won't feel like you aren't learning this week ;)

[@stewartbrodie1720]

"How to use the shower in US hotels" would be a good one ... they often seem way too complicated, with different buttons, modes, wands, things that turn, things that push & pull - compared to home where it's just an on/off button and a temperature dial.

[@stewartbrodie1720]

@@woltersworld, I'm with Jocelyn on the programme choice: Cottons at 30C (or 40C) works for all my clothing. So as long as you cover what the equivalent is on a US machine, that'll be great - and whether to select cold, warm or hot on the driers is another mystery to me, as I don't use a drier at home - only when in hotels in the US.

[@szabados1980]

@@stewartbrodie1720 I wonder how many United Statesians understand Celsius degrees. Just like I don't have a clue about gallons, how would they be familiar with that?

[@peterpain6625]

Next video will be "how to use the potty in europe" i bet ;) No seriously ... Thanks for sharing. I had to explain this couple of times already to friends flee...errr....visiting from the us.

[@Aramis419]

Sometimes, it’s the most mundane things that we never think about that are the most important.

[@woltersworld]

exactly. well said my friend.

[@n40m3h]

I never even considered Americans have different washing machines. I spent the first half of the video staring at the screen with a scrunched brow... like, what the heck are they making this video for! It’s just a washing machine!!! Maybe you could make an American washing machines video haha to show me what we’re missing!

[@szabados1980]

I already dread watching that video. Imagine some energy guzzling monster. Like their cars, trains, houses and everything. Sorry guys but that's the truth.

[@2006gtobob]

@@szabados1980 far from energy guzzlers. Our machines are huge by comparison, we're able to wash MANY items very well all at once and it's done in an hour. 20 minutes in a dryer and laundry is done vs making it a multiple day affair.

[@nicholasjohnson6373]

They obviously use more water so they can go more clothes at once- but I think after running over and over again the Euro cleaner will have taken more water than the single load you could do in the US.

[@solidus784]

@@2006gtobob "far from energy guzzlers. Our machines are huge by comparison, " think before you speak

[@whynotagain3639]

@@nicholasjohnson6373 No that's wrong most UK washing machines can take 16 pounds that's same as the US. The US mainly use the old fashioned washing machines, they're still top loaders! You just need to catch up with the rest of us, we stopped using top loaders 40 years ago.

[@MissyJPHD]

I'm so happy you made this video... My husband and I went to England two years ago and figuring out how to wash our clothes took us a long time to figure out lol I'm so use to my huge front loader here in Toronto, Canada . Haha.

[@LindaStitches]

Very helpful! A fun memory of Nice, France was hanging all our clothes on wires outside our apartment window and enjoying the scent of freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery.

[@marvin19966]

NICE!!!

[@LindaStitches]

@@marvin19966 A wonderful memory!

[@TilmanBaumann]

The basic symbology is at least in Europe unified. The important ones are for sure I = pre wash II = main wash Flower symbol = fabric softener Swirl = spin

[@dutchgamer842]

I never had a machine with I or II on it, just words for pre wash and main wash

[@ZemplinTemplar]

Thanks. I'm a European, and even I get confused about the pictograms on the controls. :-D

[@janstickles3035]

@Tilman Bowman. So many stupid remarks on this topic. The point was not who is better. The point was to hide one through the process. You are a breath of fresh air. Helpful info at it's best. Your chart is what I need. I thank you very much.

[@saylor1230]

SO FREAKIN HELPFUL! I was overwhelmed by the washing machine here in portugal and now it is super clear. THANK YOU!

[@adrianavazquez6301]

Thanks a lot. I live in Mexico and our washing machines are the same as in the U.S. . I will be traveling to Europe and will be staying in Airbnb and read comments about not able to figure out the washing machines. So again thank you! Even without a dryer it will be a lot better than my previous trips hand washing in hotels.

[@nigelnyoni8265]

Just moved to Poland for university. The still images with labels are SO. HELPFUL. Thank's for the great video

[@debelix]

You have a Turkish BEKO washing machine. I work in Beko service workshop! It seems I just can't escape work even when I watch KZbin :)

[@rutger1963]

best, value for money,great machines

[@debelix]

@@TheRealJohnHooper News Flash! Some Bosch Machines are actually made in Turkey! Just to let you know! If you want the best Wasching Machine in Europe then buy Miele!

[@TheRealJohnHooper]

Nope.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHyxopWeaNiGgrs

[@TheRealJohnHooper]

Ok, ich muss meine Aussage korrigieren.. Du hast recht.. Es scheint so dass die teuren Modelle in Deutschland gefertigt werden, aber viele Bosch Geräte auch in der Türkei.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqjKkptmrbKIeq8

[@debelix]

@@TheRealJohnHooper Ich weiss weil Ich bin nicht nur Beko (Arcelik) sondern auch BSH (Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte) service techniker.

[@mats7492]

Also, the temperature on them is NEVER in Fahrenheit outside the USA.. this applies to all household items! Its always Celsius! Using an oven in the US was torture for me cause i have no relation to the fahrenheit scale and had to convert all recipes..

[@szabados1980]

Yeah, even the Brits have come to their senses and adopted the metric system. What happens in 2019 is still to be seen.... maybe they will go back to having 240 pence in a pound as well. :-)

[@peterpain6625]

@@szabados1980 yay, sixpence ... shillings ... man i feel like a small kid again.

[@MGustave]

@TheRenaissanceman65 Im 20, and I dont know anyone who measures their height in centimetres, but on the other hand most anyone I know my age who bakes uses grams over pounds and ounces. Its interesting what we changed and what we didnt.

[@zyborg47]

My oven is gas mark, there is no temperature as such, but there are charts to convert gas mark to centigrade if need be.

[@zyborg47]

@@MGustave i bake using pounds and ounces, but then that is all my scales weigh as i have balance scales with imperial weights.

[@EinChris75]

That washing machine is still a bit simple. Many digital machines also allow for selecting a specified spin rpm, additional temperature (something like "as 40°C", means they heat only to 30, but wash a bit longer), extra water, shorter time or (and that is most useful) a countdown timer before starting to work. When I was in the US, we had a washing machine like my grand grand mother used to have. Load from the top, big empty barrel with some rotating thing on the bottom and just one single button: "On".

[@donaldthomas7070]

The "rotating thing" is an agitator.

[@PINE1berry]

I recently returned from Paris where I stayed in an apartment. The washing machine cycle ran for about thee hours or more....I was amazed. As you said there was no dryer but the clothes dryer stand that you showed in the vid. The dryer stand worked of course but it involves thinking differently in terms of structuring one's time.

[@kimprey]

I could've used this video months ago! Lol, my husband and I had such a hard time figuring out the washing machines in Europe. Thank you for the video; we'll definitely refer back to it in the future.

[@liceana]

Hi Jocelyn! I'm watching this video in 2021. It caught my attention because I lived in Brazil/US/Europe now, and all I can think of is: "is it so different than in the US?! What?" It is always fun to watch these videos. Thank you for the content :)

[@TheMarcodiator]

Did not know that US washing machines were different. One never ceases to learn!

[@TheEvie202]

in USA we have words/ names for the cycles . In Europe the machines have symbols . I only use normal but in USA there’re too many choices and washers are complicated because of computers and wifi!

[@natalie21178]

Just FYI for anyone traveling to Egypt there is no such thing as a laundromat in Egypt. So, if you find yourself in need of clean clothes while traveling through Egypt you will have to settle with a paid laundry service.

[@Steampunkkids]

I saw this was a Jocelyn video and dropped everything to watch it!

[@schalkedave4791]

Thank you Jocelyn. I'm in a Airbnb in Portugal and couldn't really figure the washer out but your video helped clarify things.

[@fineassamyfresh2387]

Thank you for this! I love this kind of additional practical info

[@reasonablecicada]

Very helpful video. I recall staying in Amsterdam and realizing that we HAD to do some laundry, otherwise we would be wearing dirty clothes home (caught in the rain more times than we anticipated). I ended up having to spend half an hour googling directions on how to just turn the washer on, how to add soap, etc. Plus having to go and check the tiny dryer every 30min to see if the clothes were anywhere near dry (took 2hrs).

[@karel-de-Grote]

maybe there will also be laundromats in Amsterdam? Oh my God! yes! automatic washing machines have also arrived in Nederland. LOOOL

[@belisamiller5535]

Super useful video! I’m moving to Berlin in January and the tips are certainly gonna come in handy!

[@woltersworld]

Glad we could help!

[@arjunchatterjee9362]

The euro stuff is just smaller when compared to US models. Also they dont have dryers aside of laundromats.

[@blackforest_fairy]

@@arjunchatterjee9362 thats not true..any people have dryers... Plus the standard washer can take 10kg thats about the same size as an american washer.

[@CityWalks]

These are the types of info that people so rarely post. Simple things like how to use a washing machine (or buy a bus ticket, or use ticket machine, etc). Very helpful. Thanks. -H

[@angechrissy]

I just came back from a 2-week trip in Japan. I did laundry twice there and I had fun playing with all the buttons on both machines. I took pictures of the machines and I showed them to some of my friends. They were confused, and didn't understand how I could get the machines started at the first place. (The buttons were for manually entered the kind of wash I would want to do. There were preprogrammed ways to wash regular clothes vs woods but I just like to set up my own wash program manually. The engineering side of me.)

[@pockets3956]

Wow thanks! We are going to be spending some time in Europe and this will make the laundry so much easier than guessing!! Thank you!

[@kimm3473]

I needed this video last year when I couldn’t figure out how to open the machine! I had pressed buttons and it lock closed and ran the whole cycle with nothing inside. Not like my top loader in Canada! I felt so silly.

[@alpitu21]

Hello! At 3:00 : The first button is play. The second button is for a prewash. The 3rd button is for an extra rinse. The 4th one is for no spin cycle. The final one is where you turn off and on the machine. Please remember that on every single washing machine these settings will vary. Please search on google the manual of the model number you will see in a corner of the machine, it will have instructions, and it surely will in english.

[@ktangel128]

How many times it take to wash clothes in a whirlpool washing machine?? I have never used a washing machine before

[@alpitu21]

@@ktangel128 do you have Instagram or any chatting app? I could help you better there, if you want

[@crispy_bagel693]

i've scoured the web and I cant find an English manual to my French washing machine anywhere!

[@alpitu21]

@@crispy_bagel693 what model is it?

[@crispy_bagel693]

@@alpitu21 proline.... PFL100WF-1. used the 40 degree standard wash setting (#4 on the dial) and the cycle lasted 3 hours and 10min and shrunk all my nice sweaters ughh

[@bigskyadventures1780]

Terrific video! Oddly enough, when we were in Paris we had no clue how to use the machine. Seems like it had both washer and dryer in the same unit. Love all your work.

[@th8257]

bigskyAdventures washer dryers are popular in Europe. You can set the programme to wash then dry your clothes. You just set it and leave it and it does it all for you - no need to move wet laundry from one machine to another

[@huusseins]

In some countries in Asia the washing machine a bit different. Commonly we use the 'top door' washing machine. This kind of washing machine in the video only used in laundry shop because it's more expensive.

[@iiAngelic]

Thank you thank you thaaaaaaaaaank you!! Now I won’t look awkward trying to wash my clothes in The Netherlands!

[@pacquiaowright]

My wife and I were just wondering this! Thank you!

[@rob_9876]

On our last trip to Mexico we stayed in a house that had a fairly new washer & dryer in one machine. The dryer was supposed to be ECO, but took between 5 andr 6 hours of spinning and at the end was actually steaming hot -- hard to believe that it was actually better for the environment than a standard dryer on NORMAL for the usual 60 to 90 minutes. We did our laundry over-night to allow enough time.

[@szabados1980]

Holy cow, operating something for 60 to 90 minutes for no good reason sounds absolutely appalling. Global warming is a myth, huh? Why not hang your clothes and have them dry naturally?

[@nova290r]

It is actualy more energy saving when its taking longer... Like a car at 100km/h sips more gasoline than at 50km/h Though you‘re spending double the time in your car, your saving gasoline...

[@gilmello8296]

When traveling in Europe my wife and I have found that using google to find the instructions for the washers and dryers in English to be quite helpful. I will admit that the extended wash and dry cycles had us concerned until we realized it was the norm.

[@kiliipower355]

If you can believe the American TV series/films, Americans use their washing machines like this: Open the flap at the top, throw in unsorted clothes, pour laundry detergent and fabric softener together on the laundry, close the flap.

[@MarionStevensJr]

No one who does this can complain when their clothes come out with different colors on them. 😊 Most of us actually sort our clothes into whites, mediums, and darks. As for the machines, many of the modern ones are front loading and look like larger versions of the one in the video. There are still top loafing machines being made, but they're also high efficiency, like the front loaders. Lots of old machines are still around, though, since a good one that's well maintained might last 20 years or more.

[@sarahwy13]

Haha that is one thing American tv shows get correct! When I was growing up my mom made us sort by color, but the synthetic clothing they have now usually doesn't bleed. I haven't sorted by colors in 20 years. But now in Europe I've learned the hard way I need too.

[@reginaldcoleman2370]

We're staying at an Airbnb in Athens and this video is a life saver.

[@fbomb7184]

Thank you! So happy to see the machine you are using is the same one in front of me!

[@PascalGienger]

I love to watch your videos and that one of the important messages you bring all the time is to respect the local cultures. As for washers - in the US the so called HE washing machine are pretty much like in Europe - just they don't heat up water unless you select a sanitizing wash. They use the warm water out of the apartment / home.

[@SpaceboyA55]

When I was 17 my aunt and uncle took me to England and Scotland, we rented an appartment in Scotland and it had a washer and dryer all in one unit. I'm not talikg about a stacked unit, I'm littraly talking about a single drum in which clothes were washed and heat dryed! It was the coolest yet most frightening thing I have ever seen.

[@reggieandherman4251]

Always love Jocelyn's videos! We went to laundromat in Sorrento midway in 2 week trip. We somehow figured it out. We packed light and were glad we did. Happy travels. P.S. loved the German market food video. Our daughter that lives in Frankfurt does too, especially the gluhwein! We're jealous! LOL

[@ingridp4457]

I didn’t even notice they were different, but I did notice there wasn’t a dryer in this apartment in Madrid...

[@Squeaky1423]

This was helpful for arriving in Crete and using the washing machine in the Airbnb apartment. Thank you!

[@magayakimade]

Currently in my air bnb in a walk up in France trying to figure out this machine. Thanks!!

[@MonicaElleValenzuela]

Wow! Such a helpful video! I wish we saw this before our trip, we just went to London & Paris, and wow before we figured out a 30 minute wash cycle, it took hours 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️. Oh well, lesson learned.

[@Hixaren2]

A tip when you're renting a place, run an empty machine on 90 C to get rid of bacteria before washing your clothes. Don't wanna spend your vaccation sick!

[@snepNL]

Or dont do the 90c turn and build some résistance.

[@dutchgamer842]

you should always run 90 at least once to discale the machine anyway so it won't break so fast

[@snepNL]

@@dutchgamer842 je bedoelt op 90 wassen om het spul weg te spoelen wat ontstaat door warm water?

[@dutchgamer842]

90 graden voorkomt ook veel kalkaanslag, maar nooit voor 100% dan moet je 90 graden met azijn doen of met wasmachine ontkalker

[@snepNL]

@@dutchgamer842 het extreme dan wel maar ik ging door het kalk gebeuren hier aan denken. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXLdfKepa7yjZ7M

[@cheshirecatgrin7680]

At lot of Dutch folks use drying racks. My husband didn't see the necessity for a dryer at first but in time he saw the volume difference in doing laundry for two people and the impracticality of hanging sheets and heavy items to dry year round. I'm grateful to have a dryer and glad I put my foot down, lol. Energy costs can be prohibitive depending on your provider and plan. Certain days of the week and times charge you a higher or lower rate for your electricity usage. Same goes for your metered water use and fees. Some people stick to a set laundry schedule to lower their costs. I still wash whenever there's a load waiting since the machine holds so little and it takes so much longer to get through a backlog of laundry.

[@Timurlane100]

Had fun trying to figure one of these out in Kiev. The instructions were in Russian, where it was manufactured, so I spent a good 20 minutes laboriously translating each word. And, yes, stay far away from the eco option unless time is of no concern.

[@drakecummings7805]

Thank you! I'm an American in my first trip to italy and these machines are so different 😂

[@user-kf2db4lv2o]

Is there any other kind of washing machines?

[@woltersworld]

Yes, the washing machines in the US are quite different

[@dutchgamer842]

Make a video about it next time

[@karlmoonferon]

@@woltersworld Now I'm curious about seeing them !

[@ianbuchan1793]

Илья Титов yes toploaders

[@drfusioncraft]

People in europe freaking out there are other kinds of washing machines 😂

[@monikas6499]

Truly helpful! Although a mention of how to unlock a machine might also be useful. While in Ireland we had to wash our clothes & the machine would stop in the middle of a cycle, lock the doors, trap anything inside. Googled videos & blogs & most said to get a repair man or take the machine apart, can't do that in an air bnb! So we unplugged it & plugged it back in till it eventually unlocked itself. I think the experience strengthened our marriage.

[@erkinalp]

You would run a flush cycle.

[@elianeboquimpanicardoso4564]

Thank you for your video. I am in cyprus trying to understand a washing machine and a understand all with your video. 😁👊♥️

[@hlynnkeith9334]

FWIW most clothes should be washed in lukewarm (body temperature) water (35-40 degrees Celsius), because many detergents used enzymes to improve cleaning. These enzymes wake and work at body temperature. In cold water or hot water, you are just as well off using soap flakes as detergent, 'cause 1) the enzymes never wake in cold water or 2) the enzymes die in hot water. Well, 'die' is not the right word, but you understand my meaning, right?

[@spencerwilton5831]

mysticpizza02 Stop shitting on your sheets! 30 or 40 is fine for normally soiled bedding and towels. It's completely unnecessary to use high temperatures unless you're running a care home or hospital.

[@xjyrki]

@@spencerwilton5831 You're funny. Not. 40 degrees is not enough to kill germs in towels etc. I don't wash anything under 60 degrees. Sheets and towels I was at 90. With zeolite and scent free detergent.

[@spencerwilton5831]

xjyrki Oh, sorry I didn't realise you lived in 1950.

[@hlynnkeith9334]

@@spencerwilton5831 No, you did not realize that I said this happened in KOREA! And evidently you are so provincial that you are unaware that different people have different customs.

[@xjyrki]

​@@spencerwilton5831 Again, funny. Haha. If you have children and they happen to catch a norovirus at the daycare, please just keep washing your laundry at 30 degrees. Maybe you'll learn something some day. Using higher washing temperatures is good for the washing machine, too. My current machine is 17 years old and it smells and works like new.

[@davidbrown8303]

The dial part other than the front load reminds me of washing in my grandma's vintage washer.

[@jamescannon5798]

Thank you. Your video is great. Just the right amount of info.

[@michellesanders5489]

As an American living in Paris, laundry has been one of my most difficult adjustments. I have a combo washer / dryer (one machine that does both). It's in the kitchen and is very small. It says the max load is 7 kg for washing (about 15 pounds) and 4 kg for drying (a bit under 9 pounds), but I wouldn't put that much it it. A full load would be about 3 towels, and maybe a few hand towels and the load takes about 3 - 4 hours for the entire wash / dry cycle.

[@cheshirecatgrin7680]

I'm a Canadian married to a Dutchman living in the Netherlands. Our machine is the largest we could find by Dutch standards but 1 duvet cover stuffs it tight. Laundry soap here tends to be a liquid for whites, one for black or one for colours. You select the appropriate liquid soap, then add liquid softener and also add Calgon powder to keep a mineral build up from happening in the machine because the water is so hard. I've recently found a single liquid laundry soap that stops colour spreading and can be used on either whites, blacks or coloured clothing so I no longer have to buy three separate soaps. We also have washing machine cleaner, kind of like the stuff you put in a North American dishwasher occasionally to clean away any gunk build up, smell or mineral deposits. The machine settings are all in Dutch. We printed an info sheet from the Bosch website in English until I knew all the Dutch cycle options. The machines take much longer to wash but it's more customizable in temperature and spin speed settings than my former Canadian machines.

[@frdrk95]

Maybe you should look to Scandinavia next time you want to purchase a washer. The ones I've bought can easily fit 4-5 duvet covers. Maybe ours are bigger?

[@laurenletsche1134]

I Love this info. thank you

[@terryanderson7545]

Usually I can Google and get the instruction manual. We’re in Saint-Avold France and I did my go-to. I got the manual pretty easily - in French. Then I found your video. I think we will figure this out…fingers crossed.

[@reeb9016]

I lived in the Czech Republic and it's was a bin that opened from the top. Small and we strung like across the room diagonally to hang the clothes to dry.

[@vinaytripathi157]

You really helped me with your video...

[@isoney]

Also, make sure you have an open window somewhere if you are drying inside, otherwise you get smelly home and clothes. I live in an apartment in the UK but I'm lucky to have a vented dryer (as oppose to a condenser dryer which most of the combos are). Machine drying is expensive and hard on your clothes, so I tend to save it for things that are a pain to dry inside like sheets, towels and underwear which takes up too much space.

[@lesaforbes6241]

Thank you Queen that really helped. Now I need to rewash my clothes because I used the wrong slot for detergent lol 😂

[@CateB9]

I like this. I think this is one of those things you don't think about until you're there and confused. I wouldn't mind one on Japanese bathrooms.

[@bruderk4257]

I did not know about that differences. For me as german this was very interesting.

[@meursaultscourtroom8886]

Good point about length of wash time, we've had machines with 8 hour cycles!

[@erkinalp]

Which model is it?

[@darrenjones5885]

When he was doing stand up comedy Eddie Izzard described the washing machine as having an enormous dial labelled with all the letters of the alphabet but no explanations. He experimented and found that H worked so from then on washed everything on H. Combined washer/dryers are common. But typically the drying capacity is much lower than washing capacity. So after forcing more stuff in to be washed you have to take everything out and dry it one sock at a time. If you’ve forced enough washing in the stuff in the middle will be dry anyway. Top loading machines went out of general use in the UK some time around the 1950s or 1960s. Before most households has colour television.

[@RuRaynor]

Huh, H is what I use at home! But mine still has the label. H is 30°c wash on mine

[@albear972]

I love the front loaders. As a stupid idiot kid back in the early 80's I didn't like them so much because, gawd, I'm ashamed for saying this, but that's what I thought at the stupid early time. That they looked too European. I was a stupid teen. Now I absolutely love them. But one thing I still find the strangest of all, that the washer is in the kitchen! 😉

[@sharonsloan]

Remember my Granny having a top loader in the 80's, and it came from the 60's. No way you get a washing machine now that goes for 20+ years without spending a fortune on it.

[@BillCameronWC]

Interesting video. I have occasionally used washers & dryers when passing a night or two in US 'motel' type hotels of the coin-operated kind, usually with a dispenser for soap powder (detergent) & perhaps fabric-softeners, usually quite rapid & as you note the tumble-dryers get the clothes very hot. However mostly, when staying in US hotels, or hotels in other countries (including in the UK, where I'm from) they have been the kind of hotels which offered a professional laundry service so I often used that if staying for two or more nights; more expensive of course, but I thought it well worth it. In the UK washing machines & driers are mostly in the kitchen, as it is in my UK home, but in my Spanish home it's on an outdoor sheltered patio/yard and that's quite common there, but I believe in apartments it's often in the bathroom, which I've never seen in the UK. Some larger UK homes have a separate 'utility room' - in my last home, before I moved into a still quite large apartment, my utility room had the washing-machine, tumble dryer and the central heating boiler, as well as ironing board and airing cupboard, on a different floor of the house from the kitchen. Where I am now I have a combined washer/dryer in one machine, these are pretty common now in the UK where there is not room for separate machines. Programmes on machines made by different companies are often quite different - so access to the instruction manual when you first start using them is essential, specially for more expensive machines with lots of different programmes, but most people end up using the same programme for almost everything, except very delicate items.

[@northofyou33]

I'm sitting in an apartment in Portugal trying to figure out what the symbols on the washer mean. Unfortunately, it's very different from the washer in this video and very different from the washer I had in Porto. I'm trying to wash my clothes longer than 15 minutes and shorter than an hour. Still don't know how, but thanks for this video!

[@janstickles3035]

Jocelyn,. How about a tutorial on the European wash/dry combo machine.

[@folknhairy]

Thank you!!We have always been so confused. Waking up at night at 2am..machine still washing..waking up at 4, 7, etc and lavatrice STILL rotating .aaarrgggh .lolol . Grazie molto!

[@Sciencenerd2704]

I miss those days living with my beloved mom 🥺

[@bernadettehynes-cafferkey3917]

In Ireland we always use the two words together, have you put the washing machine on, is the washing machine new, is the washing machine quiet, but if homes have a tumble dryer, we would often just say dryer

[@inezet]

Hello, is the machine always takes 3 hours to finish? Is there any option to make it faster? I have similar wash machine in my apartment in Portugal

[@nicehedgehog]

Please make a similar video of how it is being done in the US. Would be useful for the other part of the world. :)

[@Drunkengotaku]

You say let the Eco program run at night. When you are in Germany don't wash after 10 p.m. if others live in the same House!

[@FireHax0rd]

Why is that?

[@ingridp4457]

I think I was told they may make a bit of noise...otherwise I am not sure...that’s what my friend told me when I asked her why she wasn’t running the machine at night...

[@Drunkengotaku]

In Germany at 10p.m. its so called "Nachtruhe" (Night rest?) so your Neighbors can call the Police if you make to much noise. So if the Machine spins the Vibrations can be "to loud" and you Neighbor can ring the doorbell and ask you tu turn it of or call the Police so they tell you to stop. Same for Partys and everything else. If the Police comes the first time they tell you to be quiet, a second time the same night and you my have to pay a fine. For Partys you can tell everyone in the House 1 Week in advance that it could be loud (but again not to loud) and you are more or less save. But washing is something that can be avoided during night.

[@dutchgamer842]

you can have special flooring so the neighbors won't hear it. Besides if neighbors in apartment buildings can hear it something is wrong with the building or machine or even both.

[@Drunkengotaku]

Jea that's right, i dont mean other Buildings. If you live in Apartment and have tile flooring in the Kitchen and Bath, even with a rubber mat beneath you can hear them Spinning if you have older machines. Often it's even forbidden to wash at night by your lease agreements.

[@seana806]

The reason why most North American dryers get so hot is they are on a 240 volt 30 amp circuit, and they have a much higher heat output compared to most dryers around the world. Since I live in Southern California, we use gas dryers, and gas dryers do get pretty hot, and dry pretty fast as well compared to most dryers around the world.

[@natasamladenovic1765]

We have a 7 kg washing machine. It is by far enough for our family. We have no dryer because we chose not to. Instead we have a huge roofed terrace and all the cloathes are air dried. We have no problem with that. It is free, environmental friendly and saves some ironing too for some clothes....again, saves energy...i ❤ our washing machine☺

[@ivankirola2707]

U pravu ste

[@stevebartley8594]

In Scotland it was a washer/dryer in one. The dryer took foreverrrrr which was not only annoying but costly since we were billed separately for electricity. In Rome we went to a great laundromat. It was large, dispensed its own detergent. The dryer was very fast. loved it

[@ivankirola2707]

clean the dryer

[@johannalange802]

The detergend drawer can easily be sled put and put into the dishwasher for cleaning. So no advantage in using fluid detergent, which isn't as affective in most cases.

[@nickmurphy3935]

Are there some washer dryer combos in the UK, a week in Ireland and we never figured out the drying part.

[@bartsimpsonn6027]

1:11 i for one think this is acctually really big. like who needs anything this long, am i right? i think something smaller, around four inches is perfectly enough, and that would probably also have a super nice personality to go along with it.

[@ForvoQuizlet]

You'd think they'd want to put those on some kind of elevated storage/platform. Maybe they never have back issues. Thanks for video!

[@spencerwilton5831]

ForvoQuizlet They spin at up to 2000 rpm. They need to be on a solid floor, not some flimsy platform!

[@dasaxophonist]

Interesting the washer and dryer is in the kitchen

[@xChrisS41x]

Didn't even know our machines are different. I can confirm the dryer thing. I don't know one single person that owns a drying machine

[@Hixaren2]

I had no idea washers were different either. Almost everyone I know have a dryer though. I'm in scandinavia, maybe different in warmer places?

[@xChrisS41x]

@@Hixaren2 idk i live in Austria, it gets pretty cold here too haha

[@ingridp4457]

seen plenty of dryers in places I was in...didn’t even notice the difference...i just read the knobs and used them normally

[@woltersworld]

@@Hixaren2 Yeah, i saw them a lot more often in Scandinavia. In Italy someone's cousin usually has one :) but never our friends directly :) no on we knew in portugal had it when we lived there.

[@woltersworld]

@@ingridp4457 you have seen more than I have then.

[@kontrolldkhaosPK]

This REALLY helped us a lot! Thank you so much for this tutorial because their washing machine IS NOT intuitive! Especially knowing about the "cotton" button. 😆

[@vacuum_collector26]

I live in the UK and the washer you used was a Beko there are millions of other brands out their and ones with bigger space in the drum that was 5kg there are 6kg 7kg 8kg 9kg 10kg 11kg and 12kg which can hold more clothes than the washer you used in this video

[@walterrudich2175]

Put liquid detergent directly into the drum if you don´t prewash. It prevents stains in the drawer.

[@corbinlegrand]

I could have used this back in October. Haha!

[@woltersworld]

our bad :( sorry

[@AlexEssex8]

In Europe we don’t have unhygienic tiled work surfaces! Most U.K. homes have either a separate dryer or a combined washer / dryer. Most medium to large U.K. homes have utility rooms for washing machines and dryers which are separate to (albeit usually adjacent to) the kitchen.

[@dlarge6502]

I have never been in a house in the UK that has a utility room. It sounds like a re-purposed larder?

[@BillGreenAZ]

When staying for extended periods in a foreign country I prefer to find a place that does laundry service. Traveling to a foreign country and learning the new customs takes a lot of energy out of me. The last thing I want to do is laundry without a dryer. I am willing to spend the little bit extra to have someone else do it for me.

[@juanchoja]

There are many sizes, I live in Ireland,and my washing machine is 11KG(24 pounds) front loader, which in American measurements is over 5 Cubic feet. In the end like cars, American households also desire top European brands like Miele if they could afford it, which makes them in different sizes.

[@lienbijs1205]

I am Dutch and used one time an American washing machine on a camping. There wassomething inside that pushes your clothes inside around. It made holes in some clothes and the clothes of our children were still with stains from grass and sand. The cycle took only about 45 minutes. Too short to clean well.

[@ivankirola2707]

I agree

[@ivankirola2707]

Anericans s don't care about cleanliness

[@claudiajohnson6466]

Thank you!!! I am living in Portugal and have an older machine in my apartment. This was so good for a basic understanding of the unknown symbols, etc. I looked on the machines website and still didn’t find what I needed. So this was good!

[@gruntpartystyle]

Watching this video as European hurts. But luckily I have prepared for my trip to USandA by watching some Western Movies.

[@mcflurry7479]

quick question why aren’t you using Tide HE? (high efficiency)..

[@wl03bu]

Omg I am at a Lisbon airbnb right now wondering why the eco is taking forever!

[@doncoleman4938]

I think it's weird that British people have their washing machine and dryer in the kitchen of a lot of homes (even newer homes). Why don't they just build a laundry like Australian or US homes? In some SE Asian countries it's cheaper to buy new clothes than it is to wash your own. Merry Christmas to the Wolter clan and everybody.

[@LMB222]

Imagine me in North America in 1994, before "the internets" was a thing. I had someone explain to me how the bus works - you only enter through the front door, how the streets work - there's N/S and W/E, and how a coin operated washing machine works. Now we have "the internets" and I looked up Italian wall sockets. Not all European plug fit there.