Help! European washer/dryer is defeating me!
 

I arrived in London this afternoon and got to my flat and decided to get started on my laundry. We have a servis washer/dryer. The user manual in the drawer in the kitchen got wet at some point and is fused together and unreadable. My daughter and I managed to figure out the washer part, but we can't figure out how to make it dry. Can any kind soul help me!!!!!!

Forget it, it doesn't really dry :) At least that's been my experience in both London and Paris apartments. Those combo things just don't do the "dry" job.

Just put things on hangers and hang from the shower pole (if you're lucky enough to have one).

MelJ may be right, but if you get on line to post this, you can get on line to see if the dryer's manual is posted on line. Do a search for the make and model.

I actually happen to have a little drying line that I put across the doorway of the balcony to hang up a few things. It doesn't have anything to tie up to that would allow more than 4 or 5 items to dry on it though and I really need to dry blue jeans. The thin little shirts of my daughters' that I have hung up on the line and in the bathroom will dry just fine that way....but not the jeans. Anyone else have any idea how to start the thing as a dryer? I have time. I just started the second wash load so I probably have at least an hour until its' done based on the experience of the first load! :-)

The "Servis" website is incredibly unhelpful. I haven't managed to find a manual for the unit....which is why I came to you guys. I'll keep trying.

I would find a self-service nearby (don't know where you are in London and even if I did, I probably wouldn't know but ask in the local shop). The self-service places have big tumble machines--jeans will be dry in short order. The combos really that great on drying.

I only use one of those combi units to dry clothes as a <b>last</b> option.

I'll use the washer cycles - but the dryer is a whole other thing. They take forever and often are too hot and shrink everything because the clothing is in super heated water/steam. So unless you have a very good set of instructions (and even then, I'd be nervous) I'd never dry jeans in one.

Do you have a heated towel rail in the bathroom? if so - that is a better option. (sometimes the on/off switch is just outside the bathroom door)

Otherwise, just hang those jeans out and don't plan on wearing them for a few days.

I think the Slow Travel website used to have instructions for European washers, but perhaps not dryers. You might try there.

Where are you in London? Perhaps someone knows of a coin-op dryer somewhere near you.

If there isn't a heated towel rail, then Cathinjoetown's idea to take them to a coin-op to dry is another good option.

Combi dryers are EVIL :)

Can you ask the person who rented you the flat? I had the same problem in France (no manual and buttons were in French), so I finally had to ask the rental agency. They were great... once they showed me what to do, the thing actually dried pretty well!

They have a customer services number at 0121 5688333, but they work office hours.

I've only met one of those combination jobs on holiday and found that the dryer bit takes ages and that will cost you.
I'd just dry the stuff in the bathroom.

We had a combo washer dryer in Vienna and it took forever to figure out. The directions were in German!
Once you set the wash cycle you should be able to then set to dry. Some machines have fabric settings that are for washer and dryer. I got so frustrated and I ended up hanging the jeans on the drying rack in the bathroom. One load actually took about 8 hrs to get thru both cycles. What a waste of time and energy.

Agree with Janis: Don't use it to dry clothing, especially jeans.

Run to any store and buy a clothes rack to dry your jeans on.

When we first moved here, it took me forever to figure out why all our clothes were suddenly too small &amp; how to plan far enough in advance since the combo w/d took a full 24 hours to wash and dry a load. I've since gotten smarter and only use it to wash things. My radiators, towel racks, and of course the drying rack all get put to great use for drying clothes.

The dryer will ruin your jeans and shrink them. Don't do it!

And people wonder why all the &quot;what to wear&quot; posts recommend against taking jeans!

Your experience, sadly, mirrors ours in France, and our daughter's who has a combination unit here in the US that she bought in a moment of wanting save to space.

It cost a fortune and has been totally unsatisfactory. The internal filters get clogged, and the drying part, not great at best, basically quit working. You have to take the back off hers to clear the filters.

Find the nearest laundromat and give the jeans a spin. Then enjoy the rest of your holiday!

Kellye

I use a Service washer/dryer. The new models now have two separate dials on the front. One for you to choose what kind of wash, and the other to select how long you want it to dry for.

I have the older style, which I think you may have. If not, I can only give you some details about how my machine works but it might help.

With it, you simply choose the wash cycle. After it completes the wash and rinse, it moves straight onto drying. You do not have a choice as to how much or little time the dryer runs. It 'decides' for you (possibly by measuring the weight of clothes). Oh, and it usually decides wrongly.

I hate the bloody machine. I have the instruction book somewhere and gave up on it. It just didn’t make any sense.

Bill

I have two washer-dryers but I don't think either of them are Servis ones! However, for what it's worth, on both of mine you have to select half-load option, then click one dial to the end of a spin cycle (both have two types of cycle - one for normal, one for delicates) The normal cycle is 'hot dry' the other 'warm' dry. Both have a separate dial to choose the length of dry time. Select that, push the on button/ pull out dial or whatever it takes and off it goes.

However, they are not the best and I only use them when pushed... a big wash and wet weather sees me heading towards the local laundrette to use the big dryers there - much, much more efficient!

Don't remember if ours was your brand, but in our London flat, in the combi if you didn't want dry when you turned it on for wash you just left the dial that had minutes on it at zero. If you wanted dry you set the dial to 40 or 50 or 60 or whatever for the minutes. But I agree don't dry anything you aren't sure is industructible. Jeans are probably fine (but no, they won't get really dry). How I dried my jeans was take out 2 hangers, fold one leg over each hanger, and hang each hanger a ways apart from the molding over the door frame on the bedroom door so the jeans are like the letter M to maximize airflow. Hope that explanation makes some kind of sense. :)

hi kellye,

excuse me if someone already posted this, but it's too late to read every reply.

the trick with washer/dryers is to halve the usual load for the drying part.

so if it's got a 5lb load, you need to take half out and dry it in two bits.

alternatively, only wash 2 1/2 lbs!

sorry I can't help with your particular model.

hope this helps a bit,

regards, ann

Having experienced washer and dryers in Italy Kellye I feel your pain. But personally I would never put a pair of jeans in a dryer. I don't here at home (N California). I use those skirt/pants hangers with the two clips and clip the jeans onto that and hang them over the shower door (with the shower door opened of course). Otherwise I would hang them over what ever door frame was available. Jeans (at least in my experience) always shrink when put into any type of dryer.

Are the jeans dry yet?

???????

I can't sleep.

welcome to england. probably less than 2% of the population have individual washer/dryers and i would say the vast majority just have washers and no drying facility beyond what we call an 'airing cupboard'. the concept is to put the wet clothes on a slatted shelf close them in this cupboard and wait for them to get mouldy. we then throw them out and buy new clothes at primark and repeat the cycle.

Zeppole, your last post cracked me up! :-)

First, thank you for all the help. The suggestion to push the 1/2 button was brilliant. I wish I had gotten the delicates vs. normal instructions earlier though (thank you for replying with such detailed instructions BillBarr).

All of our underwear is slightly a different color now--the pure white stuff is now a beige color since I washed on &quot;normal&quot; and probably should have washed on delicate....I did manage, by accident, to start the dryer last night and managed to then have clean and dry pajamas to wear. I put in a load at bedtime and then got up this morning and started the dryer....big mistake. I forgot what was in there and dried 2 of my bras. They are now ruined. I will have to start a new post asking for advice as to what department store to go to for those--will require a fitting since US/UK sizing is different! :-)

I presently have some of the jeans (and jean shorts) in to wash. I think I will hang them to dry. I am scared to put them in the dryer unit now.

So, does my American washer/dryer eat that much more electricity, or why do they have such inefficient units here? I can understand the allure of a combo unit, with the limited space in a flat, but wonder why they can't seem to make anything more efficient.... That was a rhetorical question, obviously! :-)

Thanks to everyone for your help. I knew I could count on fodors.

Oh, and janisj, I used your advice on my one night through transit a week ago and pricelined an airport hotel for a really good price. I think it was you that also advised me to use justairports for car service and we did that yesterday. Very easy and efficient. Thanks!

kellye asks:

&quot;So, does my American washer/dryer eat that much more electricity, or why do they have such inefficient units here?&quot;

Your US dryer vents wet air to the outside through a big pipe. &quot;European&quot; dryers condense the water and send it out through a drain. No hole in the wall required but not very quick.

Again walkinaround
seems to visit or inhabit this strange third-world country called England.
I personally have a Bosch washing machine and separate dryer.
The dryer is the condensing type, but the type that vent to the outside are very common.
At this time of year, I hang my washing outside when it's fine and just use the dryer to fluff up towels etc.
The airing cupboard is for putting freshly ironed clothes to make sure that they are thoroughly dry.

Walkinaround just likes to exaggerate :-)

Most people I know have separate washers and dryers.

If you end up with a combined washer/dryer, they work fine, but the big downside is that you can't dry the full load you washed. The dryer capacity is lower than the washing. So you have to take out half your stuff before switching to dryer mode. Anyone whose found that the drying part isn't working well is probably forgetting to do that...

What is the model number?

hi again,

i'm afriad that many holiday cottages and flats may have combo units [what a wonderful phrase] to save space - i plead guilty to that myself.

the idea is to allow guests to wash what we hope will be a few items whilst they are on their hols and get them dry if the weather is inclement - we provide a line for those few days when hanging things out is a viable option. after all, and this is not a sly dig at the OP, holiday makers don't normally want to do a full wash, towels, sheets etc.

one of the problems of welcoming guests is how much to tell them when they arrive - too little and you get problems like this; too much and you can see their eyes glaze over while they are wishing desperately that I'll leave them alone so they can have a cup of tea.

Kellye - good luck with the underwear hunting. stores such as M &amp; S have a measuring facitilty when you want to replace your bras as do Harrods and john lewis. what a great excuse to buy yourself something new!

regards, ann

regards, ann

so far [pause for me to touch a lot of wood, cross my fingers, hold my thumbs etc.] no one has complained.

perhaps I'm too scarey?

I really wonder about walkinaround. Where does he/she really live? Not in any part of the UK I've ever known certainly. Every one I know has a separate washer and dryer, except one friend who lives in a tiny flat and has no room for both items. The trick, as others have said, is to either only wash a half load, or take half out before drying.
Ann, it sounds like you have a good set up there, with lines and the option of a dryer. Can't believe it ever rains enough in Cornwall to need it though ;)
A lot of people, not only in the UK but also throughout Europe hang their washing out on a line to dry - it is free, the washing smells wonderful, and there is less ironing involved. Only when it is really horrible weather do I use my dryer.
American friends seem to find this a strange, quaint thing to do, whilst they happily put their washing in a dryer in So Cal while the sun is shining down on them. Do people hang their washing out in the US? I can't say I have ever seen it, other than with the Amish, but I haven't really looked it's true. Maybe with the increase in fuel costs it will become fashionable again.
I do miss an airing cupboard though - since the idea of a hot water tank is unknown here there is no airing cupboard.

i stand corrected and rightly accused of exaggeration. 40% of uk households own separate clothes dryers.

15% own combis

25% own dishwashers (if you were wondering).

I live in Central London, and I will say that every house/flat we looked at had a combo unit. And that was about 20 properties.

In the US, I don't know anyone who still hangs the wash out to dry. Even my 88 year old grandmother has a new, HE dryer (and lives in sunny, hot Texas). Upon my eventual return to the US, I will be using my dryer less often. I am amazed at how much I've been able to cut back on laundry and my consumer habits in general, although that is another topic for another post...

Slightly off-topic, but I live in a village that is trying to be Britain's first carbon neutral community.
http://www.goingcarbonneutral.co.uk/

We have a solar panel which today, for example is giving us free hot water.
Our fuel bills have gone done drastically and I feel positively guilty when I use my dryer.

MissPrism...many towns and villages in the UK are going through this. there is a big scramble to get government money for stupid projects that do not contribute positively to green living. in my area, a massive solar canopy was created. it took over a year to build with traffic redirected out of the way (more petrol use while driving around it and more idling time). it costs millions. the solar panels do not even create enough energy to light the new lights that turn the area under the canopy into daylight at night...never mind contributing to the overall power grid. built under the umbrella of a programme to make the area carbon neutral. a complete waste of time and money and an outcome with effects opposite of what was intended. there are many such examples of projects under initiatives similar to the one that you cite.

Ah, there speaks the
walkinaround
that we all know and love ;-)

At least we now know that walkinaround lives in or near Woking. That explains a lot maybe.

Put those wet jeans ON...walk around outside in them...dry before you know it.

40% of all UK households actually sounds a little high to me. Do they mean homeowners? Or everyone? I can't imagine that, for example, 40% of London apartments have separate washers and dryers...ditto for people renting, most rental units that we've seen don't offer separate W/D.

FWIW, we do not have a dryer and have managed without one for nearly 4 years. There is no place in our cottage to put one. We brought our full size Miele washer with us from Belgium, swapping out the cheap washer that came with the cottage (I don't like washers that try to rhumba across the room during spin cycle).

It takes some fine tuning your schedule...on sunny dry days, we wash three loads, starting early in the morning and having stuff out on the line or on the drying racks until evening. On wet or cold days, we do one load in the evening, spread it out over drying racks placed strategically around the living room just before we go to bed and it's usually dry enough to put away in the morning when we get up.

While this can be annoying and we have to pay close attention to the weather forecast, we've gotten to the point that we prefer the crispness of air dried bed linens and towels. And my husband's shirts seem to be lasting longer and looking better.

I never use a dryer on my jeans at home, I always put them on a rack to dry. I guess it depends on how you know they fit, but that would shrink them too much for me (and it is much harder on the fabric). So I would just do that (put on rack).

It is true at home, I put them in a dryer for about 5 minutes first, mainly to speed the drying and get wrinkles out, and that step helps a lot (more for the wrinkles). I hate those teensy European washers, I had once in an apt. and it was impossible to use and pointless as nothing fit in it but stuff you could easily wash by hand anyway.

Now we should open a new thread:
&quot;Why can't Americans operate simple electric/electronic devices? :D

hetismij: &quot;<i>American friends seem to find this a strange, quaint thing to do, whilst they happily put their washing in a dryer in So Cal while the sun is shining down on them. Do people hang their washing out in the US?</i>&quot;

Unfortunately, not many. I'd love to but my garden just doesn't have a place I could fit in a clothesline. Or, I'd have to take out my gorgeous but messy Crape Myrtle tree. . . .

But I do use a drying rack for some clothes. When I lived in the UK I did dry everything outdoors (or started them out doors and then got drenched bringing them back inside to hang over every chair in the house after the downpour started :) )

It is crazy I know - but a lot of CCRs in the States (rules applying to residents in specific neighborhoods) actually <u>forbid</u> outdoor clotheslines :O It is called &quot;Visual polution&quot; !! Miscreants can be fined or a lien placed on their home.

Kellye: Glad I could help.

There are some lovely lingerie shops in London - splurge a bit ;)

This whole thread has brought a smile to my face! I thought I was the only one who couldn't figure out British washers and dryers...

A few years ago we stayed in a semi-detached home while my husband worked in London. The house came with a washer, and we thought we'd be oh so modern and get a tumble dryer as well. I wondered why all the neighbors turned out to watch the dryer being unloaded from the truck and installed in the kitchen -- it turns out they wanted to know who was foolish enough to get such a contraption.

The washer and I never negotiated a truce the whole summer we were there, and I tried to understand it by reading the incomprehensible directions. First off, the hot setting, which I would use to wash towels, socks, etc, at home boiled the clothes and shrunk them to microscopic sizes. Secondly, one of those airplane socks was stuck on the top of the tumbler, and when I washed all my daughter's clothes in the next load, they turned a pretty shade of robin's egg blue. She was 5 at the time, and was distraught that EVERYTHING she owned had turned some shade of blue.

The modern dryer we rented took about a day and a half to dry anything. And we tried the half load trick. The washer was so small, though, that putting half a wash load into the dryer amounted to no more than a pair of socks and a t-shirt.

In the end, I had my husband bring home a laundry line so we could hang our clothes out to dry like all the sensible people in our neighborhood. My son (6 at the time) was terrible embarrassed that his boxer shorts were hanging outside where everyone could see them, but it sure beat waiting for days to have dry clothes.

I feel your pain, Kellye!