Kellye

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!!!!!!

MelJ

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).

zeppole

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.

Kellye

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!

Kellye

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.

Cathinjoetown

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.

janisj

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.

zeppole

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.

janisj

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

slangevar

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!

MissPrism

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.

Darnwright

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.

dexters

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!

Ackislander

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!

billbarr

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

lilaclady

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!

laurie_ann

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.

annhig

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

LoveItaly

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.

zeppole

Are the jeans dry yet?

???????

I can't sleep.