Le French laundry...
Ten ways my laundry (probably) isn’t like yours.
10. Our washing machine is just under three feet tall and is 18 inches wide and 22 inches deep. That's approximately one pair of jeans, one pair of pants, two shirts, and a couple socks (or one queen-size flat bed sheet and one pillow case).
9. The aforementioned little machine is located right next to the sink in the bathroom. Note that's the 'bathroom' as in the room with the bath and not the bathroom as in the WC (restroom).
8. The most popular laundry detergent scents are lavender, bouquet de Provence, savon de Marseille (a smell I can't stand - I think you have to grow up with it to like it).
7. Along with detergent, anti-calcaire powder must be added. Apparently our Lyonnais water has oodles of calcium. Great for bones, bad for metal pipes.
6. The washing cycle (without pre-wash, mind you) takes 55 minutes.
5. Much like most of our French neighbors, we don’t have a dryer. We have a drying rack.
4. There is a technique to hanging up clothes on a rack, as well as limited space and a minimum 24 hrs drying time in winter. So all laundry efforts must be carefully planned and coordinated in order to ensure peaceful transition from dirty clothes basket to closet. A pile-up of wet, clean clothes...not good.
3. Because line or rack drying is so common, you don't see French laundry detergents advertising that your clothes will smell 'dried in the sunshine'. Those of us who do dry our clothes in the sunshine know that it's a made-up smell imagined into existence by marketing teams.
2. Washing bed sheets is a pain in the petooty. Well, washing them isn’t bad – it’s the drying. The trick is to wash them first thing on a weekend morning so you can hang them up before you leave for the day. Seeing as they overtake the apartment, being there as they dry is to be avoided if possible.
**Having two sets of flannel winter sheets is recommended because getting them dry in time to put back on that night is tricky and may require some 10pm blow-drying.
And the number 1 way my laundry experience isn’t like yours…
Jonathan does my laundry, from sorting to loading, hanging to folding…to re-folding when I try it on and then leave it on the bed/chair/nearest flat surface.
10. Our washing machine is just under three feet tall and is 18 inches wide and 22 inches deep. That's approximately one pair of jeans, one pair of pants, two shirts, and a couple socks (or one queen-size flat bed sheet and one pillow case).
9. The aforementioned little machine is located right next to the sink in the bathroom. Note that's the 'bathroom' as in the room with the bath and not the bathroom as in the WC (restroom).
8. The most popular laundry detergent scents are lavender, bouquet de Provence, savon de Marseille (a smell I can't stand - I think you have to grow up with it to like it).
7. Along with detergent, anti-calcaire powder must be added. Apparently our Lyonnais water has oodles of calcium. Great for bones, bad for metal pipes.
6. The washing cycle (without pre-wash, mind you) takes 55 minutes.
5. Much like most of our French neighbors, we don’t have a dryer. We have a drying rack.
4. There is a technique to hanging up clothes on a rack, as well as limited space and a minimum 24 hrs drying time in winter. So all laundry efforts must be carefully planned and coordinated in order to ensure peaceful transition from dirty clothes basket to closet. A pile-up of wet, clean clothes...not good.
3. Because line or rack drying is so common, you don't see French laundry detergents advertising that your clothes will smell 'dried in the sunshine'. Those of us who do dry our clothes in the sunshine know that it's a made-up smell imagined into existence by marketing teams.
2. Washing bed sheets is a pain in the petooty. Well, washing them isn’t bad – it’s the drying. The trick is to wash them first thing on a weekend morning so you can hang them up before you leave for the day. Seeing as they overtake the apartment, being there as they dry is to be avoided if possible.
**Having two sets of flannel winter sheets is recommended because getting them dry in time to put back on that night is tricky and may require some 10pm blow-drying.
And the number 1 way my laundry experience isn’t like yours…
Jonathan does my laundry, from sorting to loading, hanging to folding…to re-folding when I try it on and then leave it on the bed/chair/nearest flat surface.
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16 comments:
Wow, that last one is quite an accomplishment! But I can't complain, because Scott does most of the laundry duties here, too. Although we have to hoard quarters so as to be able to wash AND dry a load at the same time. But I'm thankful for not having to go to a laundromat (washers and dryers in the albeit kinda-creepy basement). Now if I could just get my husband to FOLD the laundry too, I'd be living the high life like you!
lucky you Kari! I hate doing laundry!
My life in boarding school was somewhat like that... there was one tiny washing machine for a bunch of 40 something teenage girls! So we had a system... each day, two rooms(basically four girls) would get to use the machine and only undies and maybe a few light shirts were allowed or rather, was all the poor machine could take and still it would shake so much it would practically wobble across the kitchen!
Other clothes would be sent to a faithful 'dhobi man' which meant stacking up PILES of dirty clothes on Sunday, sorting and counting before the dhobi man packed it off in a large bedsheet to be washed, dried and get this... ironed by the next sunday!
check this link out... http://www.geobeats.com/videoclips/india/mumbai/dhobi-ghat
you might find it interesting...
Tina
Here is a tip that I have found helps conserve space on our drying rack. Use clothes pins! I still leave a bar between each piece of clothing so that air can circulate better, but I find that this helps maximize the usefullness of our drying rack. It also helps with jeans because you can pin them to the outside of the rack so they don't take up any space at all! :) I also fold my sheets in half and pin them around the edge of the clothes rack. That keeps them out of our way, and they seem to dry just fine.
Ahhh, yes, I feel I have had to learn to do laundry all over again since moving to France for two reasons: 1) the laundry is très compliqué en France! and 2)Mark did the laundry in California, so it's been five years or so since I've worried about it! My laundry experience is pretty similiar to yours except it all starts at a laundromat. There's nothing like carting all our dirty clothes down the beautiful streets and among the well-dressed people of the 6eme! I have dealt with the bed sheet problem by putting a chair up in the middle of the bed (just a folding chair from IKEA), draping the sheet over it, and then opening the windows and leaving! As long as I put it out by early afternoon, we can sleep with sheets at night. I like your hallway decor on laundry day-très chic!
III is so very sweet! And I was so grateful for Kole's large washer and dryer when I got back to America! Though we did have a dryer while living in the Pink Palace, so really, I was only three months without one. Man, I sound prissy now! x
Kari, these are great tips that I am sure I will need to employ when I move to Armenia in June. I may have to ask you more detailed questions when I get there and realize I don't know what I'm doing! Do you think you could email me regarding the best way to pack a suitcase?
Your post put a smile on my face. However, at least you have a washing machine. We have to either use the washer/dryer in our building's basement which are usually broken or in use, or we have to lug our laundry several blocks to our nearest laundromat, where again we are faced with broken machines or a line of people waiting to do their washing. LOL.
Oh...I long for the day when I can have my own washer and dryer. ;)
That is quite an ordeal! I know that I will be faced with something similar when spending a month in Paris this summer, with the tiniest washing machine I've ever seen and no dryer. Funny how we so take that for granted here in the States. I knew it would be tricky but your brilliant post proves that it is definitely a feat in planning and space management to say the least! :)
I just came across your blog and look forward to reading more, particularly as I consider moving to France myself!
for some reason we do laundry separately most of the time. Apparently, one flesh does not equal one laundry basket. Not sure why that's OK.
Never thought you would have so many comments decribing your luxurious life with a washing machine! The little guy at croc de lile (sp?) would be so proud.
Dad/Glenn
You don't like savon de Marseille???! I miss that scent! That's the scent I used when I was living in France. Of course, it was also the cheapest, but I still loved that smell!! :) haha.
We are SO spoiled here!!! How in the world do you wash a comforter? I guess you don't, eh? I decided when we went to Italy that I wasn't sure if I could live there because I'm spoiled by (and these were just a few things I could tell from the week we were there): my powerful blow dryer, deodorant, showers I can turn around in and (now) washers and dryers!
Then again, the history, scenery and food kind of out-weigh these (although a lot of people really smelled bad)!
Man, people sure are passionate about laundry...look at all these comments! Can Jonathan give an online tutorial re: laundry sometime? If so, my husband is signing up for sure! We have a strict rule in our house: I do not touch the garbage and Chad does not come within 30 feet of the laundry room.
Lurker here. This post made me laugh - your laundry is different than mine, but I live in France, too. I'm one of the lucky ones with a clothes dryer, though. My father-in-law thought we were crazy when one of the first things did after moving to this house was take down the outdoor clothesline. But we live in northern France! When do we get enough sun to line dry our clothes?!
When I lived in Marseille, it was always so hot that jeans would line-dry in an hour outside. Here it would take 3 days, and that's only if it didn't rain during that time!
Very interesting, not too far off of our experience- although I do use a tumble dryer for towels and sheets :) And I do it, Marc does not. And our washer takes a little over 2 hours on the simplest cycle. Ok, so maybe it is a lot different. :)
Here in Australia we mostly dry our laundry outdoors. Who on earth would want to use a clothes dryer in the midst of our summer heat, and why would anyone want to when the sun is free?
I am amazed that many Americans aren't even allowed outdoor lines. There was an article about this in our weekend paper and it surprised me.
Even in winter we tend to use a clothes airer inddors rather than a dryer.
Kate
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