Of all the things I've blogged about so far, my battle with the washing machine has received the most inquiry. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe it's because most of us can relate to this basic household chore? Regardless of the reason, I'm surprised to find that of all the things I miss about the U.S., the ease of getting clean clothes is near the top of the list.I'm happy to report that things have improved, although there were a couple of mishaps along the way. One time a load came out where anything with white elastic had turned a really ugly gray color. My instruction manual told me that I should try a different detergent, so I bought a bottle of Ivory Snow liquid. The advantage, or so I thought, with this choice was the English-language label. Nothing can go wrong now!
The next load was washed with this new detergent. I read the instruction manual again and carefully followed the instructions. It kind of felt like being back in chemistry lab, measuring out liquids and pouring them into various chambers, fearful that the slightest mistake will create something stinky and/or explosive.
Well, what I did was create something wet and foamy. Despite the instructions, I must have used too much detergent because the window became alarmingly full of foam, and then it started to leak out of the bottom. It wasn't too bad, but I did become quite discouraged. Laundry was one thing I had expected would be one of the easier things about moving here, and instead it was turning out to be one of the more frustrating ones!
I think I have it down now, though. The trick is to ignore the manual and use only half as much detergent as it says you should. My latest round was a success, as I have clean clothes, a dry floor, and normal blood pressure.
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