Euro washers and bulky items - what do you take to the laundromat?

10 years ago

Those of you who have them, what DON'T you wash in them, either because it doesn't fit, doesn't get clean, or to save wear and tear on the machine?

I have a bosch w/d set that is about 7 years old. I had been washing bulky stuff like bedding in it until a few months ago the washer broke. The repairman said that Americans always have unrealistic expectations of compact machines and wear out the bearings and the motor washing heavy bulky loads. I found people saying similar stuff online and saying that People in Europe generally don't wash bedding in them, so since then I've been schlepping anything bulkier than blankets to the laundromat.

I have a queen size matelasse quilt that has been sitting in the laundry basket waiting to get washed for a few weeks and last night I said screw it and stuck it in the washer. I turned the spin speed way down thinking that would be gentler on the machine and kept an eye and ear on it while it ran. It never sounded off balance and the lower spin speed got enough water out that it dried just fine.

Now I'm thinking I'll go back to washing things like quilts and dog bed covers with the reduced spin speed. Anything down-filled (obviously) and the couch slipcover will still have to go to the laundromat to go in the double size speed queen FL, but I'd probably have to do that with a full size machine (and definitely would with a TL)

As an aside the repair guy was an idiot. He shows up absolutely reeking of cigarettes, spends 5 minutes poking the machine, tries to get it to spin and tells me I should just get a new washer because it's almost certainly the control panel and the bearings are shot. After he left I tracked down a copy of the service manual, and between it and youtube vids was easily able to find and fix the (in hindsight really common and obvious) actual problem, which was that the motor brushes were badly worn and needed replacing. Seriously never calling a service tech again for any appliance that is out of warranty because I've had too many experiences like this.

Featured Answer

rococogurl

10 years ago

I've had 3 Euro sets now. Don't need anything larger. Have never been to the laundromat though, speaking frankly, if I had a dog I would take the dog stuff to the laundromat and not wash it in the same machine as clothes and stuff. Folks do, I know. But just me.

Thing with the Euros, I find, is that you can't stuff everything into
one load. We never have that much of any one thing so the smaller
size is well suited to our needs.

Currently, I have a Miele pair. Not a little giant, just the regular. I've been told by their servicers that, eventually, you do need to replace the brushes.

I have a king blanket cover and king cotton blankets that do just fine in the Miele. Each of those is a single load. I don't recommend more than 2 bath sheets at a time if they are 800 g weight towels or more. Those are very hard on the machine because they get extremely heavy when wet. I also wash the linen slip covers from my sofa but in 3 loads.

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Comments (8)

larsi_gw
10 years ago
In all my years with "small" European units...there is very little I have not washed due to size. Maybe Miele is very robust, but everything gets handled just fine. I just washed a CA King blanket in my Miele washer, and it was perfect. Granted, the Little Giant is rated as Professional...but it is not huge. No balancing problems, washing, rinsing and 1400rpm. Most Euro units are pretty tough.

My 4.3 cu ft Electrolux (Swedish, Made in Mexico) was a real work horse too. That washer swallowed everything, and never complained. Although it did not like very small loads, or a single bath towel or beach towel. Would NEVER balance properly!!
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practigal
10 years ago
My 8' canvas sofa cover which weighs about 20 lbs by itself....
amg765 thanked practigal
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amg765
Original Author
10 years ago
The washer I have is only 2.2 cubic feet I think. It's one of the 24"/60cm models that's sized to fit in kitchen cabinets. I just noticed tonight that there is an almost hidden sticker on the inside of the door that says the max load allowed is 6kg. That's way more than one quilt. The manual does recommend against washing single towels but it actually seems to balance fine if you do that, maybe because the drum is so small. Although if it's a little off I probably couldn't tell because at a full 1200rpm spin it kinda sounds like a cross between a jet engine and a cat in heat ;)
practigal
10 years ago
I purchased one of those hanging scales you use to weigh luggage and weighed the laundry for several weeks and found that my loads are really always under the 6 kg....a bigger machine would be a waste....
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linus2003
10 years ago
Hi

As you know I live in Sweden and we do not have any laundrymats at all.

If we have something we cant wash at home you need to go to the cleaners.

I have washed everything in my euro washers until 7 years ago I got the bosch us size.

A Euro machine you can stuff full, when I look at the washloads here or on youtube from us I feel that the machines are not even 1/2 filled.

I have done a kingsize comforter with no problem, nice and clean. It is harder to wash in my us sized washer than in my euro washer because it need to be more balanced than a euro washer.
amg765 thanked linus2003
amg765
Original Author
10 years ago
If I didn't put dog stuff in my washer I'd be going to the laundromat constantly, which would sort of defeat the purpose of having a washing machine in the first place ;). The doggiest things in the house are the blankets that cover the dog beds and the bathmat (he likes to sleep in the bathroom) and those need washed every few days. I'm not worried about the dirt or germs - I hit the extra rinse button and wipe the gasket down if there is dog hair, and anyway scrubs are way worse ;).

The couch slipcover will fit in the washer (with much stuffing and with the cushion covers in a separate load), but it comes out horribly wrinkled and takes forever to dry so it's easier to go wash it in a big commercial machine.

Linus - no laundromats? Do all apartments in Sweden have washers then?
linus2003
10 years ago
Yes there are no laundrymats at all. Apartmentbuilding either have a laundry room somewhere or they have their own machines, its the same if you rent or buy you home. If you need something big washed you go to the drycleaner and they send it out to get washed. Many people that live in a house use their friends laundryroom in their building, some times they have those realky big washers to do large items as we really dont have the Us size machines.
amg765 thanked linus2003