Laundry By Any Other Rock ...

I am so lucky to have an automatic clothes washer and dryer in our Heidelberg flat - it's a real luxury and quite frankly, a mandatory appliance as far as I'm concerned.  

The machines are considerably smaller here, which means I do twice as many loads as before.  The washer is set not by fabric type or load size, but by desired water temperature (in celsius). Silver lining: it takes no time at all to fold the clean, dried clothes since there aren't many items per load.  

Also, it is the case that the dryers do not vent directly outdoors, but water is collected in a water trough and emptied after every 2-3 cycles (along with the lint trap).  Also, I must vent the window nearest the portable drying rack in order to allow the moisture from the clothes I hang dry.  

There is very little fresh air flow inside the flats and homes that have been outfitted with the newer windows since German engineering is freakishly amazing.  The windows are so good at keeping noise out, they also do not allow for fresh air to access or circulate indoors.  Part of each day is devoted to opening and closing windows throughout the house... especially on laundry days.  All of this is to avoid mold and mildew.  Ok, I can do that.

At the end of the day, we have cleans clothes and towels.  My kids don't leave the house in a popsicle stained t-shirt.  And, I can send my husband to work smelling Tide© fresh.  Life is grand.

A drawer of warm socks is where it's at.