Laundry.


You wouldn't think it was that different in another country, right?

You'd be wrong.

Once getting in the door (which took about 15min and that was _with_ the tip thankfully given to me by my hallmate that the system uses a magnetic key entry found on my keyring), I departed again and returned with my laundry.


I scheduled a time for myself (now) using the Swedish-language laundry controller through many errors and guessing.

I placed my laundry in two machines. I added soap (guessing at the correct slot). I chose my wash option (thankfully there were English instructions on the wall about what the different wash cycle icons meant). I pressed Go.

I got flashing lights and a flashing timer icon.

I tried a second time.

At this point another student came in to retreive her laundry from the drier so I was able to ask her what the problem was. After repeating my steps, she got the same result, much to her surprise. Then she asked which group I'd signed up for? Uh, group?


Apparently scheduling is even more controlled than access being given simply to a number of people during a two hour period... you have assigned washers and driers. What a disagreement-preventing idea!

I placed my laundry in the correct washers, added more soap, pressed the same buttons, and it washed. I'd read that Swedish laundry systems are known for being particularly harsh (downright brutal to anything other than cotton, in fact), with a reputation for returning clothes in a condition far different from when they were placed in the machine. I chose a wool wash cycle and was pleased with the results (on my perfectly normal non-wool clothes).

While I waited, I knit, and got a bit further on my sherbet sock (which I'm considering converting to a toe up Jaywalker sock).


After the washing, I had two options for drying. There was the option I was most familiar with - a tumbling cylinder full of heated air. On this version I got to choose temperature as well as dry time. The other option was one I'd never seen before and reminded me of proofing chambers for bread in bakeries (pix is with visual interest, of course).


A hot air closet (?) is the closest description I can come up with. Drying racks for air drying of delicates (also with choices of air temperature and cycle time). Interesting!


And of course, lastly: