After some rather dramatic weather, which was precede by some rather miserable weather, I decided today that I really needed to do some washing. The forecast wasn’t good, the left overs from Storm Eunice – her sting in the tail apparently, meant cool, dull and wet weather was predicted. When we bought our new washing machine a few years ago now, we bought one with a dryer but I’ve never used it. The reason I haven’t used it is because being tight-fisted with money, it seems a waste when the clothes can go out on the washing line; I’ve got what used to called clothes-horses, now airers, driers or drying racks. and anything that hasn’t dried outside – or has had to be rescued from an unexpected shower, can be arranged on them to finish off. If it’s chilly and we have the heating on then anything damp can go on the radiators, or in the airing cupboard of course!
Looking at the forecast today, and the amount of clean underwear we had in our drawers, and the baskets of laundry waiting I decided that dammit! I would wash and dry with the dryer program on the washing machine! We’ve been really careful with using energy, switching off everything not in use, putting on extra jumpers not the heating, that sort of thing, so yes, I would for once use the dryer. This of course involved reading the instructions for the washing machine, which for once I had kept in a safe place – usually with appliances I accidently throw out, lose or forget where I’ve put this type of thing, but there they were in the cupboard with the detergent.
It must be me, but for some reason they seemed complicated and I had to have several tries to get the right program for wash and dry (these days I guess it’s wash ‘n’ dry or maybe wash ‘n dry…) I had to choose between how dry I wanted it – ready to be put away, ready to go on an airer, ready to be ironed… Well, I plumped for ready to be ironed and pressed GO!
I didn’t put too much laundry in the machine, and only cotton stuff, nothing heavy or delicate, and went away to do all the other things I had to do. Glancing at the it as I passed to go outside I noticed it said it had four – yes 4 hours to go! What???? My washing usually takes1h 6mins!!! Somehow I hadn’t read the instructions properly, or hadn’t understood them, or something but good grief!! This was ludicrous!! Never again!! It’s better to have clothes horses/airers/dryers all around the house draped in damp clothes than 4+ hours of electricity!
What made the whole drama worse, it turned out not to be an very windy, wet, squally, rainy, nasty day, but a day of blue skies and sunshine and a delightful fresh breeze just right for drying clothes having made sure they were securely pegged on the line!
My featured image is of me with a horse, except it’s not a clothes horse!
Lois Elsden 