Finding a New Wascherei

Still unable to interpret German directions online, I gave up googling washerei and asked my Hausmeister. He actually doesn't speak English either, but by pointing to the heap of laundry on my floor along with the new Laundry detergent I had bought, and my numerous different pronunciations of"Wascherei," he was able to understand where I needed to go. I gave him some paper and he drew me a map. Take a right, then a left and then a right, and it will be on your left hand side.

I have my two large Ikea bags full of laundry and I start trekking the few blocks to the wascherei. No wascherei to be found. Finally, I decide to go inside the Comfort Inn Hotel, and ask them where I can do my laundry. They tell me that there is one on this street, but it is 8 blocks north and on the right side. Finally, I reach my destination. I laugh at the intimidating machines and sit down. All the directions are in German. There are four rows of buttons and 16 different choices. A few moments later, someone comes in to pick up his laundry (thankfully!). I ask him for some help and he tells me i have to pay for a token to put in the machine! Luckily he arrived, because I was prepared to put euro directly into the coin slot. The machine fits 3 two towels and one sheet. It costs 4 euro.

This is when I pick up my exciting new pink bottle of oxidizing laundry detergent and show my new wascherei friend. He takes a look and shakes his head. "Dies gilt nicht für die Maschine" he tells me. Seeing him shake his head, I knew something was wrong. Then we played some German pictionary and he explained that this detergent I bought could only be used for soaking "really dirty laundry" in a tub...and that I couldn't use this with a washing machine, or the oxidizing bubbles would cause too much pressure and break the machine. (read: exploding washing machine).

Thank GOODness I was able to avoid that disaster! So, I bought a tiny bag of laundry detergent powder from the attendant (this particular laundromat was combined with a liquor store, to the attendant was usually on the liquor store side, and could speak to me through a window.) The tiny bag of detergent was .50 euro cents. (No wonder people don't like to do their laundry here! It costs too much!) It also costs .50 euro cents to dry your clothes for 10 minutes..

An hour and a half later, less 7 euros, I had a bag and a half left of dirty laundry, two damp towels and one damp sheet. Note to self: purchase a drying rack and a washing machine.