Drying the washing

Growing up in America I only ever saw truly one way of doing the laundry.  (However our neighbors had a large drying rack in their back yard, though they rarely ever used it). You put your clothes in the enormous top load washer and then shoved it all in the dryer.  Of course I grew up in the late 70s to late 90s in the USA.  Now the new trend in the States is the new front load washer and dryer, but back then it was different.  I suppose the only real thing that has changed in the States is where you load your washing, because the machines are still enormous (like most things in the USA) and people still LOVE their driers, I suppose hanging your washing out to dry is a distant memory, if it is even a memory at all.

In Italy of course the weather is much nicer than in Seattle (relatively speaking) and for this driers never really invaded the bel paese.  Not having a drier means that you need to plan your washing.  If you don't have much interior space to dry your washing you have to wait for a sunny day (and you wash like mad to get it all out and drying in the sun!) Otherwise you have to wait or deal with manuvering around washing racks inside.

Now as I noted in my earlier post we are in March and that means "Marzo mattarello".  You can wake up to beautiful sunny weather and get lots of washing out on the line to dry then head out to work or to simply get the shopping and by the time you get home the washing is soaking wet because a thunder storm has rolled in in the meantime! (My mother-in-law gave me some good advice, in March never leave your washing outside if you go out, "you know how it is in March!" was what she said)

Now getting the washing done usually means spending the whole morning loading the washer, why you ask. the other main difference between the USA and Italy is that the washers are smaller.  I believe our washer is a 5 liter washer (a little over a gallon).  I noticed just how much bigger they are in the States when I was home for the summer visiting my parents.  I would have what I considered "a load of washing" and put it in my mom's cavernous Maytag front loading washer and still have room for about three more "loads"!  I had to completely change my washing routine.  I really only needed to do the washing once a week for me and my daughter.  This was a bit difficult for me since I am used to doing multiple loads every week.  My mother even made a comment saying that I was obsessed with doing the washing, but the truth is that I just have different habits due to my washing machine's capacity!

Despite the drawbacks of having a small washer and no dryer, I am happy to say that we are not wasting energy by using a dryer.  I have become accustomed to my new washing routine, and I don't really mind it.  Most of the time in the States I line dry my things despite the presence of a dryer just because that is what I am used to now.  Although I try to resist becoming "Italianized" some things just become part of who you are, and I guess in this case I am happy that I have changed.