That darn all in one laundry unit....

The other thing I hate about our washer/dryer is that it only washes hot.  The lowest I can turn it is 30 degrees.  Is this usual for washers in the UK?  In the US, I washed everything on a cold wash and cold rinse.

I think a cold wash & cold rinse might be considered a bit unhygienic here.  When i first arrived, and took my stuff for a service wash, i told the attendants i wanted a cold wash, and they looked disgusted and horrified!   

Most washers, though,  should have a 'wool' setting, and sometimes and 'economy wash' button.    When i want to wash the odd item, like a woolly jumper or something that i think might shrink, i use the 'wool' setting on the dial, and also set the 'economy' button....  that's how i get a cold wash.

Most washers, though,  should have a 'wool' setting, and sometimes and 'economy wash' button.    When i want to wash the odd item, like a woolly jumper or something that i think might shrink, i use the 'wool' setting on the dial, and also set the 'economy' button....  that's how i get a cold wash.

I wish mine had a wool setting!   :\\\'(  I've already shrunk one sweater and I'm likely going to have to start handwashing some things this winter.  What a pain!

I guess I'm just sad because we had bought a brand new washer and dryer in the US a few years ago and then had to sell them when we decided to move her.  I miss them!

I wish mine had a wool setting!   :\\\'(  I've already shrunk one sweater and I'm likely going to have to start handwashing some things this winter.  What a pain!

Are you *sure* it doesnt have a wool setting?
I'm sorry for doubting you, but it would be extreeeeeemely unlikely that it doesnt have a wool setting... I've never seen a washing machine without one.  (except for the commercial machines in laundrettes).

Hopefully you've got the manual for it and can take a look...

Some U.K. models have a single control which selects the program and wash temperature, others have a separate temperature knob which can be set independently of the actual program.  Either way, most  modern washers have some sort of program for "wool" or "delicates," although there are some models with the all-in-one control which do not actually have a cold wash setting as such.

One way you might be able to work around the problem it is to find a "hand rinse" program and just use that as your cold wash cycle.   Some machines fill via the soap-powder tray for rinses, others bypass it, so depending upon the design you may need to just throw the soap powder in with the clothes before you start.    You'd have to play around with the cycles to find one suitable.

By the way, 30 C is not all that hot anyway -- Only 86 deg. F.

By the way, 30 C is not all that hot anyway -- Only 86 deg. F.

It's hot enough to shrink a wool jumper! 

I'm no laundry expert, so I bow to your superior knowledge!     

I only "do" the technical side. 

There should be a "cold" setting!  I'm also not using the drying "capability" anymore - it takes so long and it does nothing - it just seems like it's ruining the clothes.  So I use a drying rack I got from Germany - it holds two or more loads of laundry - it's great! 

On the other hand, my whites are a lot whiter here than they were in the US...

Ours only goes down to 30 but I haven't shrunk anything in the wash - only in the dryer. LOL. I tend to hand wash or dry clean my wool, but that's just me....

I will say that I'm not a fan of the combo units either, but I'm used to them now. In warm weather I line dry everything but towels and in the winter I set up one drying rack in front of the radiator and one in the bathroom (our bathroom has two radiators for some very weird reason so if you turn on the heat and close the door, clothes dry super fast on a rack! Bath towels I do in the dryer one at a time and hand towels I do all at once. I think one problem with the combo units is that they aren't vented properly and so if it's a big load it ends up trying to dry with hot, damp air which doesn't really work....

It's a pain at first but you do get used to it.... I don't really even think about it anymore (except when it comes up on UKY which it seems to about every three months or so!  )