Alla Lavanderia

I'm not sure when I was last at a laundromat, but since I've been in Italy, I go once a week.  When I've been in school, I take the laundry in the car, stop at the lavanderia and get it done on the way home.  Although small, this one in Spello is great; the manager now knows La Americana, and greets me as I walk through the door.

I can get two loads done in the space of 1 1/2 hours, and that gives me time while the wash is going to go to the supermercato to buy provisions for the week.

Here's the drill, select the machine, you can see the big loads go on the left.  Then you go over to the pin-ball machine-esque money machine.

Slide in the bills, and then wait for a load of change to come out, just like a slot machine.  This is especially true if you put in a E 20.

Select the wash type, then buy soap, and put that into the machine and you are ready to roll.

Once the clothes are done, it's time for the dryer.  Most Italians wash their clothes and then hang them out to dry.  A lot of the customers at this lavanderia take their clothes home to dry on the line.

The smell of line dried clothes is lovely, but the main reason that they line dry the clothes is to save on astronomic electric bills.  My Nonna and my mom both used clothes lines over the dryer and my mom had this whirligig looking thing that we were sure would blow off with all our clothing when there was a windy day. 

  Buona giornata from Spello.