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Question regarding washing machines in Italian apartment?

We are staying in airbnb apartments in Italy, most of which have a washing machine.
I have fragrance sensitivity and may need to wash the sheets upon arrival to eliminate the
perfume used in their laundry care products.
Can anyone tell me if the washers in Italian apartments are large enough to wash bedding?
Thanks

Posted by
3938 posts

I don’t see how we can generalize about washing machines in all Italian apartments but I’ll take a stab at it. In Italy we’ve had washing machines that would hold a bottom sheet, two pillow case covers and a couple of other small items. The duvet cover had to to be washed with the next small load.

EDIT: This process can take a long time as wash cycles can be 2+ hours long. The big question will be how to dry the bedding before night time if the apartment (typically) has no dryer. During summer months this can be quick but in damp winter months it could take overnight to dry the bedding.

Posted by
270 posts

Most of the photos we are seeing show fairly small washers in the apartments. So, that the reason we asking what the capacity may be.
Are you suggesting that there is only a bottom sheet, and no upper sheet used?

Posted by
15678 posts

You might do better just taking the bedding to the nearest coin laundry with bigger commercial wash machines + dryers. You may not have a top and bottom sheet as you're used to at home: your bed may have a bottom sheet and a duvet cover that acts as the top sheet, although it's more common in some other countries than in Italy.

Posted by
3938 posts

We have stayed in over 30 homes and apartments over the years in Europe and we have never had anything close to a an American washing machine in the homes where we’ve stayed. They are typically small and take a long time for a load to wash. Taking all of the bedding to a laundry may be an efficient use of your time.

Posted by
492 posts

The apartment may have a washer but how about the drying? Most apartments don't have dryers.

Posted by
5697 posts

Might be easier to buy a sleeping-bag liner and use that instead of the apartment's sheets ? And your own pillowcases, too. Are you OK with the fragrance in towels ??

Posted by
26829 posts

It might pay off to contact the airbnb manager now and again a few days before your arrival, and ask whether the linens for you stay could be laundered with unscented products. It might or might not be possible, but I don't see a problem with asking.

Posted by
23177 posts

I agree with Mona. The machines are small. If that is critical to you, then you need to take the bedding to a laundry. One will be close.

Posted by
8375 posts

I could be wrong, but my impression was that top sheets are not common in Europe. Duvet covers are.

Posted by
7123 posts

I stayed in several hotels and B&B’s in September in Italy. Almost all of them had a bottom sheet, and the top was a cotton duvet cover but not an extra top sheet.

Posted by
11247 posts

acraven has an excellent suggestion. Just tell them your issue. You do NOT want to be trying to hang sheets to dry in your Airbnb. Used to take me two days to dry a sheet inside when the weather was poor.

Posted by
3812 posts

This process can take a long time as wash cycles can be 2+ hours long.

While I appreciate you have concerns for the environment, you are not forced to use the eco-wash settings also on holidays. Just select a rapid cycle at higher temperatures and a fast spin speed for cotton.

Posted by
2767 posts

I have stayed in plenty of apartments and all the washers have been on the small side. Sheets and pillowcases would fit in their own load, but a big duvet cover would need it's own load. 95% sure you will NOT have a dryer (I've never seen one in an apartment in Europe) so you will need to lay these out to dry somewhere and hope they are done drying by bedtime.

Also, in Europe beds are often made without a top sheet. The duvet cover is washable - you take the cover off the duvet like a pillowcase, not try to wash the whole thing. I have had an apartment in Greece with a top sheet, but it was in place of a duvet in August - I guess they figured it was cooler in hot weather?

Anyway, my best advice is to contact the host. If they can't wash in unscented products then you need to think about timing. If you get to the apartment at 5PM and want to go to sleep at 10, there isn't time for things to dry. In that case, going to a laundromat with a dryer or bringing something of your own might be easier.

Posted by
270 posts

Thanks for all the follow up information.

Are both the bottom sheet and the duvet cover normally washed between guests in Italy?

Posted by
1369 posts

I have tried and failed to find unscented laundry detergent in Italy, so I take my own. Even hypo-allergenic and baby detergents have perfume in them. I've looked in almost all of the big cities, plus in giant hyper-markets outside of cities, and pharmacies, and natural foods stores.

The Italian machines are high efficiency and small, so you only need about a tablespoon of HE Cheerfree or Tidefree dissolved in hot water. Never before, but on our last trip in March, my snack-size, labeled ziploc bag of detergent got inspected and tested at every airport.

So far, only one airbnb apartment has has sheets so perfumed that we had to strip the bed and use our T-shirts for pillowcases and spare blankets for sheets. My husband is not allergic like I am, and certainly not fussy, but he was really bothered by that intense floral scent, too. We ran the sheets through a complete cycle with just water and even that did not completely get rid of the smell. At home, I would have used white vinegar in the water to help remove it.

A couple dozen other apartments had sheets in varying but bearable degrees of scentedness, so, yeah, definitely ask your host about it. It's good for them to hear that some people are allergic to, or just not crazy about, perfumed sheets and towels.

A self-service laundromat is a good idea just for drying sheets --- it will take days to dry them inside an apartment.

Posted by
3938 posts

As an aside about washing the actual duvet (not cover). Don’t ever try this if it is not your own duvet. We once had someone wash and dry our queen sized duvet and it shrunk to the size of a baby bed cover and basically felted our duvet. We own(ed) down, camel hair, bamboo and wool filled duvets, all purchased in Germany. Washing in hot water and drying the wool one ruined it.

Posted by
270 posts

We are planning on take a zip lock bag of unscented laundry powder with us.
Seems as though a bag 12ozs or less can be packed in the suitcase without placing it in the bin at TSA?
Do we also need to label the bag with a sharpie as to the contents?

We also need to take some cornstarch in a zip lock bag to help keep a skin irritation dry.
Is bringing cornstarch allowable?

Posted by
2298 posts

I second the suggestion to bring a silk bag liner and a pillowcase in the off chance you can't wash sheets to your satisfaction (something like this: https://www.backcountry.com/sea-to-summit-100-premium-silk-sleeping-bag-liner). I'd also suggest you pack medication to deal with your allergy symptoms - what works for you may not be easily accessible in Italy so just come prepared.

TSA rules on powders are here: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/what-policy-powders-are-they-allowed

Corn starch is a powder. I'd put both laundry detergent and corn starch in a checked bag.

Posted by
8375 posts

Original packaging is better since the TSA folks can't actually tell what the substance is without testing it, and certainly dont have to trust your written note.

Posted by
270 posts

Our ff laundry powder comes in 10lb boxes, so we were planning to use a zip locks at 12 ozs or less.
Being that it is important that we take this with us, and a zip lock is not an ideal container, will checking
our luggage be of any benefit?

Posted by
26829 posts

I would use at least two ZIP Lock bags or a combination of bag and Tupperware (TM) container--something like that. I've had all sorts of containers pop open during my trips. It's cheap insurance to double up.

Edited to add: This thread about cornstarch from a different forum might be of help if you for some reason need to locate it or a similar product in Italy:

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/corn-starch.2076722/.

It sounds as if the US "cornstarch" is "cornflour" in the UK, and possibly "la maizena" in Italian.

Posted by
15041 posts

Take into consideration that dryers are not as common in Italian apartments, especially smaller apartments typically in historical centers, therefore it will take a long time to dry outside, even on a sunny day.

If you absolutely need to,wash sheets, do so at a nearby laundry place. There are laundromats, but I would go for a place that does it for you even if more expensive. Who wants to spend valuable vacation time inside a laundromat? Visit a museum while someone else does laundry for you.

Posted by
344 posts

Good for you to be thinking about this now so you have the time to consider your options.

My vote: Bring your own sheets. You are spending a lot of money on a vacation, and you don't want to be worrying about whether or not your apt washing machine will do what you need it do do in the time frame you need it. Remove this stress-causer from your vacation.

I've rented apts all over Europe and always wonder :
1. how the heck to work the washer (regardless of operating instruction booklet)

2. why does it take 4 hours to wash 6 small items (1 pair jeans, 2 turtlenecks, a tshirt, 4 socks, and a pair of undies)?

3. upon removing things, from the 'dryer' cycle, why are they still very damp?

Laundry services are not always convenient. You may find the magical one that is nearby and is open exactly when you need them, and can get your sheets to you within 2-3 hours ..but you likely will not. And you still have the detergent issue.

We bring an inexpensive, light weight sheet every time we travel bec we cannot stand not having a top sheet. To us, it is worth it. Just make sure you have the dimensions of the bed. Sometimes if we are super worried about packing, we leave the sheet behind. It is worth it to us to have this one comfort when traveling.

Bon voyage!

Posted by
55 posts

I will second Roberto da Firenze above. I wash my linens in Ireland, but usually end up hanging the duvet because the seams don't dry well in a typical washer/dryer combo machine unless dried separately, which is time consuming. If the apartment happens to have a high-end machine, like an AEG or a Bosch, you may be able to do it.

Bringing your own detergent is a great idea, but if you must get it there, Percil makes an unscented version ( I bought it by accident in France-- I like scents myself). Make sure it's HE. If you do end up using a washer/dryer combo, use half the soap you'd use in a regular washer.

Have a great trip!!

Posted by
11247 posts

Emma,
Our Italian washers (two apartments we lived in long term) had very long cycles. Someone in the embassy housing unit told me they were very energy efficient and I read a study once that said we pay dearly in the U.S. for our efficient short cycles in that they use a lot of power. But then our power costs are less, monetarily speaking.

I was just in Camogli and the vacation rental we had included a brand new washer that managed to do a load on “delicate” in 45 minutes, but every other setting was 60 to 90 minutes.

Posted by
3938 posts

Emma, when we are using someone’s washer on our month long home exchanges we always look at their recommended directions in their house book they’ve prepared for us. That way if there are any idiosyncrasies (and there often time are) in the operation of their washer we want to know about it.

When we follow their instructions for their preferred settings we usually [95%) get a time that says 2:47 hours or so when we close the door 😬. I usually only differ from their instructions with my preference for water temperature choices, 30-40°C.

This is what we’ve encountered since we started doing annual house exchanges in 1995 and living in Germany for 7 months in 1990.

Our smallest washer we encounter is in an apartment where we stay in Paris quite often. It’s about 18” wide. It’s more like a mini top loading centrifuge. It’s opening for pushing clothes in is about 8”x8” (20x20cm). It also takes the shortest amount of time. It holds about 5 articles of clothing or one sheet. I’ve never encountered another one like it in Europe. I could write a book...

Posted by
3940 posts

Emma - you must have a big washing machine by UK standards! When we visited my sister in Portsmouth, they have a smallish machine in their kitchen, and it didn't seem like it would hold much more than 2 pr of jeans and 4-5 t-shirts...I don't know how she did it with 4 kids!

Our experience with a washer in a Venice apt wasn't great - it was maybe even smaller than the one my sister has. I couldn't figure out the instructions (Italian - even the translate app didn't help) - ended up with damp clothes covered with laundry powder - had to rinse them out in the sink and it took them well over a day to dry. Reminded me of the little washer/spin dryer we had before we could afford a top loader.

Posted by
11294 posts

Emma: as so often, the problem with USers and European washers and dryers is, that "you don't know what it is is that you don't know."

The washing machines in the US and in Europe are completely different. However, the ones in Europe look just like US front-loaders. So, no one from the US realizes that you have to SPECIFICALLY select "short cycle," or a cold water wash will take 90 minutes instead of 30. Furthermore, if you're not familiar with the machines, you have no idea how to select any kind of cycle, since the machines often have no words, just symbols.

Similarly, almost no one in the US has a condensation dryer. So, we're blithely unaware that dryers in Europe not only take FOREVER, but don't get the clothes fully dry; they have to be hung for a few hours after drying to finish the process. And if you select anything but the "hottest" cycle (cotton fully dry), it's even worse.

As you can see, I'm not a fan of European machines. But at least now I know how to deal better with them. I also agree that it's often easier to use a laundromat (launderette), as their machines work much more like US ones.

Dgrieco: because of all these issues, I agree that you're better off bringing your own sheets, and not having to spend time and aggravation trying to get the apartment's sheets free of fragrance.

Posted by
2482 posts

Do they not have wifi washing machines?

All you do is say "OK Google wash my socks" and the machine starts and away it goes.

Posted by
7123 posts

Along with the sheets being scented, you should let the apartment owners know you are sensitive to any fragrance items. I have walked into small B&B’s and other lodging that is overpowering with fragrance-scented items, i.e. dried flowers and cones dipped in scented oils, and the small oil bottles with the accompanying sticks. I had to set one of those small oil bottles in the hallway of a hotel because I was allergic to it.

Posted by
15678 posts

Again, you might be able to accomplish this much faster at a laundromat with commercial-sized washers and dryers. Washing up a couple of times on our 3-week trips has not taken all THAT much time out of our days, and it's been nice to have big enough machines to condense the loads.

Posted by
19 posts

We were also surprised/bewildered by the long washing machine cycle Italy. I remember watching the clothes spin, thinking it was almost done, but then more water would again start flowing...again ☺. Then a pigeon pooped on my Groom 's white shirt while it was drying on the terrace. I used a translation app on my phone to find the short wash cycle on the washing machine after that. And now we laugh and cherish the memories.

I walked into a laundromat near Santa Croce - it had a gumball type vending machine that sold/dispensed underwear!

Posted by
11052 posts

In Europe, we only have had one US sized washing machine in many rentals and it was in Paris. Never had a regular sized one in Italy. I do not think sheets would fit in them. And the quickest cycle time I have experienced was two hours long.
Check to see on Google if there is a lavanderia nearby your location, hopefully with a wash,dry,fold service.

Posted by
3812 posts

Just like millions of other Italians, I wash my 2 king size sheets and two pillow cases in the washing mashine every week. I use the 45 minutes "white cotton" cycle or the 25 minutes "sport stuff " cycle to do it, and I can also throw a couple of jeans in.

I swear it, my right hand on the Artusi.

Who would ever buy a washing machine, otherwise?

Posted by
5310 posts

I always find this subject odd, because people I know who have spent time in the USA generally complain that the washing machines there are no good as they don't clean well unless you put in gallons of bleach and detergent, can't heat their own water, tend to put holes in the clothes, don't spin them dry enough, and use about 4 times the water. With front loaders becoming more common in the USA than they used to be, the machine types are starting to converge though.

Posted by
5187 posts

Dgrieco,

Here’s something else to consider...

All the lavanderias (self- serve laundromats) I encountered in Italy (in the past year) had machines that automatically dispensed the (scented) detergent during the wash cycle, so you don’t even have a choice of using your own.

Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
1369 posts

Over in the Packing area of the Travel Forum, people are talking about using unscented laundry detergent sheets. Two brands mentioned were Washeze and Life. Haven't tried them myself, but the Amazon reviews are pretty good.

All the washing machines in every airbnb apartment in Italy took 2 hours to wash clothes when we used the cycle the host recommended. Next time, I will look for the shorter cycles.

Posted by
3940 posts

"I always find this subject odd, because people I know who have spent time in the USA generally complain that the washing machines there are no good as they don't clean well unless you put in gallons of bleach and detergent, can't heat their own water, tend to put holes in the clothes, don't spin them dry enough, and use about 4 times the water."

I don't know what kind of machines they have access to...I put in a splash of concentrated detergent or a laundry pod...(I never use bleach)...I almost always wash in cold, but my machine is hooked up to hot water as well...I'm pretty sure the only one who puts holes in the clothing were either the dog (may he rest in peace) or general wear and tear...they seem spun dry enough to me...I have 5 different water settings on my (top loading) machine so set according to how much laundry I have...so ***shrugs...

I guess it all comes down to what you're used to. It's just kinda funny ;)

Posted by
5310 posts

Probably a fairly old fashioned large top loader with an agitator in it.

Same kind of stereotyping though as 'it takes 2+ hours to wash anything' ...

Posted by
3940 posts

Yeah - I like my top loader. I've heard too many stories about front loaders getting mildew-y inside...and not that old fashioned - since we can still buy top loaders in store...

Posted by
9460 posts

We have a small top-loading machine (45 cm rather than the "normal" European 60 cm), and it DOES take FOREVER to do a load of laundry. The machine prefers to offer me 3 h 45 minutes to do a wash, but I talk it down to 2 hours (and feel like I'm cheating).

If I go to the laundromat, even the hottest (longest) cycle takes only an hour. But of course there's the time to pack up the stuff, walk down there, go back when it's done, etc.

Posted by
270 posts

A quick follow up after our trip. Surprisingly all the washers in our AirB&B's were easy to operate and did a nice job on our clothes.
Nice to have in our apartments as we traveled Italy.