European washing machines are different from American ones. The cycles are longer, the drums are smaller, and the controls are in Italian. Here's how to not ruin your clothes.
Plan your Italy trip →Italian (European) washing machines are front-loading, smaller than American ones, and run much longer cycles. A "normal" wash: 1.5-2.5 hours. Yes, really. This is normal. The machine uses less water and lower temperatures than American machines, so it needs more time. Don't assume it's broken.
Cotone: Cotton (your go-to for normal clothes). 40°C is the standard temperature.
Sintetici: Synthetics (activewear, polyester).
Delicati: Delicates (underwear, nice shirts).
Lana: Wool (cold water, minimal agitation).
Rapido / Veloce: Quick wash (30-45 min). Your best friend for lightly worn clothes.
Centrifuga: Spin speed (RPM). Higher = drier clothes but more wrinkles. 800-1000 RPM is fine.
Prelavaggio: Pre-wash. You don't need this unless clothes are very dirty.
Risciacquo: Rinse.
Scarico: Drain.
The detergent drawer usually has 3 compartments. Left (I): pre-wash detergent (skip it). Middle (II or the biggest one): main wash detergent. Right (flower symbol): fabric softener (ammorbidente). Use about half the amount you'd use in an American machine — European detergent is more concentrated.
Most Italian apartments don't have dryers. You air-dry on a rack (stendino) or on the clothesline. In summer: clothes dry in 2-3 hours. In winter: overnight. Set the spin cycle to maximum to get clothes as dry as possible before hanging.
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