The washing machine in my flat broke down last night - finally. I say 'finally' because it has succumbed to the constant abuse by one of my flatmates. My other flatmate and I keep telling her NOT to bang and hit the washing machine every time she starts it up, but she never listens. She keeps hitting and slamming the door until it starts spinning. She doesn't get it that it just needs some time after the 'Start' button is hit to start up.
So the perpetrator used the washing machine the night before last. And I'll bet it was the straw that broke the camel's back. I tried to use it last night and found that it didn't seem to spin after filling with water. Great - I had clothes stuck inside and the door remained locked due to some safety mechanism. I left it for the night hoping against hope that it might sort itself out in the course of the night. But of course, no such thing happened. In the morning, it was the status quo. I desperately wanted to get my clothes out. I tried turning the dial to 'Stop' (thankfully it did) and thank god the door unlocked. My clothes were dripping wet as the water wasn't drained from the machine. I had to wring my clothes as much as I could before hanging them. Still, it left a big pool of water in the living room and I had to wipe up as much as I could before going to work. What a great way to start the day.
I shot an email to the property agent first thing after I got into the office but I still haven't heard from him. He's hopeless. I hope he gets it fixed soon. But he's a really useless property agent!
What I hate about London is that property agents and landlords have the upper hand because it's their market. Rental property is always in demand and 'cos of that, we, tenants, always end up being the ones getting the shorter end of the stick. We're suppose to be the clients, but we're treated like shit.
My tenancy agreement has got 35 clauses protecting the landlord. It has only 5 for the tenant. Is that skewed or is that skewed?
I hate this whole renting thing. I never want to do it again.
Posted by DSD at September 6, 2007 1:29 PMIs that a front loader? If so, it is possible to drain the water from the machine when it gets stuck. There should be a little door on the bottom corner of the machine and inside that is a tiny little rubber pipe with a screwable plug on the end of it. You just unscrew the lid and drain the water out into a bucket or something.
After experiencing a zillion different very complicated German washing machines, I've got them down pat. I should write an instruction manual for "confused foreigners".
Posted by: KO at September 9, 2007 1:57 PMYeah, it's a front loader. It's going to get fixed tomorrow. Thank god!
You're a handywoman after all those years away! :)
Posted by: dimsumdolly at September 10, 2007 5:24 PMHey DSD!
I once had my clothes stuck in a washing machine for a month in our washing machine, the door refused to open!
And I still have the clothes!
such fun sharing houses.
enjoy it - so many great stories for later!!!! you will laugh about it soon.
take care!
jase
Posted by: jase at September 25, 2007 6:15 PM