In Paris it was cheaper for us to rent furnished. So when the washing machine broke down a month ago we found ourselves at the mercy of the landlord, as he took time deciding whether to repair the machine or buy a new one.
You should have seen us carrying our big laundry hamper and dufflebags around town to get to the laundromat! I must admit I was really impressed with the laundromat services. They are super expensive! But we washed, dried and folded six loads of laundry in only two hours!!! In our apartment both the old one and the new one take two hours just to wash 10 lbs of clothes. Then we have to hang dry them over our tub for a day.
Then Monday at the crack of dawn with no warning what-so-ever, the Paris version of Best Buy ring our doorbell. And just like that a brand new washing machine arrives at our door!