The Washer Disaster

So I knew that the British electricity was slightly different, but I had no idea that it was so different that it would take me an hour and a half to get the washing machine working. When we finally got one load to wash it came out perfectly dry...I was so excited, but when I went to put more soap in for the next load I discovered that the soap had never been used. An hour and half and I didn't even clean the load. Three tries later and I had a clean load albeit a half wet load, but a clean load nonetheless. Now it has taken me almost a week to clean the two weeks worth of dirty clothes that piled up while we were in the hotel. The washer and dryer are combined into the same machine. It takes about 4-5 hours for one load to complete the cycle. Even after that it comes out of the machine slightly wet and wrinkled. So last night I DID THE IRONING. Like a 50s housewife. Today, I was an excited girl as I put in my last load of delicates. It was my first load without selecting the dry cycle (which doesn't tumble dry by the way, it sucks the water out) and when I opened up the washer all the water from the cycle poured out onto the floor. Apparently I must select even the most minimal of drying cycles for every load. Oh yeah and the first night we were here we bought stuff to make pasta, we ended up ordering pizza since we couldnt get the stove to work. So maybe two months from now I will have a handle on the British appliances.