So I have this troublesome appliance here in Switzerland, it is called a 'Dryer', apparently it is meant to remove moisture from garments to make them acceptabley "not wet". Unfortunately I have not mastered this yet.

I asked for help from a roommate my first day here, and his instructions seem to have done nothing, seemingly making the clothes feel more wet than before!

In Canada I have this same peculiar machine, only it says what funtions it has beside each knob and button (Quick Dry, Cottons, Delicates, what have you), this machine in Switzerland does not. HOWEVER, it does have hieroglyphics! I was thinking since this forum is full of intelligent, affluent people perhaps someone was an Archeology Major in school and might understand what they say. Here is what it looks like.


Here's what I think the Egyptian creator was trying to tell me

1. Tell the weather, raining to sunny
2. Order pizza, no toppings
3. Pinwheels ahead
4. Fast Forward
5. Works best with water
6. 4:00am
7. Order pizza, one olive in the middle
8. Order pizza, delivery man took a slice as his tip
9. Caution: snakes ahead
10. Left your keys in your jeans pocket

I have used a few different combos. Once I got really close and forgot the combination, but most of the time they end up still soaked or damp. Once I even over-dried!

I need to get back at this thing, it's secretly laughing at me

Your diagram is flawed; Button(s) 1 is your diddy.

Press the 'double drop' button - presumably meaning "very wet" - and wait until the beast starts churning.

At least, that's what I do...

This is just a wild guess, but...

1) the symbols for one and two drops are for specifying how wet the washing is. Two drops = wet load, one drop = not so wet. The three buttons to the right of that probably control the heat, with the first one being a little heat and the rightmost one being thermonuclear.
4) looks like a fast-forward button through a particular preset cycle. Another interpretation is that 2) 3) and 4) control how fast the drum rotates.
6) is probably a start delay timer, and 8) is probably the duration. Or is it the other way around...?
9) is the power

Anyway that's all just guesswork. No warranty express or implied.

I'm not sure about the upside-down skateboard sign...

What brand/model is it? Have you tried a google search for the instruction manual? You'd be amazed what you can find online these days...

...and while we're both waiting, joined by the wonder of t'internet, the footy's on SF2 at 20.30

Ironing at half-time, anyone?

I would say the opposite. I would say those are degrees of dryness. 2 drops being partly dry, ready to hang. It's the button on the far right that means very dry.

C'mon Arsenal!

The drops are used for leaving clothes damp for easier ironing two drops is hang dry first, one is sufficent for ironing, the sun is the bake dry button, which is the usual option for most people

This is so sad.

Look at us, sitting here, solitary Guinness drunk.

The double drop thing is the trick. The machine, it's trying to trick you.

"I know it sounds crazy, but this time you just have to trust me..."

Always choose fine sunny weather and your clothes will be fine and sunny too.

Choose a rainy day and your clothes will be damp - just like today!

Ironing would be two drops; my appliance calls this "Bügeltrocken".

And the wife can iron at any time during the footy ..... on ITV

My building has the same dryer...

Stand by for a shot of the instruction card in English. Hope some old dear hasn't locked the Washkuche.

Edit: some old dear has locked the Washkuche.
But from what I recall, the drops, like others have speculated are indicators of how dry you want the stuff - 2 drops being barely dry, to iron dry, to cupboard dry. Those with the power button should suffice, but I think then you can hit 8 to specify a minimum time. Button 4 does something like resume the cycle.

Oh and if the machine says "F-17" - there's not much hope (a bill for 250 francs lying beside it the next day though)

Don't forget to clean the lint! A friend here had herlint returned to her in her mailbox in a little plastic bag.

Dear K3vi0,

Thanks for the laugh. I wonder if the condensate tank is full if you have one. Also, did you know you have to clean the heat exchanger every once in a while!? Sometimes I go straight to line dry because I know I'll have to do it anyways even after a tumble in the dryer.

The funny thing is that that sort of thing is passed off by supposed professional "web designers" all the time. It's funny to see it pop up in the real world.

Ok boys, thought I'd add my 2cts worth... being female and all we're supposed to know these things right?

So I don't remember all the buttons but here goes:

1. two drops - only slightly dry so that you can hang up the garment for a while after, useful for articles which may not do well in a tumble drier ie shrink but you want to speed up the process a little
one drop - just a little bit damp for ironing
"sun missing rays" - this is for linen such as sheets etc as it means you can fold them and put them without too much creasing
"sun with more rays" - often called "schrank trocken plus" this is your best bet for most articles of clothing other as this is more dry than the previous but not yet burnt
"sun with lots of rays" - also known as "extra dry". Use with caution but great for socks and undies in the winter if you'll be putting them straight on when the dryer has finished... oh toasty warm

2. light denoting tumble drier in action

3. light denoting fan in action

4. if you're bored waiting, desperate for socks press this it speeds up the cycle. My old tumble drier would drive me insane, cycle finished but it wouldn't unlock the doors till the system had cooled down... so pressing this button meant I could get my clothes out while still warm (again I guess you've figured it out I love freshly tumble dried garments in the winter).

5. this one I'm never sure on

6. timer

7. this prevents the garments from being tumbled ie hot air blows but cloths are tossed around. Can be useful... but my skills don't reach that far have only used this once as was told it reduced creasing but my experience was different.

8. can't remember

I hope that helps you some what...

And cheers for the laugh... not at you but at your descriptions. I needed a giggle

You can find the instruction manual for the model 6256 at:
http://www.schulthess.ch/html/filead...A6256_dfie.pdf

Could not find the model 6250. Maybe no longer sold.
The 6256 manual should help you decipher the symbols .

K3vio,
Thanks for the laugh!
When we moved into our house and tried desperately to figure out the mysteries of this 'heater control box' (no manual) and were cold and frustrated at not working it out.
Then, after spending lots of time googling... turns out that we were messing about with the floor heater. The bloody room heaters were all individually operated, we just had to turn the knobs up and down!
But you should have seen us, we'd play about on the settings on the control box and then go check the heaters to see if it was working! Clever eh?

no f-17, but a couple of h-30's meaning i left the door open haha

Atleast laundry is a little more simple and not as urgent as a heater, that must have been pretty aggrivating

AWESOME, thanks