Back to the dark ages?

Last Friday our washing machine shouted: "bleep bleep bleep" and it's display said "F18". It wasn't supposed to say: "bleep bleep bleep" and certainly not "F18". It was supposed to say: "bleep" and "ready". The instruction manual revealed that F18 meant there was a blockage somewhere. As it is not safe to let me near the insides of any machine, people and/or machines could get killed, I waited for hubs to come home. He is the person with the technical know-how and the blockage removal master in our house. At least, that is what I hoped for. Hubs came home and started operating on the washing machine. But the machine fought back. Hubs lost the first round with a bleeding finger. Some strong language and half a first-aid-kit later the fight continued. This time hubs won the round and opened the filtersystem. There was no blockage in there. He continued to check other intestines of the machine, but couldn't find any blockage. We told the machine to finish it's job, but it kept bleeping at us and persisted it had an F18 somewhere. We decided to notify the manufacturers and ask for professional assistance. Some emails and phonecalls later we were told that the washing machine repair man will be here...wait for it...next tuesday! NEXT Tuesday! Not THIS Tuesday. Nope. N E X T Tuesday. That means 12 days without a washing machine. Twelve days! Or eleven if you want to be an optimist and don't count the black Friday it broke down. I asked the nice lady if there was any possibility to get a mechanic here earlier, please? "I will notify the planning department that this is a 'rush job', but I can't do anything more", she said. You see, I would have said the same thing if I was her. So I don't believe that there will be a mechanic here a day earlier than next tuesday. History has taught me that it is even questionable there actually will be a mechanic here then, but let us not be too pessimistic. Now, I don't want to be a nag, but eleven/twelve days without a washing machine isn't easy. Not if you are used to a machine doing your laundry. And a dryer doing your drying. And a dishwasher to do the dishes. And a very sophisticated espressomaker to make the coffee. You get my point. It feels like going back to the dark ages. The laundry-basket is full to the brim. In fact it is overflowing. I try to do most of the laundry in the weekend (cheaper electricity rate), and since the laundry basket was already full to the brim last Friday, when the machine broke down, we now have a problem. I remember the first washing machine my mother had in those dark ages. It was open on top and had sort of a mixing appliance inside. She would fill the machine with warm water, put detergent and the laundry in it, turn it on and it would mix and whisk happily away. She was highly pleased with this new invention. Now I know why. But I had a brilliant idea. If I say so myself. This morning I filled the whirlpool bath with some of the laundry, added detergent, switched on the bubbles and pretended it was that first washing machine that made my mother's life so much easier. It didn't work as well as I had hoped, but at least what went in came out somewhat cleaner. I forgot that I don't have a wringing machine (who does these days?), so I had a good workout. At least the dryer is still working (knock on wood).