There are many things about the UK which are completely normal to us yet odd and unusual to residents of other countries. For a Canadian living locally, one thing in particular is difficult to cope with
A Canadian living in the UK shared the “biggest culture shock” she struggles with after making England her home.
There are many quirky things about the UK that are completely normal to us yet odd and unusual to residents of other countries. For example, comforting dishes like beans on toast, or bangers and mash, may seem bizarre to non-locals.
Separate hot and cold bathroom taps, very regular in the UK and the rest of Europe, aren’t typically as common across the pond, while power sockets and outlets are permitted in American bathrooms but not in the UK without following strict rules around their placement. We have a thriving pub culture, different slang and terminology, a drier sense of humour and so much more.
Moving to a new country is a daunting, life changing decision – even when relocating to a place which speaks the same language. Canadian Bronwyn Edgell is living in the UK and has found one thing to be quite the shock.
In a popular video shared on TikTok, Bronwyn explained: “One culture shock about living in the UK that I will literally never understand is the fact that most rental flats don’t come with a tumble dryer.
“So then, you’re in arguably the wettest country in the world, waiting seven to 10 business days for your laundry to dry and then when it does dry, it smells like mould.”
People were keen to share their thoughts in the comments section. One person said: “Hey, tumble dryers are massively bad for the environment. I usually dry my clothes on a clothes horse with a 30 quid dehumidifier and they dry in a day.”
Another said: “You are drying your clothes wrong if they smell of mould and take that long to dry. Open windows and get a dehumidifier.”
Many people latched onto Bronwyn’s joke about her clothes taking “seven to 10 business days” to dry, assuming she was being serious. In a follow up comment, she said: “Please understand hyperbolic speech! It doesn’t actually take that long to dry lol.”
A third person advised: “If you let your clothes fully dry before putting them away, they will not smell like mould, that only happens if you try to put them away when they are still damp.”
Another said: “It’s most of Europe – we don’t want to waste all that electricity. Would recommend opening your windows every day,” while someone else said: “Heated drying rack and a dehumidifier is a MUST in UK rental flats! Worth every penny to save your clothes.”
Agreeing with Bronwyn’s video, one person said: “Yeah you’re not wrong. It does get difficult in the winter especially if your flat is always a bit damp. I’ve just invested in an electric clothes horse and it’s helping!”
Another added: “You need a dehumidifier! My laundry takes more than a day to dry, and it uses so much less energy than a tumble dryer. Cheaper and better for the planet!”