Without wallpaper and duvet covers: how does an American house differ from a Russian one
'08.11.2022'
Source: Mail.ru
For example, in the United States, coming home from the street, do not slip out. What else fundamentally distinguishes American life from Russian? We found 7 interesting facts, and not to be unfounded, backed by their views real people who have been living in America for several years now.
1. About the walls
In Russia. In our country, a special love for wallpaper. It is difficult to imagine without them the average Russian apartment.
In America. In the US, wallpaper is used infrequently. Usually the walls are painted or plastered.
An interesting point: if foreign decorators and wall cover the walls, they are not afraid to do it even in the bathroom and toilet. We also prefer paint or, more often, tile in these zones. Probably, this is directly related to the desire to save on subsequent repairs: there is an opinion that the wallpaper fails much faster. In fact, today's samples for wet rooms can last more than a dozen years.
Wallpapers here, really, do not like, prefer to paint the walls. But now the wallpaper is again in fashion, they can decorate one wall or make a curb, but I have seen so little where. It is cheaper to paint because there are more surfaces, American houses are significantly larger than our apartments.
2. About windows
In Russia. Most Russians warm and seal windows before the onset of cold weather.
Modern window frames are very complex from an engineering point of view, they are cleverly arranged, fit snugly, and do not blow from the gaps. There is also no central heating: each house or apartment heats itself (as well as heat water), and therefore even the most flimsy frames can not be stuck - just increase the temperature of radiators. In addition, you can buy multi-layer thick curtains that do not let the cold.
3. About love and dislike for duvet covers
In Russia. Duvet covers for Russians are familiar and necessary bedding.
In America. In American stores, duvet covers, of course, are. But most Americans do not like to mess with them and use sheets instead of them, and often do without them, preferring to just wash the blankets.
In the US, there are no classic duvet covers. I suffered for about two years until I discovered that a set of normal linen can be bought at a local IKEA. Americans use bed sheets instead of duvet covers
4. About dirty laundry
In Russia. Linen is washed at home by hand or in a washing machine. Dried on the street, on the balcony or on special dryers.
In America. In America, washed in laundry machines ("Landromat").
Such a phenomenon as “landromats” is typical of megacities: in high-rise buildings, laundries are located, as a rule, in the basement and basement floors of buildings, and in order to wash, they will rather go down the elevator. There is an explanation for this: in apartment buildings the installation of washing machines inside apartments is prohibited. First, often in the apartment there is simply no place for a washing machine. Secondly, in the apartments there is no exhaust ventilation, and the Americans do not imagine the process of washing clothes without its subsequent drying. Thirdly, most of the apartments are rented, and all the current repairs, including equipment, are on the landlord’s shoulders, and he absolutely doesn’t want any problems with the repair of the washing machine and additional insurance of the apartment due to possible leakage. In single-storey America and in private homes they wash, as in Russia, they don’t go to any laundry facilities.
Apart from the old buildings, in the houses, as a rule, there is a dishwasher, washing and drying machines. Linen on the balconies and courtyards are not hung out. If there is no washer and drying in the apartment or on the first floor of the building, then you have to go to the nearest laundry room (laundromat), wash and dry things there, you need to come early on weekends, otherwise you will have to wait until the cars are free. It is possible for a separate (small) fee to bring your things in the morning and pick up in the evening, everything will be washed, dried, neatly folded, you can order home delivery. Most of all I like the ironing of shirts (ferry on forms), how much time and energy is saved, and shirts look perfect!
5. About the kitchen
In Russia. A kitchen, no matter small or large, is always a separate room. And even today, many are doing redevelopment, combining the kitchen with another room - it is rather "unformat".
In America. In America, the kitchen is more often connected to the living room or another room.
Most homes are open plan: those who cook do not want to be cut off from guests or families in the process; powerful hoods help keep odors from spreading around the house. But if there is a cook and hired helpers in the house, then the kitchen and dining area are separated. In New York apartments, the kitchens are very small or completely absent, and therefore people most often order food with delivery or eat not at home.
6. About cleaning the house
In Russia. The main cleaning tool is a regular rag. It is made most often from an unnecessary thing or an old towel.
In America. When cleaning the room, Americans most often use wet wipes. Often they trust the cleaning to special services and proven housekeeping assistants (especially window cleaning, if the apartment is, for example, on the 35 floor).
There is everything for cleaning here. For example, yoga mat cleaning fluid, glass / plastic / stone / artificial stone wipes, etc.
My au pair is the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner. I am for efficiency and speed! I load the dishwasher, turn on the rumba, and leave the house while it is all noisy. Upon returning - the dishes are clean, the floors too, it remains only to carry out wet cleaning and clean up the bathroom. I use paper napkins. On sale there are also reusable cloths, but I have never bought them. There are no cans or buckets in our house.
7. About trash
In Russia. Everything is complicated: the garbage is not sorted, not compressed, and often it is not even removed on time.
Garbage is necessarily sorted into 3 baskets: organic garbage (waste products), paper and cardboard, plastic and glass. Those who have a garden, separately collected compost. Sorting and recycling is in the order of things, and everyone understands the importance of these processes.
In general, the USSR was the first country where they invented sorting garbage. In Moscow, food was once collected to feed pigs. Another thing is that with time they refused to sort. In the US, each state and each village council decides how to collect garbage. For example, we need to pay extra for sorting (about 10 dollars per month), and in Pennsylvania, on the contrary, sorted garbage is cheaper.
All observations fall under the definition of "stereotypes" - this is how the average residents of large cities live. Features of life can vary greatly depending on geography, wealth, religion and ethnic roots. This must not be forgotten.
