The One With the East German Laundry Detergent

Thursday, 20 October 1994

Ross turns Rachel's trip to the laundromat into a first date, Chandler and Phoebe pair up to dump their partners, and Joey passes Monica off as his girlfriend to steal his ex Angela back from Bob.

What happens

• Chandler admits he has been putting off ending things with Janice, and Phoebe proposes they break up with their partners side by side, since she is finished with Tony.
• Ross invents a rat problem in his own building so that he can join Rachel and Monica at the laundromat that night.
• Angela tells Joey she is seeing a man named Bob, so Joey invites them both to dinner and claims he has a girlfriend of his own.
• Joey talks Monica into playing that girlfriend by telling her Bob is Angela's brother, admitting he wants Angela back.
• Ross takes back the washer an aggressive stranger stole from Rachel, and Rachel confesses she has never done her own laundry before.
• Angela mentions sleeping with Bob, and Monica works out that the two of them are a couple rather than siblings.
• Chandler finally tells Janice he wants to stop seeing her, and Janice takes it badly.
• A stray red sock turns all of Rachel's whites pink, and Rachel decides her father was right that she cannot manage alone.
• Monica confronts Joey over the lie, and Joey persuades her to help him split Angela and Bob so each of them can take the one they want.
• Rachel refuses to give up her cart to the same stranger, stands her ground, and wins.