I've been attempting to reduce chemicals in my environment for over two years now, and my most recent focus has been reducing chemicals in laundry detergent and fabric softener. But while I've learned a lot about "alternatives" for more natural approaches to laundering, this learning experience is not about DIY laundry detergent, wool balls, or any of the other products I've been trying out to achieve the best results while eliminating chemicals. I will blog about that when I've found the best solution to naturally launder clothing from a family that includes a toddler and five long haired, triple coated cats.
So what did I learn about laundry? It's gross. Consider yourself warned. We moved into our house over five years ago, and our house came with a high efficiency washing machine. HE machines were new to me. I figured out how to use it pretty quickly and have been using it with success ever since. However, on occasion there would be a small puddle of water on the floor in front of the machine after doing a load of laundry. I wrote it off as maybe the seal of the drum was dirty, so I cleaned it. I've also found myself cleaning the laundry drum quite frequently to try to get rid of a musty smell that was persistent and quite annoying. Well, today I went downstairs to throw a load in, and I noticed a little compartment with a door on the bottom left side of the machine. I wondered why I hadn't noticed it before. I opened it up and found a small capped hose and a large twist cap next to the hose that you could turn and remove. Out of curiosity, I started to remove it and water started pouring out by the seal. Not just any water... this water was as black as tar, so I quickly twisted the cap back on. My last resort for anything is to consult the manual. Excerpt on page 17 reads:
"The Drain Pump Filter: The drain pump filter collects threads and small objects left in the laundry. Check regularly that the filter is clean to ensure smooth running of your machine."
Um... what?! Surely Joel knew all about this and had been doing it for the past 5 years, right? The second I read this, I immediately knew the task at hand was going to be more disgusting than any poopy diaper I've changed, any cat barfs I've cleaned off of the floor, and any bathtub drain clog removals I've ever done. At the same time, I felt like I just found the last missing piece of a puzzle I had been halfheartedly working on for a few years, and I was really excited to see what was inside. I turned the knob again, and the black liquid started coming out of the reservoir again. It smelled like a mixture of old barf and mildew, mixed with a little rotten egg and sulfur. Oh yeah, did I mention we have five, long haired, triple coated cats!? Five years of cat hair and weird small objects were lodged in the filter and had to be scraped out. It was by far the second grossest task* I've ever had to do.
So, do you have a HE washing machine? If so, do you clean your drain pump filter regularly?
*The number 1 grossest task ever done to this date: Express/empty the anal glands of a dog. There is simply no task grosser than this. Trust me, there just isn't.
The grossest thing I think I've ever done is scoop out raw sewage that had been seeping from a sewer pipe for 30 years from under the basement floor.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that would be up there on the gross scale.
DeleteThanks for this! Thanks to your post, I checked my HE washer and, sure enough, there's a little compartment on the bottom left. It's so nondescript, I wonder why the manufacturer doesn't put a tab or handle on it to make it more obvious. I had to use a screwdriver head to pop it open. I've had this washer for 4 years and this is the first time I've cleaned this filter.
ReplyDeleteI can't honestly say it's one of the grossest things I've ever done, but I agree, it is gross. On par with cleaning sink drains and garbage disposals, I'd say.