Resurection Blog Fest

12:53 PM Elizabeth Seckman 24 Comments

Mina Lobo is offering us the chance to share an old beloved post that maybe you missed.

It's like blogger re-runs.

Or left overs.

Don't be childish and complain.

Just enjoy the deja vu.

This post first appeared in June 2012.

I was vacationing on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with my four boys and my oldest son's six friends.

Weren't they a handsome crew?

Good times...good time

Anyhow, second day of vacay and the washer dies.

Yeah, I felt a few chest pains of panic, but pushed on and wrote this post:

What do you do when you're vacationing with ten boys and the washer poops out?

You call a professional ASAP!

And since my husband, Chad (the stud), has rarely met a stranger, we got the down-low on the trade secrets from the appliance man himself.

Mr. Gary Paradine of AA- Appliance Repair gave us these handy tips on dealing with our appliances...

1. If your front loader is stinky or your clothes washed in the front loader turn sour after wearing...you're using too much soap. Soap has fats, and the fats spoil when they aren't rinsed fully from the clothes.

2.A front loader only needs about a tablespoon of regular liquid soap per wash.

3. If you already have a stinky build up in your washer, run a cycle with Iron Out. It will foam a lot, but clean the residue from the lines.

4. If your dishwasher foams, causing leaks...don't call in repairs yet! Run a cycle of the Iron Out here too. Plugged lines can cause a build up and leaks. 

5. The dishwasher, like the front loader, may need less soap, especially if you're rinsing them well before sticking them in the wash. *Who knew we were expected to put them in filthy?!

6.. Make lighter wash loads. It's cheaper to run the washer than the dryer and smaller loads spin faster and dry more quickly, so they spend less time in the dryer. And they will clean better in the low water usage washers like the front loaders. 

7. If you use the Tide pods or Cascade all-in-one pacs- make sure you are running a full load. They are pre-measured to clean a large, dirty load.

And lastly...If you're vacationing at the beach...have respect...rinse the sand from the clothes and towels before putting them in the wash. The sand plugs the lines and then when the next family arrives with  a troop of boys and a mountain of laundry...you just screwed them out of a day at the beach while they get the washer repaired. And they wish you bad karma...and no one wants that!

Thanks to Mr. Paradine for the friendliest, most informative help!

24 comments:

  1. Bad Karma - funny!
    You are one brave woman to go to the beach with that many boys.

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    1. They're good boys. It was actually pretty easy, well all but that worry over having to take so many clothes to a laundromat.

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  2. Hi Elizabeth,

    What handy advice. I got into a spin over your posting. Sometimes situations can just agitate you. I shudder at thought of a washing machine that um poops out.

    And yay to Mina.

    Gary :)

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    1. Ah Gary...you always make me laugh. Yes, very agitating.

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  3. Great tips. My front loader has a built in filter at the bottom that I have to clean out pennies, LEGOs, Barbie shoes, and the occasional plastic dinosaur!

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    1. I don't have a filter, but I have to dig pencils and gum wrappers out of the plastic liner. Which is gross.

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  4. These are great tips! Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely be noting these for future use!

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    1. I still do the Iron Out monthly. Much cheaper than the cleaners they sell in the store.

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  5. What perfect timing. My washers djust eveloped a little 'whiff' and I don't know why. It's bugging me. Maybe too much soap is the reason. I did not know this. Thanks for choosing to resurrect this particular post :)

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    1. Hope the tips help. I also had to scrub my rubber liner and I leave my washer door hanging open while not in use. It has an air tight seal, so it doesn't dry and mold was accumulating.

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  6. Wonderful tips, thanks for sharing. My husband and I have taken 5 teenage boys away. It was challenging at times, but fun!

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    1. Boys really are pretty easy to deal with. Give them food and a pillow and they are set.

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  7. My parents washer has been a bit iffy lately. I wash by hand, lets just say I tried to use the machine once in my teens and my mom wigged out in a bad way. It made me so mad that I have refused to use if for myself since. Even when she offers, though I do help her when she needs it. I'm a simple person, if you have a bad attitude when I use or borrow something, it's likely I won't touch it again. At least you guys had fun at the beach and got some cool tips.

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    1. Wow, you are a worker! My mom always flipped out when I touched her washer. So I just gave her my clothes and let her wash them. And dry them, fold them, and put them away ;)

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  8. I have my laundry done. I call, they come and take it away. I call the next day, they bring it back. This reminds me of why I do that :) Thanks for sharing!

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    1. That's an excellent idea, though I'd probably be charged an arm and a leg...we do at least three loads a day to keep up with my four boys.

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  9. Tide's got fat in it?! Quelle bizarre! Illuminating Resurrection post, Elizabeth! :-)

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    1. That's what the repairman said. I guess that's what is the goopy build up in the cup.

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  10. I'm not domestic, but I've had appliance problems. I'll try to remember these tips.

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  11. This is funny! Great tips Elizabeth :)

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