Ad Hudler - Ad Libbing

My stinky clothes
Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Since I'm bald and wear wrap-around Oakleys and boots and drive a white fleet truck (the same exact F-150 that just about every city and county and construction company buys by the thousands), people frequently mistake me for someone who labors for a living. Now, writing IS a labor, of course, but I regret to inform you that I cannot fix your car or pour cement or re-plumb your house.

I also cannot fix your front-loading washing machine ... and SEVERAL of you have asked me what to do about the problem you're having with clothes coming out all mildewy-smelly after they're supposed to be CLEAN! I haven't had this problem yet with my own, but I've been asking around, and I think I found the answer. This from a friend of mine, Peggy in Atlanta:

"Yesterday, I purchased and used a specific Tide product to clean the front loading washing machines. That did not dent the odor, so, I ran bleach through a cycle. Dan decided to investigate the source of the odor and pulled at least a dozen of the girls' white socks from under the rubber seal. They were in various stages of disintegration from being wet and trapped in the seal. What a smelly mess! That discovery should cut down on some of the odor problems! Significant design flaw and probably a bit of operator error….."

So ... better check those rubber seals, people. And NOW we know what happens to all those darn socks! And I always thought it was a pesky poltergeist.

2 Comments:

Karen said...: The comlaint I hear most often is about the towels smelling funny. Front load washers tend to mildew around the seals. Lift yours up and you might find a really gross surprise. Solutions include drying out the washer after each use or leaving the door open when not in use. I don't think leaving the door open is an option for people with small children though. Good luck to anyone having this problem.; September 30, 2009 2:10 PM
Ad Hudler said...: Yeah, Karen, it's weird about the towels. I wonder if it's because they're thicker and all cotton.
Europeans have had these front-loaders for decades...I wonder if they have the same problem with stinky clothes.
Hmmmm.
Becky in Budapest, care to enlighten us?; September 30, 2009 3:10 PM