I can't reach inside my washing machine

amother

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 11:00 am

We recently moved and our washer and dryer won't fit through our basement doorway so we have been using the washer and dryer that the previous owners left behind. They're good quality but the thing is, the washing machine is a really large top loader. I'm 4'10 and can't reach the bottom of the machine to get clothes out. For the past few weeks since we've moved in, my husband has been switching the laundry. I really hate that I'm not able to do it myself. I once tried standing on a step stool, but I literally wound up hanging upside down trying to get the clothes out 😂 Any other short mamas out there with a top loading washing machine? I'd love some advice so I could finally switch the laundry on my own. And the only way to get our front loader into the basement is if my husband takes it apart and brings it down piece by piece, then put it back together again in the laundry room. I think it's safe to assume that this won't be happening any time soon.

amother

Blush

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 11:04 am

We have a top loader like that! I'm 5' 2" and I see how those few inches are needed to reach the bottom!

Would you consider a "grabber" like janitors use to pick up trash from the ground without bending down?

Or (and this is something I wanted to try) wash clothes in mesh bags by outfit, they might sit high enough in the washer to easily pull out.

amother

Babyblue

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 11:11 am

I know this isn't so funny for you OP, but this should literally be part of considerations for buying a new washer. I am tall and have a top loader so I don't have any issues with it but you should have seen me in the store "trying out" the machines! Reaching in and making sure I could touch all sides! LOL

I second the grabber idea!

challahchallah

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 11:16 am

How did the previous owners get the washer / dryer in there? We had a similar issue and ended up taking the basement door off its hinges to get the new machines in. It was a hassle but still easier than taking the machines apart and reassembling.

amother

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 11:24 am

challahchallah wrote:

They did work on the house which involved breaking down walls, so they were able to bring down their washer and dryer very easily. They then rebuilt the walls, which is why they left their machines, cause there's no way to get them out. Taking the door off the hinges won't work in my case, unfortunately. The doorway down to the basement is just too narrow.

Amarante

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 11:31 am

Get a grabber as suggested as they would work well for retrieving clothing from the bottom.

Or get a step stool like a child uses when they are too short for the bathroom sink. You can either get one that folds up and just take it out or get one that isn't folding. You don't need the kind that has a few steps but literally just a one step since you only need to be elevated a few inches.

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 11:43 am

This is the reason I only get front loaders. When ours for ruined in a flood and we put in the machine that came with the house in its place, my husband took over laundry.

We just got a new front loader several months ago and it's such a mechaya. But he still does the bulk of the laundry 😉

amother

Babyblue

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 11:57 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

If you are short! I hate front loaders with a passion! I have to basically crunch myself into a ball and crawl in there to get the laundry out!

Amarante

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 12:04 pm

amother [ Babyblue ] wrote:

If you are short! I hate front loaders with a passion! I have to basically crunch myself into a ball and crawl in there to get the laundry out!

You need to put your washer and dryer on a "lift". They sell these especially made to elevate the machines.

I am neither short nor tall but I also have difficulty sometimes retrieving small stuff like panties or socks from the back of a machine - especially when they are difficult to see.

However, front loading machines are so much better for a variety of reasons that I am okay with adjusting.

amother

Gold

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 12:05 pm

amother [ Babyblue ] wrote:

If you are short! I hate front loaders with a passion! I have to basically crunch myself into a ball and crawl in there to get the laundry out!

I’m short and I still hate front loaders! so many little things (like kids socks) get stuck in the rubber part in the front and when I’ve gone to retrieve them I literally see poop from my baby’s clothes in there 🤮 I try to clean it out but it gets so disgusting!! I’ve started putting the socks in mesh bags so they don’t get caught there but other clothes sometimes get stuck in there.

amother

Teal

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 12:41 pm

I have the same problem! 5ft tall ... got a new good quality machine and can’t reach the bottom! I use a child’s step stool. Solved the problem. However, I’m not thin. So at close to 140 pounds I cracked the stool! Now I need another one. Something more sturdy this time.

amother

Chartreuse

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 12:45 pm

I am 4'11" with a top loader. The Rubbermaid step stool is a permanent fixture right up against my washer. I would not use the two-step version as that is too tall and scary. The regular size (not mini) one step version is perfect. Bonus is that it helps my kids reach too, so I can send them to switch the laundry into the dryer Smile

amother

Babyblue

Mon, Mar 15 2021, 12:47 pm

Amarante wrote:

I did not want to spend an extra $500 on lifts for each machine. I got a top loader and love it. I love being able to add things to the load once it started.