Drying wash machines after use: a cautionary tale

zaq

Fri, May 10 2024, 7:32 am

Hi ladies! You know I always post that you have to dry the gasket of your washer after every laundry session, otherwise you will host mold and odors. What I don't tell you anymore (because I know you won't do it) is that you also need to drain the water if your machine has an outlet for that, and remove and dry the detergent drawer and the pigeonhole where the detergent drawer fits. You should also occasionally remove and clean the "coin catcher" if your machine has one.

Now, I do faithfully dry the gasket, drain the water and remove and dry the detergent drawer after ever laundry session, but for some time I've not been drying the pigeonhole because I figured it air dries while the drawer itself dries. Makes sense, right? However, the other day I noticed a mild "laundry" odor, nothing horrible, but I'm a little paranoid about odors and like to get rid of them asap. So I did some detective work, which involved getting up close and personal with parts of the machine I don't even know how to name.

WHOA, NELLIE, HOLD THE PHONE! Black furry mold had taken up residence inside that detergent drawer pigeonhole. You know that space: it's small, narrow, irregular, with lots of little nooks and crannies. And it's dark. And wet. Long story short, cleanup involved holding a flashlight in my mouth; contorting my hands , neck and back in ways they were never meant to move; bleach; lots of cotton swabs and toothpicks to get into such nooks and crannies as I could reach; and an old toothbrush to get into such spaces as it could reach. It took over an hour I'll never get back, and I'm still not sure I eradicated all the little momzers.

So when zaq advises you to DRY YOUR MACHINE, she knows whereof she speaks. And if you don't, do not expect any sympathy from me when you complain about mold in your machine. You was warned.