Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with washer

How can I minimize the amount of lint on my clothes?

grouse — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:32:05 -0800

How can I minimize the amount of lint on my clothes? I use a communal washer and dryer in my apartment complex.

Should I use drying sheets? I've used them before and they didn't seem to make much of a difference. I was using the cheapest generic ones available—does the brand matter? Can I cut them into quarters as suggested her?eg What about using fabric softener during the wash cycle?

I do a separate wash for my Smartwool socks and towels as these seem to generate much lint. It's worse if one washes the socks inside out as Smartwool suggests, so I've stopped doing that.

Is it more effective to use a lint roller before washing rather than after?

Other suggestions?

Maximum laundry, minimum space

exceptinsects — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:22:13 -0800

What are your experiences using a combination washer/dryer? I am thinking of buying one for my very tiny new house, but somehow it seems too good to be true! Do they really work? Is there a brand you've tried that you like?

It would have to fit in a space that's 23"X25". (Can face either direction)

LOUD washer end-of-cycle signal

amro — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:42:48 -0800

How do I turn off the earsplitting, wakes the dead end-of-cycle signal on my clothes washer? My Kenmore front-loading washer has a long, loud end-of-cycle signal, and for the life of me I can't figure out how the heck to turn it off (i.e., keep it from going off at all). I do not need and do not want a signal sounding to tell me that my laundry is done. There must be a way to make it not sound, right? Here is the manual, and here and here are photos of the front of my washer. Please hope me.

$600-ish front loading washer, or $350 top loader?

raikkohamilonso — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:35:18 -0800

Is there some practically compelling reason to get a much more expensive front loading washer? I see top loading Energy Star rated washers for around $350; the cheapest front loader starts around $600. The battleground of figuring out washer choices at the moment seems absurd - people are swearing by front loaders, but I can't find info that tells me if they'll somehow save me $250 over the next few years, and I don't know how an Energy Star rated top loader compares...

F for Fake

grumblebee — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 11:23:58 -0800

What's the deal with these fake quarters? (In the photo, I put some real quarters to the left of the fake ones, just for comparison.)

We have pay washers and dryers in my apartment building -- $1.50 each for both washing and drying. I went to do my laundry and found a bunch of fake quarters in one of the dryers's coin slots. Whoever left them there didn't push the coins into the machine -- or he did and the machine didn't take them.

The fakes are completely blank on both sides, though a couple have paint on them. They are crudely made out of some sort of light, dull metal.

What's the deal with these "slugs"? Do they really work? Are the mass-produced by some sort of petty criminal underground? Or do people just make them at home? How do people make them?

I'm not thinking of defrauding the washer/dryer company. But I'm sort of fascinated with these things and would like to know more about them. In case it's important, I like in Brooklyn, NY.

knock knock! Who's there? Not your washer anymore

stormygrey — Sat, 16 May 2009 11:47:20 -0800

My top loading washer might be dead, can you help? We were washing a couple of pillows and it started knocking really loudly. We went down and the washer had eaten one of the pillows, sucking some of the pillow into the innards knocking the basket loose from whatever holds it in place.

I can wiggle the basket enough the grab big handful of foam from the inside of the machine. What does the basket sit on in there? Is it something so fragile that it most likely is broken?

Help troubleshoot a commercial Whirlpool washer!

proj — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:16:19 -0800

Help me troubleshoot the semi-new (and non-operational) washer in our apartment building. We have a Whirlpool CHW9900VQ model commercial duty washer. It is less than 3 months old. It stopped working at one point and the landlord has not yet gotten it fixed (there is another washer, but only having one is a pain). The display that normally shows the price per load just says "----" I have tried unplugging it and plugging it back in to see if that would reset it. Nothing. I suspect it just needs some kind of reset or something and could easily be operational again without waiting for the landlord to get service people to come look at it (who knows if this is a correct suspicion).

I can't find the manual online (just a bunch of product specs at various sites like manualsonline.com). Is anyone familiar with this washer enough to know how to reset it without technician's tools?

Please note that the question is just asking if I can do anything or not to get this washer working without a service visit. It's not about how to get my landlord to fix the machine, or what tenant/landlord obligations are, or anything like that.

Buying your own appliances is the hot new thing for renters?

ignignokt — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:00:38 -0800

As a tenant, how feasible is buying your own major appliances for a place you're renting? I've been hunting for apartments in Boston, and when I ask whether or not a building has a washer and dryer, I sometimes get the answer, "No, but it does have a hookup for a washer and dryer so you can get your own." They say the same thing about dishwashers sometimes.

This isn't a response I've heard from property managers in Chicago.

So, I guess some tenants actually do this? The thing is, washers and dryers appear to cost at least $300 a piece, then on top of that, there's delivery and installation. And when your lease is up, are you really going to deinstall it and take it with you?

What am I missing? Please shed some light on this mystery. I'll probably ask the next property manager I talk to about it, but they also tell me things like "oil heating than gas heating is better because it's much cleaner burning" so I figure it's good to hear it from people with a less vested interest.

Please don't take me to the cleaners...

lannanh — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:36:36 -0800

Buying a used Washer and Dryer on Craigslist: Thrify and Smart or Foolish and Regrettable? So we just moved into a new apt w/ a washer and dryer hook-up, woo hoo! Except, what do we hook-up?

I've never made a major appliance purchase like this and I'm leaning towards buyin off of CL because I can get the fancy LG front loading washing machine and matching dryer (or Kenmore or Whirlpool or even Frigidaire but definitely NOT Maytag) for under $1,000 versus twice that new. Is this stupidest thing ever? Anyone have any advice for buying a used set? Do I sit with the person and make them do a load of laundry in front of me?

Or should I just scrap the whole thing and buy new? I mean, are things like warrenty important, do any places even offer good warrenties anymore? Or yearly servicing if that still exists.

Any advice on the new or used font is greatly appreciated.

Need a dispenser here.

Diskeater — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:42:04 -0800

Front windshield washer fluid dispenser doesn't dispense. This feels like an easy fix....is it? At the start of the year, my girlfriend and I bought a new 2009 Nissan Versa while visiting family up in Vermont (we live in the Boston area). The car had to be delivered from another dealer so she went up a week later to get it and discovered a crack in the windshield. We took it back to the dealer to be replaced at their expense and had some friends drive it down to us last weekend. They reported that the front windshield washer dispenser doesn’t work. Awesome.

When I try to dispense the windshield washer fluid, the wipers activate and it sounds like it’s trying to dispense the liquid but nothing happenes. The rear dispenser works just fine.

I’ve tried holding the lever down for a while to get out any air packets but that did not work. I doubt the nozzles are frozen because the temperature hasn’t been below freezing for quite a few days and they used the “good” fluid that won’t freeze ever.

Since everything sounds like it should be working fine, I’m assuming that the dealer didn’t hook everything up properly when they replaced the windshield and this should be an easy fix but I’m not mechanically inclined and I don’t know enough to trace which tubes go to where.

I’m assuming that this is an easy fix if all that needs to be done is hook up a tube to a nozzle but I don’t know where to look. I would like to attempt to fix this issue before calling the dealer because if I can get it done myself, all the better.

Can anyone offer any tips? Google / Nissan forums were no help. Thanks!

Rub a dub dub and so on.

santojulieta — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:14:38 -0800

We have laundry maladies. It seems like my washer might not be draining properly, and it's lint central in my dryer. What can I do about this? First Question:
We have an old stacked washer and dryer in our rental apartment. In the last week or so, it seems like laundry smells like stale water when it comes out of the washer. When I moved the agitator to reach some back laundry, I could hear (but not see) water sloshing around somewhere. Also, when it drains before the spin cycle, it backs up into our bathtub (and the water that backs up appears to have... um... dirty laundry residue in it, like lint, gritty dirt, etc.) It seems like there's some sort of clog somewhere within the washer. What could I run through a wash cycle to help clear some of that out?

Second Question:
Our dryer works just fine, but it's awfully linty in there. I clean the lint screen between every load, but it seems like lint builds up in the door (it's hollow with holes in it that lets the lint out to settle in our lint screen.) This horrifies me for two reasons. First, it seems terribly dangerous to have lint in various places in the dryer. Second, it gives me the heebie-jeebies to touch lint. Anything I could toss in a dryer cycle that will magically attract all the errant lint?

I know this is my landlord's responsiblity, but if I can just do something simple and safe myself, I'd rather do that.

They don't shoot dryers do they?

mrhaydel — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:29:15 -0800

Should we put a misbehaving dryer in permanent time out? Two-part-washer-dryer-question filter:

Ms. mrhaydel has a washer and dryer pair that is newer than my washer and dryer pair by roughly 5 years. We will be engaging in full fledged cohabitation in about one month, thereby eliminating the need for two washers and two dryers.

However, her dryer has a nasty habit of leaving grease streaks, randomly, on articles of clothing (photo one, two, three). For the most part, it doesn't show through clothing (washing everything inside-out, natch), but the possibility is still there that the dryer leaves a mark on the outside of a piece of clothing.

So, my first question is, should we toss her dryer to the curb, and bring in my dryer (which works perfectly fine), thereby creating a mismatched pair? How hard is it to sell a mismatched pair? What about selling washers and dryers separately? For what it's worth, my washer does not agitate quite as well as hers, so that's why we're not using my pair.

The second question is, has anyone ever had a similar problem of a dryer leaving grease streaks on clothing? We've concluded with certainty that it is *not* the washer doing it. The only thing we've come up with is that *maybe* the pieces of clothing are somehow getting stuck momentarily in the latch of the door (it's a front loading dryer), but, we just haven't been able to track down the source of the aforementioned grease.

So, what say you, Hivemind?

Dryer cut clothing. Dryer folk not helpful.

kmennie — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:19:58 -0800

Clothes dryer [new] slashed clothing. "Repaired," dryer snags clothes, makes unsettling noise. Visited store 4x; sent registered mail to manufacturer 2x, nothing. Now what? A bit over a year ago I bought a new high-efficiency Frigidaire front-loader and matching dryer from a small local appliance shop. The washer is lousy, but no mind. The dryer made the same 1cm J-shaped cut in most of our knit clothing.

It took a while to figure out where these cuts were coming from, of course. When we finally did, we contacted the store, who sent out Local Repair Dude. LRD scratched his head and asked if I was using HE detergent. (Yes.) LRD said he'd put in a call to Frigidaire. Came back, gave me a hard time about the detergent despite standing under many bottles marked "HE," and did something to the dryer that he thought would maybe solve my problem, and if it didn't, it was Frigidaire's problem, not his.

The "repaired" dryer started snagging a lot of stuff -- drawstrings and snaps on baby clothes get sucked in to a rim around the door and don't come out without ripping -- and making a "Hi I'm a broken dryer" sort of ka-thump noise, intermittently. One knit top came out with a terrible slash; the status of the J-cuts is unclear because our old clothes are already too cut up for us to notice new cuts, and good knits now get hung to dry.

The local shop is nearby, so I went in person. At this point I went in at least three times. Oh, they'd get right on it. Had nobody called me back? Goodness! Be sure to get right on that, yes'm! Same deal each time; never heard a peep.

I sent Frigidaire a letter, via registered mail, enclosing a onesie covered in the J-cuts and missing a snap and a plastic bib that accidentally got in the dryer for a few minutes and came out looking like it'd been in a fight with an X-acto knife. Nothing. I sent a second letter, summarized: "WTF? No response to this one, and it's court. Just in case, here is a copy of the letter I sent." Nothing.

Is small claims court the appropriate/best place to pursue this? At this point I would be happy to return the washer and dryer pair for a full refund and never think of Frigidaire or the shop again; I'm not sure what's realistic, though.

Short-term fix for broken tap washer?

hAndrew — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:59:36 -0800

My friend has a broken tap washer, but we can't source a replacement washer tonight. He turned off the mains to stop the water from gushing out. Is there a short term fix that we can apply to the tap-with-no-washer to stop water from coming out of that tap, so that we can turn the mains back on and use water in the rest of the house?

How to dry moldy clothing on humid days

mizrachi — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:52:01 -0800

Will line-drying damp clothing on humid days make our clothing smell mildewy? We live in Tallahassee and usually hang the clothing we'd like not to shrink on a line in our garage. Unfortunately, Tallahassee is almost always quite humid, the garage particularly so, and as a result of this humid, still environment and the mildew that may have been present in our washer, our line dried clothing now smells like mildew. I've cleaned the washer with a Purewasher solution that is supposed to remove the mold from inside the washing machine and I'm soaking the mildewy clothing in the same stuff as well as running a final rinse with white vinegar to completely remove the odor. However, where do I dry the items we normally air dry? Since we have the option of line-drying outside in the sun I'm wondering if this would be our best option. Or will the humidity in the air just reintroduce this problem?

We're lazy, I admit it.

TheNewWazoo — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:17:09 -0800

We're contemplating moving into a house with no built-in dishwasher... without which we cannot live! What are your impressions of portables? What are good some good brands, and are there any caveats to hooking them up that we should be aware of?

Surge protect a washer?

Marky — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:32:29 -0800

Do I need a surge protector for my new washer? I just replaced my +20 year old washing machine. The old one had all mechanical electronics, I never had a problem with it.

The new one has all electronic controllers, naturally. When I bought it, the salesman tried to sell a bunch of add-ons, like new hoses and a service contract. I told him no thanks, but he insisted I need a surge protector, and expected me to buy the $100 Monster model. Besides being repulsed by all Monster products, I just automatically reject all appliance salesmen add-ons.

But after a few days, I've re-thought this. A blown up controller for this would suck, and probably cost a bundle. Do I need a surge protector for the washer? If yes, any recommendations?

Please help me replace and adjust the belt on my front load washing machine.

dirtdirt — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:56:48 -0800

Please help me replace and adjust the belt on my front load washing machine. The machine is maybe 3 years old. It's a Kenmore but I understand it was manufactured by Frigidaire. A few months ago it stopped working, we got a repair guy out here who diagnosed a slipped belt, put it back on, charged us $175 and went away. The whole thing took 15 minutes

A month ago it exhibited the same symptoms. I opened up the back and, indeed, the belt had slipped again. I found it interesting that the spindle on the motor had grooves that matched the belt, but the other part, the wheel that spins the drum, was smooth. A bit of maneuvering and I had the belt back on. Everything seemed OK.

Then it slipped again. I re-seated it again. I repeated this process a few more times until finally, the belt slipped and somehow got caught in the works, melted some of the plastic on the drum housing, and tore. Bummer.

So, bottom line: I have a replacement belt that I am buying tomorrow, but what can I do to help keep it seated? The thing held on for 3+ years - is it just a part that wears out? Also: I'd have thought there would be a way to adjust the tension between the motor and the drum but it doesn't seem like it. The motor is bolted directly to the same plastic drum that the wheel is on, and there just doesn't seem to be any way to adjust it. Any thoughts or advice?

240V Dryer Outlet to 120V Outlet

hylaride — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:06:05 -0800

Is there an adapter for a 240V dryer plug that will allow a standard 120V to operate off of it (while still allowing for the full 240Vs for the dryer)? My wife and I are planning on buying a washer and dryer soon. We're leaning on separate units. The problem is that we only have a single 240V dryer plug. My understanding is that these are really two 120V at a different phase...meaning there may be a magical device that would allow a 120V plug off of it for a washer to run off of as well. Does such a beast exist or are we stuck with combo units?

Can you get it for me wholesale? "It" being a good washer and a dryer.

melissa may — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 06:42:56 -0800

Proud mavens: help me find a new washer and dryer! After getting screwed out the ying-yang on our last purchase I have been carefully researching washer and dryer options, but feel as if I need Ph damn D in appliancology to make the right decision. Here's what I know I want, in order of importance: ENERGY STAR compliance, good value when bought as a pair (meaning both washer and dryer are good machines), and best warranty/service records. Basically, I need help both deciding what to buy and where to buy it. So if you are in love with a particular brand and/or know of an amazing deal, I'd love to know about it. I will bake you some cookies if you save me cash, for real.*

Brands I've already ruled out: Frigidaire, Maytag, and GE. Other than that I am all ears.

(Also, I've seen this thread but since the information is two years old an update would be great.)

*Warning: cookies may suck.

Steam punk washer or steam washer punk'd?

NGnerd — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:37:18 -0800

Steam washer and dryer, are they worth the extra cash? I'm about to buy a new washer and dryer (though i could buy a relatively new one off craigslist). I can't seem to find any information on the benefits of the latest and greatest steam washers and dryers (such as the Kenmore HE5 or LG's machines) as to what's worth the extra $500. What's your experience been with steam clean washers and dryers? Is there a damn difference, or just hype?

I'll probably end up with a Kenmore HE2 or 3, but want to know if i would be missing out by spending more money.

Please help me to not damage myself...

Lokheed — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:58:07 -0800

Barely competent homeowner question about siding and power washing. I received a letter from the homeowner association the other day telling me that I need to power wash the siding of my house because of mold. I went out and looked, and sure enough on the second story on the east side of the house it looks very dirty. I assume all the dark areas are mold or mildew showing up on the white vinyl siding.

I have never used a power washer before. I don't know what kind of range they have. Would I be able to rent a power washer, stand on the ground, and clean away all of the dirt and mildew on the second story of the house? Would doing it from the ground cause a problem with the water getting up underneath the siding? I am more than a little apprehensive about trying to do it from a ladder, physics being what they are. I have no desire to pull the trigger on the power washer and find myself plummeting fifteen feet to the ground from the kickback.

Any advice on how to safely and properly deal with this?

Who owns what in my new rental?

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 12:53:38 -0800

Two weeks ago I rented a new place. A previous tenant left the washer and dryer here. I can't figure out who owns what! Help! The landlord didn't claim them on the lease as provided appliances, but did tell me I could use them.

The prior tenant M terminated their lease very early. I am unclear as to whether the w&d belong to M or to tenant W, who lived here before M. I was somehow given the impression that the w&d did belong to W, but I have no real idea.

My neighbor had offered me money for the w&d , then ended up talking to the previous owner. Apparently he said someone was coming to pick up the w&d and that he was trying to sell them. I also know my neighbor told M that he was trying to buy the set. Thus I question whether there was ever any intent to get money for this stuff. That seems to matter, because if they were originally abandoned here then trying to claim the right to sell once I took possession is highly dubious.

No one has communicated to me directly their intent to come take this stuff out of my laundry room. They didn't tell the landlord they were going to be removing the stuff or doing anything with it. Isn't property left after you move out forfeit? I don't think the landlord can sell it but they can definitely throw it away. What about me?

I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea of someone coming on my property and taking stuff without arranging things with me beforehand. It seems a little shady. While I'm not sure who really has claim to it anymore, I'm not trying to steal it either and have left the room unlocked.

I feel like I'm getting tricked out of the w&d. I'm not convinced the owner ever intended to sell them, but I can't easily call them out on it. I offered to sell them to my neighbor because he wanted them and I had the opportunity to buy an ok set from someone I knew. But I wouldn't have agreed to buy the second set if I wasn't getting paid for the first, dig? I thought I'd be helping two people out, but now I'm feeling squeezed.

Does the prior tenant have any rights as to this property at this point in time? Is there an easy way to determine this? I live in Texas.

Washer&dryer without the hookups. Can I still use them?

jmd82 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:01:19 -0800

Found the condo of my dreams except for one huge deal-breaker: No washer and dryer hookups! Is there anything I can do to get a washer & dryer into the condo? The condo is in my price range and contains everything I want. Save, hookups for a washer and dryer. I'd also assume there's not a normal electrical outlet for a dryer, whatever that means. Assume I'm a n00b when it comes to houses (first-time homeowner in the making). I am over the coin-operated thing and refuse anything less if I'm buying the place. So, I'm looking for any ideas or thoughts of how to get a washer and dryer setup.

I've heard about apartment-style stacking units that don't require the normal washer & dryer hookups. Does anyone have personal experience with these? Are they worth it?

Secondly, the master bedroom has a sink off to the side that I really wouldn't need (there's a full bathroom about 10 steps away). Financially and logistically speaking, would it make sense to remove the sink and install a washer & dryer setup?

I'm looking for any ideas on how to get a washer and dryer into a condo not made for them and any personal experiences with my situation- if what I'm asking is even feasible. Thanks!

How to share a washer/dryer with other tenants?

mrgreyisyelling — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:23:34 -0800

So I found a new home. Its great. Only catch is this: there is a washer dryer hookup but I'm pretty sure its hooked up to only one of the unit's electric/gas (I'm not sure who's). This seems like this would ultimately lead to conflict. I'm trying to figure out a low stress solution to this problem. I have not signed a lease yet, but I want to (very badly), and I want to come up with a solution before I do. The landlord has been selling it as something the two units will share, though I don't think he is being sneaky, just dense. So I think if I come up with some sort of workable solution, he'd make it official. If not, I want some sort of gameplan.

I have 3 plans in my head, all assuming that the hookup is on my electric and gas.

1) I declare it is mine and no one can use it. (I'm a softy, this might not work)
2) I say 'You buy a washer/dryer you hook it up, you let us use it, and we call it even."
3) I purchase washer/dryer and have them pay a small monthly usage fee to cover gas/electric (which I'm not sure how much it should be)

There is only two units in the building, and the upstairs is a 2 bedroom (so possibly 2-3 people?). I would like this to be as low stress/noisy neighbor as possible, where I don't have to be counting in my head the number of times they are using the thing. We are moving to try to get some real life, friendly, lets have a beer and watch the ducks on the pond sort of lifestyle there, so I don't want to be a draconian jerk - but I also don't want to have to be poor if someone has poor washer/dryer habits.