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So I got a semi-frantic text. “I wanted to wash our towels before we left tomorrow and the little bag with the rocks broke.”
I have a rather expensive, and new, ventless washer/dryer. I have specific written instructions both in my welcome book AND STUCK on the front of the machine (like, you have to move the instructions to open the door) not to do towels and linens, as they will not dry properly in that machine.
Oh yeah, the materials also explain that the guest needs to REMOVE the large bag of dessicant material (that I keep in there to avoid funky odors common to front loaders and in a damp bathroom) BEFORE doing laundry.
I don’t think this tops your story but I had an overhelpful guest who decided to put everything in the washing machine on the morning of departure. Whites, coloured, everything. All on hot. And the duvet still in its cover.
Red napkins and teatowels, in with white bathtowels and bedlinens… everything ended up pink, of course. And the duvet took forever to disentangle from its cover. So very helpful!
First, I would assess whether there is any damage to the items or your machine and if so, whether it is significant enough to make a claim.
To establish her responsibility, I would ask her why she ignored the sign on the machine stating specifically not to wash the towels and linen. The purpose is to get her to admit to acting irresponsibly and to have it on the record. The secondary purpose is to find out what would prompt a guest to blatantly disregard pointed instructions.
Addendum: Oops! I didn’t notice that you weren’t asking for advice but whether we can top your story. My mistake! Please disregard any invoice which may follow.
I think this is one you need to add to your house tour. I’m not sure I would read it and understand that it was ok for clothes but not for towels. Yes I know you’re saying it but it’s the type of thing where you read it and then think nahhh that can’t be right.
I don’t have a comment on the OP but on these ridiculous front loaders with the funky smells and the dryers that don’t dry…
I mean… is it me? Or is it just insanity to pay that much for machines that make your clothes smell like crap because you have a cesspool of pond scum growing on the inside of the front loading gasket? Then you put it in a dryer that doesn’t dry?
Whatever happened to the nice old fashioned maytag washer and dryers? No skittish electronics, no locking doors, no funky smells. Just plain old clean and dry clothes without spending $2000.
I use a front loader (of course … that’s what we have over here). You have to leave the door slightly open immediately after use so it dries (I usually leave it overnight and then close it) and you need to run a service wash every month (a hot wash with just detergent). No smells or mould ever if you follow this method.
I have to say putting a packet of desiccant in a washer is … well, asking for trouble. Even the best meaning person will forget to remove it at some point.
That’s the key. Leaving the door and soap dispenser open a bit - I leave mine open between washers or else it’s mold central. I’d say 95% of washers and dryers in the uk are front loaders. We don’t have a choice - there’s not much space!
I do this with bleach on 90 degrees. It’s a bit scary to see the suds build up in an empty barrel but it really works. I have a Zanussi and honestly it’s the best buy I ever made, really good machine.
I don’t think I’ll ever get a dryer. So expensive to run and so much can go wrong. I like to think that all my N American guests find it quaint to hang their laundry on the radiator
I make them a cup of tea and talk about the War and how lucky they are to have the luxury of central heating and not have to make a coal fire.
There are many advantages to front loaders. Laundry gets cleaner with less soap, less water and less energy. Front loaders are gentler on fabric. Front loaders can be installed under cabinets. Our washing machine forces a cleaning cycle after it has gone through a certain number of wash cycles. Also, we clean the gasket. For us, the benefits of a front loader outweigh the one disadvantage.
The one I use (at my sister’s place) is total junk!! No matter how much you clean that gasket, it leaks out more pond scum. For each load of clothes, it’s mossier and mossier, so to me, that means the scum is coming not just from the gasket but from somewhere else…
I believe there were several class actions filed on these things. Terrible design flaws, and you won’t be saving much water if you have to rewash the clothes because they STINK!!! Hahaha
They mention the same issue!!! That there is scum coming from someplace else, not just the gasket! And it gets on your wash! Gross!
And you CAN smell it from a good distance away. When you open the door you are nearly knocked over by the small. It’s nauseating!!!
An interesting aside… During a recent trip to Lowe’s i noticed nearly zero of these for sale. Everyone is going back to the top loader. They make them in compact sizes and eco, water saving designs.
I can’t bear washing drying on the radiator like that! All that water evaporating into the house, nooooo. Everything in my current place is underfloor and I love it… no temptation for anyone to try and leave washing. I say no temptation… but I have found dripping wet washing hanging off the bedroom door or more than one occasion.
You must be using a different front loader from me. My clothes come out cleaner in a shorter wash.
The thing I noticed when travelling (and being forced to use a top loader) is how hard they are on clothes. It felt like everything came out with a pull or a bobble on it that hadn’t been there before.
I don’t understand this problem. In front-loaders, like any washing machine I guess, the water is drained away after each wash. Of course, it’s prudent to let things air out but it shouldn’t cause this sort of problem unless there’s some serious design flaw or a problem with the plumbing. Fabric conditioner causes a lot of build-up problems (and it stinks to high heaven even when it’s “fresh”, uggh vile stuff) so maybe that’s another potential issue?
Mags, read that article, where they discuss the scum building up in other parts of the washer and then getting deposited on your clothes. It’s clearly a design flaw.
