Keeping Your Dryer Like New!
Yesterday, little 5-year old Sarah realized that mommy was stressed out and needed help preparing for Dad's surprise birthday party. Sarah thought she would surprise mom and help with the wash; she even knew to separate the whites from the darks. After the darks went through the washing process, she removed them with a smile and stuffed them in the dryer. She then put the whites in the washer. Shortly after, Mom was tucking her precious little girl in bed where Sarah revealed the surprise for her mom, "Mommy, I helped today by doing some laundry for you, but the whites still need to be put in the dryer." Mommy thanked little Sarah, kissed her goodnight, and smiled as she walked toward the laundry room.
She began folding the darks, one at a time out of the dryer. When she came to her favorite pair of jeans, her eye fixated on a large blue spot near the pocket. As she reached inside the pocket, she found a pen that had not been taken out before washed. With slight annoyance, she laid the pants aside and resumed folding. As she pulled out the last shirt - the one she had recently gotten Sarah for her first day of kindergarten - she saw a large clump of purple bubble gum on it. Again, she laid the ruined article aside and checked the dryer for further damages. With a tired sigh, she stared at melted gum and an ink stain on the side of the dryer walls.
Perhaps you have experienced a similar situation, or maybe you were the culprit of the tar stained dryer. Either way, the following article will help you clean remove stains from your dryer and washer.
Removal of... from Dryer | |
Ink Stains | Saturate a rag with rubbing alcohol. Wipe the dryer drum, changing rags until no more comes off. Then dry a few old towels to make sure that nothing will come off onto your cherished fabrics. -------- Or -------- Place 2 cups of bleach in a bucket and then fill the bucket halfway full of water. Take some old towels and place them in the bleach water until all the liquid is soaked up (the towels should be very damp, not dripping). Place the towels directly in the dryer to remove the ink and run an entire cycle. Repeat if necessary. When the ink is removed sufficiently, place another old towel in the dryer and run it to make sure that all ink is removed. |
Tar | Spray WD-40 around the edges of the hardened tar and work it in to try and loosen the substance. If the tar is still soft and sticky, hold an ice cube in a plastic bag over the tar to harden it, and then try to chip off as much as possible. Prewash spray may also help. |
Gum | Spray WD-40 around hardened edged to try and loosen gum. If gum is still warm and sticky, hold an ice cube in a bag over the gum first to harden it. Then chip off as much as possible. Pre-wash spray may also help. |
Crayon | Use a cleaner such at Top Job, Mr. Clean, Soft Scrub, etc to remove as much as possible. Do not use a flammable cleaner. Apply the cleaner to a sponge and wipe the interior. Do not spray or pour the cleaner in the dryer. After removing the crayon, wipe the residue off with paper towels or rags. Then dry a few old towels to make sure that the residue has been extracted. |
Starch or tinted article spots | Wipe the interior with a cloth moistened with a diluted bleach solution. Use a sponge or clean cloth, dipped in suds, to remove the bleach solution. Rinse the walls well. Dry a few old towels to sure the residue is gone. |
To Remove... from Washing Machine | |
Hard Water Stains and Soap Scum | Add ½ gallon of white vinegar to the washing machine. Let the machine run through an entire cycle. |
Fabric softener Buildup | Add ½ gallon of vinegar to the machine and let it run through the entire cycle. Do this once a year to keep your machine clean and running smoothly. |
An Odor | Place 2-4 cups of bleach in your washer (no clothes are necessary), and then set the washer to fill up with water. Stop the washer cycle after the water is in and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then let the washer cycle through as normal. |
For General Cleaning and Care | Place ½ gallon of vinegar in the machine and let it run through the entire wash cycle. Do this once a year to keep your machine clean and running smoothly. |
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