Never take advice from the internet.

[carmine]

Well you guys told me that "scrud" from body/cooking oils was leaving black streaks on my clothes.

So I figured, what cuts through oil real good? Gasoline and Lacquer thinner. So I figured it would clean out my washer pretty good too, so I filled it with a mix of Gas/Lacquer thinner, and Kerosene.

Well guess what you guys caused with your advice? I am never taking advice from this site again!

 

[nmaineman36]

Wow is all I have to say. Now who in the world would give someone advice like that in the first place? I hate to say but you might not be the sharpest tool in the shed.

 

[carmine]

Ok, I'll come clean (pun intended)...

I didn't really use Gasoline to clean body oils from the washer.

I followed the dishwashing detergent advice from this thread:

http://www.automaticwasher.org/TD/THREADS/MODERN/12327x9.htm

...and it seems to have done the trick.

Coincidently, my neighbor had a dryer fire the next day. (Nobody hurt) so I figured I'd have some fun with the picture.

Sorry, couldn't resist. ;-)

 

[liberator1509]

You need one of those 50s public safety films...

Now where's that thread with the film about the dangers of trying to dry-clean with gasoline at home?!?

Glad you haven't blown yourself up....

 

[maytagbear]

This was not

particularly funny.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[roto204]

Eep!

The more I see of dryer fires, the fonder I become of my clothesline. Geez!

Glad no one was hurt!

 

[andrewinorlando]

Not amused.....in the least.

 

[carmine]

Well, what can I say... Y'all need to loosen up a bit, or was that melted washer picture traumatic?

 

[Unimatic1140]

Oh come on you guys, lighten up, Carmine was just being silly, and he "came clean" so to speak in less than 1/2 hour after he posted it.

I thought it was pretty silly when I first saw this.

 

[jetcone]

wow I'm goonna

run right duwn stiaz an drayne the gaz outta myh beendix ryht now!

 

[nmaineman36]

That dryer looks like a Frigidaire and they have been known in the past to catch fire. If I remember right they got recalled in Canada but not here in the US. A dryer fire is not something to kid about and it can happen to just about anyone. I am in the habit of not leaving the house if my washer and dryer are going. Gawd knows if my Samsung built Maytag should catch on fire I wont hear the end of it.
But I do see the humor in this but there are people out there numb enough to do something like that...fill a washer with something flammable and have a go at it. Its almost like the advice I heard someone give to another that had hemroids...sit in a basin filled with turpentine and it will shrink your roids...I couldnt even imagine.

 

[carmine]

Just to play fire investigator... Here's what happened.

First off, the neighbor's wife is a little...uh..um...

Anyways, she claims that she smelled smoke, so she called the fire department. They sent a bunch of guys in who disconnected her central A/C, saying the burning smell was the A/C blower... The dryer was in the same room, about two feet from the furnance blower.

So a little later she's still smelling smoke. She opens the dryer and there's flames inside. The FD comes out again, stands around debating whether to hook up a hose, or use the water in the truck. Fire continues to burn.

FD smashes side door window.

FD finally decides to use the water in the truck, and pretty much makes a mess of the house.

Now the husband says that nobody had used the dryer for a couple days. (I asked about flamable liquids on clothes, he says "no")

I looked the thing over, and the fire was definately not at the bottom of the machine. The vent pipe was still clean... no soot even, just some unburnt grey lint.

Go figure? BTW, this was a gas dryer. The console pretty much evaporated in the fire, so I have no idea what brand it was. The washer console melted, but it was a super-cheap Sears (not even a Kenmore).

What do you think happened?

 

[toggleswitch]

Just Bounce-ing around an idea, here.

Use of softener sheets.

Carmine- Take my word for it: jokes in the yellow / Imperial secion fly best. DON'T MESS WITH OTHERS' OBSESSIONS! *LOL*

There are times when it can be dryer [pardon the pun]and more somber here than an office full of accountants (ducks and runs)!

 

[toggleswitch]

I opened the door expecting to find coins banging around....

HMMMM dryer appears to be gas-fired.

Maybe lint caught fire.
Maybe the pressure regualators failed, and the resulting flames were a meter (3ft) long.
Maybe a gas leak.
Maybe two washer load put into one machine.
Maybe the vent cap at the wall was obstructed.
Nature? Mice / birds in hose?

Or MAYBE,just maybe, someone is a police officer who dried their uniforms in there- including BULLETS. Yes, live ammo.

Laugh all you want- that exact sccenario happened to me, and I'm lucky my jingle-bobs did get shot off as I was at the stove (next to the dryer) cooking up some ethnic feast.

 

[nmaineman36]

Toggles that would have been funny to have that on video. I can almost see you now. Did that cop frisk you vigorously and thats why his clothes just happen to be in the dryer.....
(running for my life)
Moi

 

[toggleswitch]

oooooh, I like how you think.

Quita me las esposas. ...
(take the handcuffs off of me...!)

Nah.

In my Co-op (cooperative apt-NYC verison of a condominium) the utlitles were un-metered to the residents.

Downstairs neighbbors had a key and would use my W&D (with permission, of course). Wanted to keep them around. I was the top (apt) he was the bottom, believe it or not!

Pretty boy Italian cop, lovely smart petite wife. Well, except for not removing bullets from his uniform.

The walls were so paper thin it was like living in one house..... why even attempt to have boundaries?

 

[nmaineman36]

I got a good laugh when you said you were the top(apt) and him the bottom...uh huh...and thats all I gotta say.

 

[laundramatt]

I knew it was a joke from the start Carmine. lol, what's funny is the reaction you got from this sight. I love a trick like that. Good job ^-^

 

[andrewinorlando]

Anyone have statistics on number of dryer fires each year that occur? Apparently pretty substantial, including deaths from it. A few months back, had two here in Central Florida...completely destroyed the homes, killed two little girls.

Any info on whether gas or electric dryers have more of a tendency to flare? Gas dryers usually have the burner under the dryer (except for certain vintage dryers which place them on the top of the machine - Norge, Hamilton) while some electric dryers place the heating elements behind the drum, closer to the drying clothes.