Laundry Bags to Prevent Clothes Damage

We have a few different laundry bags. I have always used them for delicate pieces - back in the day when I was working all of my stockings went in them. When the pandemic started we also had two small bags to wash cloth face masks. As of late it seems that Tshirts get wrecked in the washing machine. Between the washer and the dryer there are all sorts of little holes that start to appear - usually around the mid section of the shirt. So my husband started to hand wash these items. But that seemed ridiculous to keep up with and the dripping shirts created a mess. So I looked for some laundry bags that would be large enough to stuff a few t shirts in so we could kill a few birds with one stone. We found some 24x24 inch pouches that looked good. So we ordered  up four of them and they arrived this week. We haven’t used the bags yet but based on past history I’m sure that they will work out well. So we hung them on the hooks on the door of the stacked washer and dryer. If we had a laundry room like we used to when we lived in the Midwest none of this would be an issue. We had a wash basin and racks to hang wet garments on. Here, in our small condo, we have a closet. It beats what we had on Capitol Hill but isn’t the best set up. So let’s hope it was worth it. At least it’s a lot less messy. 

Floodstop for Washing Machine

You would think if you live in a brand new building things would be a lot better than living in an 1880’s structure like our old condo on Capitol Hill. We were wrong. The building may look better, but the issues remain. We are disappointed to say the least. One of the more recent items has been leaky washing machine valves that allow unattended washing machines to leak and flood whatever lies beneath. Luckily we haven’t had any issues with our washing machine - the valve has remained intact. But since there has been damage in other parts of the building a preventative program was finally implemented this month to replace all of the valves in the units. So ours was updated this week. Now we have a plate that is attached to the wall with three buttons. If the detector that is attached to the plate placed on the floor next to the washing machine detects water, an alarm will sound and the valve automatically is turned off. If the area is dry or there is a false alarm, you can reset it and reopen the valve by pushing the button on the left. Unfortunately many people still don’t know they need to use high efficiency detergent and also to drain the water that collects in the receptacle below the washing machine. I always read the directions on any product we get. It seems most people don’t. And when you live in a condo rather than a single family home it makes things worse. These are the disadvantages of living in a condo - being surrounded by morons. If we knew then what we know now I’m not sure we would live where we are today. The pandemic has made our world very small and every problem is magnified because we are here all of the time. Do you have time to hear about all of the other problems!?

LG Washer Problem

Of course it’s only been a year - and the washing machine knew it. Luckily we did get an extended warranty coverage because we also had problems with all the Thermador kitchen appliances. Hopefully we won’t have to use the warranty yet, but today will tell. Last week when we did a wash, the drain pan under the stacked washer/dryer was filled with water. After the last load of wash I had cleaned out the filter that sits at the bottom of the washing machine. I’ve done it before, and didn’t think much of it. So we had to sap up all the water from the liner and dry out all the rags. The only possible problems could be that the filter wasn’t put back in correctly, or there was a blocked pipe according to the manual. So we put in another wash today - dreading the outcome. And of course, within two minutes the pan was filled with water again. I went for my phone and the LG diagnostics app, but didn’t get to use it. My husband said the filter was loose and he tightened it up. Then we sat and watched the washing machine for half an hour while cleaning up the mess - again. Since we had another wash to do, we tried it again - with a tight filter in place and rags ready. So far it is going as it should, but we are checking it every five minutes. The problem with living in a condo is that we are bound by rules during this virus crisis - so having anyone come in to the building is not allowed at this time. I suppose if the washing machine kept acting up and we needed service it would have to be done. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the next wash goes without a disaster. All I can say is thank goodness for the drip pan. After having lived on Capitol Hill and all the problems in that 1890’s building for thirteen years, I was hoping to get a reprieve from building and appliance problems. In the scheme of things it could be a lot worse. And I’m not touching that filter again unless I have to and I pray the neighbors above us are as attentive as we are. 

CSC Serviceworks Washing Machine Issues

When we lived in the Midwest we had a lovely laundry/mudroom on the main floor of the house. When we moved to DC in to our tiny 500 square foot condo we had a very small LG combination washer/dryer unit tucked inside a tiny closet in the hallway next to the bathroom. The unit is so small you can maybe do one sheet at a time or one large towel. So we use it primarily for small loads. Unfortunately we then have to depend on using the laundry room down the hallway for large loads - which is sheets and towels. It’s bad enough to have to use a communal area, but when the machines don’t work it makes it even more irritating. And such was the case this morning. None of the washing machines would accept three different credit cards that amounted to twelve dollars in “no service.” So we reported the faulty machines to CSC ServiceWorks, which is associated with Coinmach. We first tried calling, but then went on line to fill in three different pages with detailed information about each washing machine. Then I went to another tab to request a refund, again providing all the detail information. We received several email notifications about getting the requests for each machine, a verification email about the refund, and then more emails about the service being completed. I’m not sure it is worth so much hassle - or maybe I am just feeling barraged with broken things lately. That included two visits to the Subaru dealer for the check engine light, another water leak in our unit, and now this. It obviously happens enough that there is an app out there to report the non working washers and dryers. I downloaded it for the next time. And I’m afraid it will need to be used be sooner than later.