Laundry stain help?

I realize this is really not the proper question for a gardening site, but I figured since you all are so knowledgeable you could help. I did'nt check my husbands pocket and an ink pen went in the washer. It is down below the tub, and every time I do laundry depending on the material things are comming up with ink stains all over them. It seems worse if you wash in cold water, which is the most common way now a days. Is there anything you can put in a plain load of water to get rid of it. Hate to have to call someone to take it all apart. How long can it possibly last. I washed approx. 20 loads already.

Wish I could be of help--it would seem that a ballpoint would take a long time to run out as the ink is "oily" as compared to the fountain pen cartridge. Do you have the manual that comes with the washer? Maybe, it would give some info about getting stuff out from under the tub, as that is not such a rare happening.. Good luck.

impie, sometimes it is not hard to get your agitator cover off and take the tub out. I wouldn't continue to wash with the pen in there, no telling what it's doing to your washing machien and could cause more problems down the road. I think there is a site where you can find simple remedies to home problems. Try going to askjeeves.com or Heloise's Hints. Seems like there is a lady on DIY network also that has some great solutions to cleaning problems. I don't know her name, but if you go on the DIY website, you might find your answer.

Impie, usually you can remove your tub by unscrewing the agitator which is pretty easy to figure out. It is usually in two or three pieces that just unscrew like a bottle would. Then pop the top of your washing machine up. They are not easy to pop up but not so hard that you can't do it. They are usually hinged at the back next to the control panel OR the top will pop with the control panel going up too. Then just lift the tub and remove the pen and put it all back together.

Good luck. I hope this helps you.

Impie,
I would be interested how this is going for you. I can imagine the frustration. Once you get this thing opened up you can use alcohol to clean the tub. Regular rubbing alcohol should get it right up. You can also use those little toweletts designed to absorb excess color in the water from clothing bleeds to was your landry if you're still stuck with this problem. Ponditis gave some good advice. I would take this on and open it up. It sounds easy enough. Good luck.

Naturally, this will be the one ink pen that NEVER runs out of ink!

Anyway, if you haven't gotten it figured out yet, a suggestion. Go to www.repairclinic.com

They have people who will give you step by step instructions on how to fix something, based on your make and model. My machine has a stupid screw at the base of the agitator where you have to be a double jointed midget to get to.

Anyway, this website gave me instructions on fixing my icemaker when it started dumping pieces of teflon into my ice. And the parts to fix were cheaper there than anywhere in town. But they will help, even if you don't need to buy parts.

Good Luck.

Impie, I don't know what to do about ink that has leaked into the wash, but I do know that if you accidentally make a mark on a piece of clothing with a ballpoint pen, that spraying the mark with hairspray and rubbing vigorously sometimes eradicates the mark. Worked for me.

Last week, I washed a load of clothes and had left a lipstick in the pocket of my jeans. What a mess! I guess there's no hope for that.

Sweetpea, I just read yesterday that the product WD-40 will remove lipstick stains.

Pond, I will try that. THANK YOU!

I hope it works. Let us know if it does. Good luck

It will also loosen up your jeans. LOL

Misty, THAT is good to know! For some reason, those chocolate eclairs are causing the material in my jeans to shrink (must have dropped some directly on the fabric). LOL.

It sure can. Of course the way it loosens the jeans is you spray some on the zipper and then it isn't quite so hard to pull up when you are on your bed doing the gyrations of the jean dance. LOL


edited because I can't form sentences with my brain working faster than my hands.

This message was edited Mar 26, 2004 2:26 PM

Hi Impiefish---try pepsi cola in the washing machine.

Pond, that is so true it's funny!!!! LOLOLOL

What I would do is put the setting on "large load" and "hot water" and "soak" and run it with a cup or two of Simple Green or Orange Clean or whatever your favorite big-time stain remover is. I'd let it set full of water overnight and then run the rest of the cycle (large load and hot water) the next day.

I'd tell that big 'ole lug of DH I have, that I'm not doing anymore laundry until he gets me a nice new machine! LOL!

I was ogling the latest models @ Home Depot the other day....they sure got some pretty front-loading models with all the bells & whistles!! I dunno know, Impie....I think if it was me.....course I got 3 kids (14, 10 and 2) and a nice heavy duty warshin' machine sounds pretty good to me! LOL! Brenda

Reminds me of my Mom's brand new front-loading washer.

If she put in just a tad too much soap, it would overflow all over the kitchen and hall floor (great sudsy water), out the back door, and down the back steps. Nice greeting if we left the house for a few minutes after she turned on the washer!

It also "walked" across the kitchen floor when it was spinning dry. Of course it drained through a short hose into the kitchen sink, which couldn't keep up with its wanderings, so another flooded floor. We had really clean floors!

My job, I was about 8 yrs old I guess, was to sit on the washer during spin cycle to help slow it down walking. I wasn't very heavy at the time, so she usually had to come over and help push against it until it was through spinning!

This is a true story! After that, she never had a front loader again, and never had her washer in the house again, although I'm sure that the design was long since changed to alleviate this problem!

Judith

This message was edited Mar 27, 2004 1:51 AM

When I was a kid, my mom got rid of the front-loading washer with the round, glass door after I stuffed my brother in there. We were playing "spaceship" -- well, it looked like one to US, anyway :D (we weren't too bright, huh?) At least I was smart enough to not turn the washer on, but I don't think mom trusted us after that.

I think my Mom thought hers was from outer space, or would have liked to blow it to outer space!!!!LOL

And she was so proud of it at first! I don't even remember what we had before. But that one was sure fun to me, little devil that I was!!


Judith

In 1959 my Mother bought a slightly used Maytag washer (she still has the sales slip). At that time I was 7 years old, my brother was almost 9 and our sister was 12 and there was Dad too. Mom used that washer all through our childhood and at the age of 91 she is STILL using the same washer!!!!!!!!!!

She has a dryer that she bought in 1979 that she is still using too. In the meantime my DH and I have had three washers and four dryers in 30 years. I really think the washer and dryer have a harder time living on a farm. lol

Probably a lot more dirt particles that grind away at the now mostly plastic parts inside.

I'm expecting plastic houses any day now!

Judith

Judith dear, on a farm I really think that dirt does play a role but I also think it is other things from the goats, sheep, cows, horses, and other crazy animals here that have taken more of a toll on our plastic parts. As far as plastic houses go I think they are making a lot of parts for houses with plastic already and it won't be long before you can get an entire house and parts out of plastic. I don't want one though unless it does the cleaning FOR me.

My dream home comes with a housewide system, like the vacuum connections in each room. Except instead of a vacuum system, the system, when activated, sprays foam out that completely fills the room, like shaving aerosol. When the foam evaporates without a trace, the whole room is sparkling clean, vacuumed, dusted, accessories and furniture cleaned, even the ceiling and ceiling fans. Oh, and also the windows, inside and out. Linens are clean, dishes are washed, appliances clean, bathrooms, etc.

Did I leave anything out?

I have a lot of these great ideas, just don't have a clue how to build them so I could get a patent and become disgustingly wealthy! Anyone out there want to partner with me and build this stuff?

Judith

I'd like a house with drains in the floors an all-tile interior -- floors, walls, ceilings, everything. Then, I could just move the furniture and hose down the entire place.

-- No 'Suzy-Homemaker' Here :))

My kitchen has a tile floor but I don't like it because the darn thing is too hard and "eats" too many of my nice dishes when they desert my hands. Our linoleum floor at the last house would let those same dishes live to serve another day or six.

I know if I bought dishes that I didn't care much about they would live forever even if they fell on the "tile floor of dish doom".

Hey, Pond, think "Melmac!"

Nanu, Nanu!! :)

Even the melmac shatter. My corning ware is almost gone now. Makes me sad as that was a wedding present and I had kept it all intact until "the floor that ate my world" came along.

I am starting to think that stainless steel Army ration trays look pretty good for my dinners. They would only dent and when they are really bad I can recycle them at the recycle center ( known as our favorite "shopping mall")

The stainless steel would work. Quite chic right now!

Sounds like you've got really strong/potent tile.

I've got ceramic tile in my kitchen, and wouldn't you know, within the first few weeks, I opened the frig door, snagged a corning ware dish by the plastic wrap on top of it. Dish hit the floor, didn't break, but broke a small piece off the ceramic tiile!

Hasn't happened again in 12 years. Wouldn't you just know that would be my luck? The piece of ceramic tile is still missing. But, you know, it used to bug me. But now, I don't think I even notice it.

Maybe it's my bifocals, or maybe it's just that it doesn't matter so much now. Getting old and decripit does have its advantages. So many more pressing problems to be concerned about.

I guess just be like my dad. He was happy with paper plates, plastic "silverware", and plastic glasses, you know, the throw away kind.

Phyllis Diller wanted a stove that flushed. I would like a bed, bath, and kitchen that flushed. But then I'm lazy....er.....efficient.

LOL Judith, you can call me guilty of being "efficient" also. I think there should be a machine that you put your bills into and it spews out all the payments addressed and stamped and then gives you the cash that is left to spend. Of course it would be nice to have that be LOTS of cash to spend instead of a paultry amount.

Well, we sure can dream can't we?

Sorry to impiefish for taking over your thread. I have been wondering if our suggestions have worked for you????

Wouldn't it be nice to have a washer that would wash your clothes and put them out all folded or hung and ironed. Through the years I have found that if I buy clothes that need ironed I hardly ever wear them. Efficient I guess. lol